Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-06-09
WEEKLY CITIZEN.
SATURDAY., JUNE g. 1893
REMARKABLE vBBuITY OF OBJECTS IN
 ARIZONA

REMARKABLE vBBuITY or OBJECTS IN
 ARIZONA.
 On the occasion of the recent celebra- tion of the competitor of the Brooklyn bridge, Nessrs. Ialliston and Peters the latter Methodist preacher of Oli- yer, New York, vent to the top of High Point, one of the most prominent of the Catskill peaks, and 3,4O0 feet above tide water, to ascertain if the fireworks on the bridge could be seen from that point. As soon as they reached the sum- nit they got the correct bearings and waited for darkness. They were reward ed by seeing a number of the rockets, dim, but quite distinct.
 Considering the humidity of the st- mosphere of the Atlantic states, and the hay appearance of objects even at few miles distance, the occurrence IS somewhat remarkable. But the bridge cannot be seen with the naked eye from the mountain, and it was only by the continued flashes of the most brilliant and powerful rockets that they were enabled to observe the flights, which were "quite distinct" Mir. Halliston, who seems to have some knowledge up- on the possibilities of vision in different countries, says ''thst in the dry atmos- phere of Colorado Pike's Peak can be seen from first view one hundred and fifty miles off" This We know to be ap- pruximately true, having ourselves seen it from the old Republican Overland road at that estimated distance twenty four years ago this month. When We caught the first glimpse Of the peak, be- ing covered with snow, 1t so closely're- sembled heavy bank of white clouds, that it was impossible for an inexperi- enced person to tell whether 1t was clouds or snow mountains, and the ques- ton was not satisfactorily settled until the dark timber line came in sight some three hours afterwards, on reaching an elevated position on the plain. During the following summer, in company with Captain Merchant, of Lawrence, Kan sas, and others, while on 6 prospecting tour, we climbed to the top of the snow range to the southwest of the head waters of Clear creek, and at the hour of o'clock in the morning, with our eyes we traced the course of Cherry Creek to a junction with the Platte river, by the dark thread of timber that grew along the banks of those streams, and at the junction we could distinctly see a white spot which at times gllstened and glsred upon our vision. This We knew to be the spot where Arrara and Denver was located, and the white painted houses clumped together was what We saw. The dis tance from the snow range at thIs point to Denver is not less than seventy-fiye miles, and possibly may be one hundred miles. But, remarkable as this may seem to those who have no knowledge of he clear atmosphere of the southwest, 1t would be a commonplace occurrence in Arizona, viewed from like position and under similar circumstances. The atmosphere of Arizona IS perhaps as clear and objects may be seen at as great distances as any place in the world, and at much greater distances than in any other portion of the United States
 BaboquIvari peak, fifty five miles south of Tucson in Arizona, which IS not more than 7,j00 feet high, Is easily seen from Hermosillo, the capitalof Sonora, which, as the crow flies, is distant one hundred and seventy miles. We were informed by reputable citizens of Hermosillo, that the same peak could be seen from the tops of the coast range Of mountains on the Gulf of California near Guaymas, Mexico, on clear day, two hundred and sixty miles away. Of course the atmos- phere to the south, In Mexico, is similar to that Of Arizona Surely Dryden must have had some such piave ArizOna m his minds eye, when he wrote There felds of light and liquid ether flow