Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-24
DOWN. FsOM THE CLOUDS,
A New Weather Clerk Dssoends
From Pixies Peak to Adjust Louis
ville's Breezss.
A Year OF Life Two Miles and a
Half mp Among Sweeping Cur
rents.

- Not VA AAu1ao
City aud st. Louis. He comes from
he breeziest corner Of the continent.
and may be presumed to be surcharged
with the toughest sort Of weather. A
Courier Journal reporter met him on
his arrival last evening and succeeded
IN talking him into a very good opin-
Ion OF Louisville and h~ereabouts, SO
that it may be relied upon Sergeant
Dey wilinOt discharge any of his IA,
100 horse power weather at US at
present. There is no telling what
humor he may get into should some
thing turn up 10 rufle his brown,
cloud beaten brow.
Yes, said he, the signal station
on Pixies Peak is located 14,150 feet
above the level Of the sea, right on
the top and highest inhabited point
in the world. When | left Saturday
the thermometer registered twenty
five degrees below zero, though il
sometimes reaches forty degrees
below"
Much snow2" he asked.
"Snowl Bless your heart it SHOWS
up there in July. We look for snow
every day in the year. We have, in
summer days, when the thermometer
runs up to 500; seldom above that,
however. Every night the year round
It freezes. You can stand in the
doorway of the signal station up there
aud look at the whole world. il | may
so express it. The scene is gorgeous,
he very climax Of S~ublimity.h
I'm fact" suggested the reporter,
"a fellow is apt to have the raw edge
blown off his eloquence."
Precisely. II you want any more
in that line OF description, why just
say 60" .
SuppOsiDg you tell us, instead, how
you grub up there; where you take
your girl to church; how many keno
rooms there are; how many gin mills,
and such likef"
The poor man looked at the reporter
in blank a%mazement, as they say in the
serials.
why, they haven't any Of those
conveniences of advanced civilization
at all, he said. Over two miles and
a half up in the air and seventeen
miles from any human habitation isn't
the spot to locate to any enlarged
degree, True, we eat up there, but we
have to layiu our provisions for winter
and summer 10 the fall.
WE COOK FOR OURSELVES,
and our washing is done at a place
called Colorado Springs, seventeen
miles away"
"How many men are there in
charge of the station2"
Il had two assistants, and the
three of us took Charge of the station
on Pixies Peak aud the one at the
springs. This allows us to alternate;
otherwise we could not stand it. As
it is, human life up there is a most
wretched existence, At first one be-
comes deathly sick, o sickness almost
the very anne as sea sickness; that is,
a splitting headache, severe vomiting,
and a sort Of burning ambition to
jump Oh the mountain. The meu
stationed there endeavor somehow ia
90 down ono every two weeks. Last
winter there was a period ofsix weeks
however, during which we were com
pletely hedged in. Talk about your
little two-fOr 'a-peuny blow outs down
here on the fat earthl We have il
blowing a hundred miles an hour M
there and call it a lively breeze"
The reporter didn't contradict Mr.
Dey, because he had never been up to
investigate the currents Of air on
Pixies Peake himself, and, as Mr..
Dey bad located his breeze so faI
away, there was no time to make 3
personal observation and be in time
with this interview for this mornings
paper. So this hundred mile gait
story is put in for what it is worth.
1T may be supposed said the re
porter, that when you are in a hurry
to get down the mountain, you Jus
wait for mi Of these double. breasted
winds and jump off the door step?"
That is the way we work It." hC
replied. In the summer many visitor
come up the mountain, people frou
every quarter of the globe. The trav
cling Is done on mules, and is YER
amusing to watch the effect Of tht
extremely rarefed air on man anc
beast. Animals can stand it beyonC
a day, and it is observed that thor
oughly healthy people do not stand i
so well as persons not in robust health
Women stand it much better thai
men. Last summer we had 1000 Wis
itOrs. We call them 'tenderfeet.' The,
can get a hot cup Of coffee from us
and that is all. They bring thei
own provisions, and oltentimes tn
Womenfolks turn to and get up a hand
some meal for all hands. would no
! advise anybody with very weak lung
to venture up TO the station. tn,
actual reading of the barometer OF
Pixies Peak is seventeen inches. N,
mau a stand this condition of III,
atmosphere. The seasickness | speaI
= of lasts for a few days at the begin
ming. In the course Of thirty day
one loses his appetite, and finds
almost impossible to sleep."
j "What sort Of a place Is the sta
tiOn?"
t ut is built Of solid rock on a deer
ly sunk foundation, and everythin
about it is constructed with . yiev
: to prevent its being picked up bodil
and
o PITCHED INTO THE VALLEY.
0 Our house is constructed on a yer
y liberal plan. There arc Ave larg,
we'll furnished rooms, including a yer
t nice library. We're it not for hi
t there is no tolliug how the boys woul
9 get on"
Did you experience the %electri
storm of last week?'
I'm a measure, yes; but not az il !
Q described in other localities. w
have frequent electric storms whic
5 are grand displays, and which we ca
st. Elmo's ere"
e A recent article in the Scienti6
r American on these storms on Pike
Peak BY Sergeant Dey attracted gres
attention all over the world.
y is the station the only habitatio
b on the mountain the reporte
inquired.
/, HNo. When I referred N Oolor.d