Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-10
A MOUNTAIN sPECTER.
WOnderfut Phenomenon Observed by
the GeOdetic survey.

the GeOdetic Survey.
HARDSHrPs ENDURED By GOVERNMENT sCIEN
lists IN THE FAR wEsT-MR MARR's ExPE-
RIENCEs.
From the st Louis Post Dispatcb
Among the guests at the Lindell hotel this
morning Is Mr.. R. A. Mari. one of the aids Of
the Coast and Geodetic survey, who has just
been ordered to Washington. d. c., and is now
on his way there. MIR. Mari. who is native
OF Nashville. Tenn. and is a robust and hand.
some gentleman of twenty-seven, has just fin
ished four years sold work as aid in the
party engaged in southern Utah and Central
Nevada making TRAN EQUATION survey with
the 59th parallel as axis of the work
In conversation with Post Dispatch reporter
this morning Mr.. Mari stated that. while the
rules OF the department forbade the officials
from revealing matters of detail connected
with their duties. he would gladly impart any
other information which might be Of public in
terest. He then stated that the party. which is
under the command of Assistant Einbeck OF
this city. who was formerly connected with the
city engineers office, when he left 1t was
camped on top of JEFF. Davis Peak. the highest
point in Nevada, being $4,000 feet above the
sea level.
Il suppose you have some weather there &C.
casionaily? the reporter suggested.
I'VE had snow from December go 1881, to
October IA, 1882, with only three actually clear
days in that time"
How do you live and pass the time I'D
there?"
We live In an ordinary tent. Our party con-
sisted of Mr.. Einbeck. myself and eight as
sistants-boys we call them, though they are
full grown men, whom we hire to do the heavy
work incidental to lite among the mountains.
Before sunrise we get up and take our toast
and coffee, and at sun-up the heliotropers be-
gin to work and we commence our Observa-
tions.'
what is heliotroper?"
''He is the man who
MANIPULATES THE MIRRORS
way off on distant peaks.''
Just We have heard of it's being done in
connection with modern warfare 2"
Exactly. From sun-up to $50 or 8 a. H. we
take observations of the distant gleam.'
How far OFT are the helotropers 20
At different distances at different times.
From the top of jeff Davis Peak we have two
lines of sight to the Wasatch range, one of
Which is over $50, the other $50 miles In length
II might interest your readers to know that with
lttie heilotrope, consisting of glass only d
inches long by inch wide, we have seen with
the naked eye distance OF over eighty miles.
We can see threc-inch square mirror with the
naked eye over 100 miles, which will be sur
PRISE TO the English heOtOpers who have lately
published with some pride the fact that they
have used the heliotrope for the same distance,
which means that they nave done so with the
aid of the telescope. When it comes down to
this we can claim to have used "A fOur-inch square
mirror distance OF over $50 miles,
After YOU have made your observations
what them"
''lf we have any magnetic observations to
make we attend to them. At noon we take fur
ther observations until 1:30 or p. m. and then
a"a!n from or $50 p. m to shutdown The
balance OF the time is passed in writing up the
records and such recreation as can be found in
such Il locality
What is the object of all this work.,
TO make map of the country and to locate
points accurately in latitude and longitude, for
the benefit of local surveyors
What kind of Il spot were you camped in?''
Right among loose rock on ton of the peak
Fifteen feet from the tent the mountain de-
sends in sheer precipIce OF over 1000 feet
high. When we broke camp last there were
thirteen to fifteen feet of snow
DRIFTED ALL AROUND
the tent. Cold up there? Yes, sir We had it
twenty degrees below zero for several DAYS on
a stretch, with a furious northwest wind blow
ing all the time
How do you keep the camp provisioned?"
I'VE team from the nearest camp, but tor the
last eight miles of the journey the food is
brought on packs"
Dull life. suppose. take it altogether?'
1cS. tue WOIk is the MOSC interesting part
OF it. The most entertaining adventure met
with since went on the survey happened in
December, 1881. when l was nearly frightened
out OF my wits one evening by an apparltion
which afterwards recognized as the American
counterpart of the specter of the Brocken-
the wonderful phenomenon which is not I'M
common in the HartZ mountains, but has
quite rarely been seen in this country | was
over on the TOujabe range, in Nevada south of
Austin, at the time: had gone there to relieve
heliotroper. His heliotrope had not been visi-
BILE for three, days, and, knowing that something
was wrong visited the place. 1t was ITO miles
distant, in direct line, but took journey of
$50 miles to reach the place. When got there
found the heliOtroper SO badly frozen that he
was poWerless to move, and so | had him sent
to camp and took his place myself had been
thereabout thirteen days, living alone in a cabin
ON the top of Arc Dome, a point about II 600
or 1000 feet high, when one evening, about
half an hour before sunset. was standing on
the top OF the peak. A southwest wind was
blowing Mnis at 1.-THE the time sending along pogonips
"Ah. yes, I'd better let you know that
pogonip is moist-cloud which appears under
certain meteorological conditions sharp nip
ping mist that scuds along and freezes any
exposed portion of the body in very short order
Suddenly as l stood looking
OVER THE VAST ExPANsE BENEATH
me, saw myself confronted by monster
Inquire VI d man standing IN mld-a1r before me
upon the top OF clearly defined mountain peak,
which had but the thin air Of the valley below
for a resting place. The figure was only short
distance from me. Around it were two circles
of rainbow light and color. the outer
one family defined as compared with
the inner one, which was bright and
clear and distinctly iridescent Around
the head of the figure was beautiful halo of
light, and from the figure itself shot rays of
cOlors normal to the body. The sight startled
me more than l can now tell. Strange to say,
my first thought was of Mark Twains story of
the darkey who. when lie first saw the steam
boat coming down the river. called out: Here
is de Lord my second thought was of the man
in the Bble--E!jah. wasn't it?-who was car
ried to heaven in chariot of fire. 1 threw up
my hands in establishment and, perhaps. some
little fear, and at this moment the specter
seemed to move towards me. In few minutes
/ got oyer my fright, and then, after the figure
had faded away recognized the fact that had
enjoyed one of the most wonderful phenomena
of nature Since then we have seen it once or
twice from JEFF Davis Peak, but 1t has never
created such an impression upon me as it did
that evening when was doing service as hell
OtrOper all alone, on the top of Arc pOme."
Gambetta's Death Chamber
From the Evening Post.