The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-10-02
The FrightfuI Cold Of the Arctic Circle

It is stated in the diary left by Ser
| geant Rice of the Greedy expedition
| that the mean temperature at their
camp during the month of December,
| 1881, was - b OIL degrees. Early in
January, 1882. the pendulum piers
were erected-so we learn from the
same source-and the work of making
! observations furnished arduous and
| eXacting duty for the astronomer, .swho,
| IN addition to the tedious counting OF
| the swings of the pendulum hour after
| hour, was compelled to make astronom-
| zeal observations for the determination
| OF time. These pendulum observa-
tons were continued fifteen DAYS, and
up to January 10, when the station was
| swept by a severe storm and caused
such a remarkable fall in the Their
mometer that Lieutenant Greelv had
the range OF the instrument close
ly observed and recorded every
fifteen minutes. The reading showed
temperature of only III. which
was r.se OF about eighteen degrees in
a lew hours. The wind blew at the rate
OF sixty miles an hour. carrying with ii
Clouds of snow and spicular ice, which
cut the faces of the men like powdered
glass or sparks of fire, and prevented
them from reaching either the "ther-
mometer shelter or the tide gauge
Everyone who was out, we are told
''came back more or less bruised, and
with their faces covered by a mass O
fro en- snow. The frosty particles were
also driven through the thickest coats,
forming white lining on the inside"
The velocity of the wind finally in
creased to seventy-five miles an hour,
and the thermometer ranged from 30
to -32.l. A summing of January
temperature shows a mean of -3S. 50, a
minimum of 1872, and a maximum
OF 81 degrees. February came in
cold, the average temperature Tor the
month ''being more than fifty de 2rees
below zero, with the mercury frozen
solid all the time.
On February 18th the standard Their
mometer stood at sixty degrees below
zero, the corrected difference of tenn
perature between the inside and the
outside of the quarters being over 10
degrees. ''It is surprising remarks
the Sergeant, 1.-the amount of cold that
can be supported without injury while
the atmosphere is at rest. Comfortably
clothed and no air stirring, we could
move about without risk or great in
convenience, taking care only of the
face, which sometimes became touched
and re Iuired the application of warm
hand, which could safely be Withdrawn
from a warm covering for a short time.
Give me sixty-five degrees and calm
weather rather than twenty degrees
and the wind moving ten miles an
hour. 1t is a mistake cas- s ated by the |
eminent Arctic explorer, Hayer) that |
perspiratiOn ceases at fifty degrees. |
This was disproved by the experiment |
of many ofus. Swathed in cumb rous |
clothing, such exercise as pushing be- |
hind a loaded sledge would frequently |
produce perspration in no meager
quantities, and at lower temperature
than that mentioned.
During February experiments were
made with shot-guns and ckronograph
to ascertain the rapidity with which
sound travels through Arctic ar It
was ascertained that Iubril ating oil had |
to be removed from the guns, as it
would freeze solid and not allow the
of the weapon to work
w hen on February % the sun had be-
gun to again show It's light, members
Of the party suffered with weak eyes
and pres ented q ''bleached out appear
anee of cOuntenance like the potato
vines that grow in celIars' An import
ant record IS n ade OF the fact that Feb
-uary of 1882 was the cOlde month
ever noted in the Arctic region, and
ar in excess of the thermometric range
given by the discovery party in 1876, as
he mean temperature was 10. AZ and
he minimum 80. l degrees. Although
he sun was to be seen for few hours
very day, the colony life had become
70 mOnotonOus that s'the return of
very hunter was the signal for ques
ions, and the smallest circumstance
furnished topic for conversation. -
Y. 7. Herald.