The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-02-29

Il
When the meteorological observatory
was first started on Ben Nevis, we
found that very few even among the
natives of the district could give us any
clear idea of what weather and condi-
tons of life to expect during the winter.
Although the hill is besieged in summer
by an innumerable multitude of tour
lists, when it assumed its wintry cover
ing of snow it was regarded as mac.
cessible. A few daring spirits might be
found to brave its dangers and bring
tales of twenty. thirty, even fifty feet OF
snow on its crest or lying in the ravines
| at the side. But no reliable information
was forthcoming. Our experience up
to this time has been that no very great
depth of snow lies on the top-only
some six to ten feet-but that when
reshly fal en- the strong winds preva-
lent here make it a disagreeable neigh
Dor. 1t drifts about in binding squalls.
and piles itself up against every obstruc-
ton. Our first experience of this was
the blocking-up of our doorway. The
snow formed bank ten feet high
aga nst the wall of the house tefore
three feet had allen on the open ground.
Cult ng passage through this DRIFT
was easy. but unfortunately it filled up
again Just as easily, and the h. ght of
the snow steadily increasing made clear
ing the door an ever-grOwing labor.
This difficulty, however. is now got over
by the erection of a building, probably
unique as far as the British isles are
concerned, though common in more
northern ATTITUDES. From the door we
have made sta rcase of boards, lying
on steps Of snow, and have rooted the
whole owe with an archway OF blocks OF
snow. This effectually keeps the snow
away from the door. and any that may
accumulate ut the mouth of the tunnel
is easily thrown out. Just now the
level of the snow is nearly flush VITA
the r'of of the observatory, and yet by
means of this archway we can pop in
and out like rabbi is in burrow in any
weather.
The pleasures of life here depend on
the state of the weather. On fine DAYS,
when the air is clear and the snow
sparkling in the brilliant sunshine, a
more del ghtful residence can not be
found in the whole country. Lately we
have had remarkable weather, and have
seen to great perfection the sunrises and
sunsets VIII ca have been astonishing
the dwell rs in low ATTITUDES. We not
merely see the co'Ors ut sunrise and
sunset, bur all along the sky round the
horizon COWS W tn THESE strange hues,
which, whether due to volcanic debr s,
cosmlc dust or other more ordinary
cause. strike the beholder with wonder.
This is enc side OF the picture; but
should visitor climb the mountain in
the hope of seeing such sights the
chances are that he will meet with the
more ordinary weather of the Ben. He
will find everything swallowed up
in mist, the particles of which,
freezing as they touch him, will turn
HIM into gray-bearded veteran before
his time and load his coat and hat with
thick LAYER of ice and snow crystals.
But even such weather is not without
its compensat'ons. The ice forming on
every exposed surface assumes the most
fantastic sha es. A thin rope, not so
thick as an ordinary clothes line, will
grow in less than twenty-four hours to
a massive cable six or sven inches in
diameter, while a stretched copper wire
will before the day is over break under
the weight of ice deposited on it by the
mist and drilling snow. More than
once, after working outside, l have
come in with my waterproof made
dou5iy damp-resisting by complete
outer glazing of ice. But the weather
that really tests the strength OF the OBJ
servatory building and tries The mettle
of its inhabitants Is when one OF the
westerly gales ofour stormy coast comes
sweeping up from the Atlantic, buryino
the top of Ben Nevis in mist and snow
ami cutting off all comm unication with
the lower world. Then little can be
done out OF GoorS save when once in an
hour one of the observers makes dash
out into the storm to read the instru.
mcnts outside. The box containing
these is only about twenty yards from
the mouth OF the snow-porch, yet Sc
thick sometimes is the drift and the
snow that it is quite invisible, aud the
observer has to find his way there and
back by following the guide-rope
stretched between them. At night he
is happy if, by repeated trials. he can
keep his lamp alight long enough to lie,
him cad the thermometers. etc, and
struggle back to peace and quiet inside.
Of course any detailed account of the
observations made would be out of pla
here, but may.state that no very low
temperature has been recorded as yet,
the lowest eng sixteen degrees I ali
rem nett on December l6. The usual
-, att,tn tv., ftxyA MT Ex-n
thirty oegrecs, with occasional inter.
lrdes of thaw, VIXEN it rises above thir.
tr-two and everything drips. Whether
the barometric indications will he useful
for storm warnings can not be defin teiy
stated until tue records here are com.
pared with those OF other stat ons, but il
is evident from the unusual character
of its readings that we are in reg on
where its changes, properly interpreted,
will give valuable results.
Animal life, though scarce. is not al
together absent. A colony of weasels
have established themselves in the outer
walls of the observatory. What they
find to eat it IS diificu to sea, unieS.
they live on each other. But no doubt
tn: re are many smalle- animals ekinc
out precarious existence here that sup
ply them with food. They can get lit
tie or nothing from the observatory, I
all the food used here is course in the
form of preserved articles. the empty
tins and refuse o! which are thrown over
the al ent cliIf, safely out of their way
and OURS. The other dav one of these
weasels, with the imp dence natural tc
It's race. came and looked in At AVN