River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-10-09
ARCTIC OBSERVATIONS.
Driving B1izzards-The Mercury Frozen
Solid for a nIonth-A Monotonous life.

tits stated in the diary left by Sergt Rice,
of the Greedy Expedition, that the mean tenn
perature at their camp during the month of
December, 1881, vase. Oh degrees Early in
January, 1882 the pendulum piers were
erected-so we learn from the same source
and the work of making observations fur
nished arduous and exactinS duty to the as
tronomer, 'swho, in addition to the tedious
counting of the wings of the pendulum hour,
was compelled to make astronomical obserya-
tons for the determination of time. These
pendulum observations were continued fif-
teen days, and up to January 18th,
when the station was swept by Sc
we're storm and caused such a remarka-
bic fall of tho thermometer that Lieut..
Greedy had the range of the instrument
closely observed and recorded every fifteen
minutes The reading showed a temperature
of only 1875, which was rise of about Is de.
grees in a few hours. The wind blew al
the rate of sixty miles an hour, carrying with
it clouds of snow and spicular ice. which cut
the faces of the men like powdered glass or
sparks of fire. and prevented them from reach
ing either the thermometer shelter or the
tide-gauge." every one who was out we are
told, 9scame back more or less bruised, and
with their faces covered by mass of frozen
snow The frosty particles were also driven
through the thickest coats forming white
lining on the inside" The velocity of the wind
finally increased to seyenty-iye miles an hour,
80 /. A summing of January temperature shows
a mean of "a, a minimum of $50, and
maximum of --9I5 degrees February came in
cold, the average temperature for the month
''being more than 80 degrees below zero,
with the mercury frozen solid all the time.
On February 18th the standard thermometer
stood 60 degrees below zero, the corrected diff
ference of temperature between the inside and
outside of quarters being over ITO degrees
sit is surprising, remarks the sergeant, ''the
amount of cold that can be supported without
injury while the atmosphere is at rest. Com
fortably clothed and no air stirring, we could
move about without risk or great inconyen-
fence, taking care only of the face, which some
times became touched and required the appli-
cation of warm hand, which could safely be
Withdrawn from a warm covering for short
time Give me 65 degrees and calm weather
rather than 20 degrees and the wind moving
ten miles an hour. 1t is a mistake las stated
by an eminent Arctic explorer, Paverl that
Precipitation ceases at so degrees. This was
disproved by the experience of many of us
Swathed in cumbrous clothing such exercise
as pushing behind loaded sedge would fire.
quently produce perspiration in no meager
quantities, and at lower temperature than
that mentioned
During February experiments were made
with shotguns and chronograph TO ascertain
the rapidity with which sound travels through
Arctic air. 1t was ascertained that lnbricating
oil had to be removed from the guns, as it
would freeze solid and not allow the machinery
of the weapon to work When on February
23d the sun had begun TO again show its light,
members of the party suffered with weak eyes
and presented a 'bleached-out appearance OF
countenance, like the potato-vines that grow
in cellars" An important record is made OF
the fact that February 1882 was the coolest
month ever noted in the Arctic region, and far
in excess of the themometric range given by
the discovery party in 1876, as the mean tenn
perature was-46. AZ and the minimum-621
degrees Although the sun was TO be seen for
a few hours every day the colony life had be-
come so monotonous that ''the return of every
hunter was the signal for questions, and the
smallest circumstance furnished a topic for
conversation. IN Y Tribune