The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1884-11-08
FROZEN SOLID.
Life in the Arctics with the Mercury
Sixty Degrees Below Zero.
The Amount of Cold which Can re
Endured when the Atmos-
pIerc Ia at Rest-EN.
periincnts.
New York Herald

Ii is stated in the diary left by Scrgt
Rice of the Greedy expedition, that the
mean temperature at thcirCamp during the
month of December. 1881, was --32. OF de.
grecs. Early in January. 1882, the prndu
lum piers were CrcCtrd--sO we learn from
the same sourcc-and the work of making
observations furnished arduous and exact.
ing duty 10 the astronomer, who, in add.
ton 10 the tedious counting of the swings
of the pendulum hour after hour, was com.
PEELED TO make astronomical observations
for the determination of time. These
pendulum observations were continued
fifteen days, and up to Jan. 49, when the
station was swept by n severe storm and
caused such n remarkable fall in the thcr.
mometer that Lieut.. Grccly had the range
of the instrument closely observed and rec.
ordcd every fifteen minutes. The read.
ing showed a temperature of only -l2l
which was rise of about Is degrees in
few hours. The wind blew ut the rate Of
sixty miles an hour, carrying with il 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 thermometer shelter"
or the tide guagc Everyone who was
out. we are told "camc back more or less
bruised and with their faces covered by u
mass of frozen snow The frosty PARTICLES
were also driven through the thickcst
coats, forming Il white lining on The in
side. The velocity of the wind finally
increased TO scvcnty.iivc miles an hour.
and the thermometer ranged from 80 10
-32 |. a summing of January tcmpcra.
turc shows mean of is 81, II minimum
of -5S.2, and Il maximum of 81 degrees
February came in cold, the average tenn.
fN, l,a Ian,
50 degrees below zero, with the mercury
frozen solid all the time.
On Feb. II the standard thermometer
stood at 60 degrees below zero, the cor.
rcctcd difference of temperature between
the inside and outside of quarters being
over 40 degrees. 1t is surprising, re-
marks the sergeant. "thc amount of cold
that can he supported without injury
while the atmosphere is nj rest. Comfort.
ably clothed and no air stirring We could
move about without risk Of great incon'
vcniencc, taking care only of the
face, which sometimes became touched
and required the application Of
"a warm hand, which could safely
be withdrawn from u warm cover
ing for short time Give me 49, 60
degrees and calm weather rather than 30
degrees and the wind moving ten miles an
nOur. III Is u mistake (dS Slalcu by an emil
nent Arctic explorer. Payer that perspira.
ton ceases at so degrees. This was dis
proved by the experience of many of lis.
Swathed in cumbrous clothing, such cNer
else as pushing behind II loaded slcdge
would frequently produce perspiration in
no meager quantities, and at lower tenn
perature than that mentioned. "
During February experiments were made
with shot-guns and Chronograph to aSccr-
tain the rapidity with which sound travels
through Arctic air. 1t was asccrtaincd
that lubricating oil had to. be removed
from the guns. as il would freeze solid
and not allow the machinery of the weapon
to work. When, on Feb %, the sun had
begun TO again show its light, members of
the party suffered with weak eyes and pre-
sented n "bcachcd-out appearance Of
countcnancc like the potato vines that
grow in cellars An important record is
made of the fact that February of 1882
was The coolest month ever noted in the
Arctic region and far in excess of the
thermomciric range given by the discovery
party in 1876, as the mean temperature was
--4G.47 and the minimum-G2. degrees
Although the sun was to be seen for few
hours every day, the colony life had be
come so monotOnOus that "thc return of
every hunter was the signal for questions,
and the smallest circumstance furnished Il
tODiC for conversation