The Portland daily press., 1885-01-20
Mt. Washington.
The signal station in win.sr.
Correspondence of the Boston Hsrsld.)

Correspondence of the Boston Hsrald)
When we had seen the station In summer
1t had the appearance Of an ordinary house,
with the exception of the great timber
braces, but now ons door was closed and
banked with snow, while the double win.
dows were protected by stats nailed about an
inch apart. Inside, however, all was
warmth. a large range and a huge stova
together in a small room, which served aa
kitchen, dining room and Office, kept the
temperature as high as could be desired,
even in the coldest weather. Beside the
kitchen, there are three other smaller rooms
leading from it.
The station Is commanded by Sergt.
Beals. He has as assistant observer Private
Cahill. Beside these there is q cook. These
three together live there alone nine months
out of the year. Iu the autumn they lay In
stock Of provisions which lasts until the
following July. In fact their life is similar
to that led by keepers of off-shore light
houses, only the cold is much greater at
Mt. Washington, and the wind blows there
with greater velocity than at any light
house. The work of these men, though con-
stant, is not, as a rule, severe. They have.
however, certain duties which are beth dan
gerous and unpleasant, such as re-
placing the thermometers, carrying the mails
to the base, and reading the ram gauge in
cold and windy weather. The anemomeier
is on the top of the peaked roof, and when
the temperature is low and the weather fog
gy, the frostwork forms so rapldly that the
Cups have to be taken down every two hours.
To do this is sometimes almost an impossi-
bility. To stand with the wind above 20
miles an hour is difficult. and, when the We
locity is over 100, to hold on to the roof and
change the cups is an operation that re-
quires both strength and courage.
The men sometimes have hard work to
carry the mails, for with strong wind they
often have to crawl on their hands and
knees over the ice-coVered treste-work.
There are two supply depots between the
summit and the base of the mouDiain, and
in these the mail carriers can find shelter
and food when overlaken by a storm. On
several occasions they have been Obliged TO
pass one or two nights under these rude COW
eringS until relief was sent. At the upper
depot the carriers, in descending, change
their ice creepers for snow shoes, and Ia as
cending leave their snow shoes and substi-
tute ice creepers. Il is usual for one of the
men to go down to Fabyan's every fortnight,
so that each one leaves the station Ouly
once in six weeks. The rest of the time
they are cOoped up in the little house; for
the ground is so rough and the wind is so
n'Su ~ Tue cOlu 80 severe thaJ tney soon
lose all desire for more exercise than they
are obliged to take.
II may De asked how the signal men pass
the long winter months. In the first place
they take five observations day, three Of
whice are telegraphed to Washington. At
the end of each month and year the work
has to be arranged and sent to the chief Of
fee at Washington. This last duty takes
some time and great care. For amusement
the men play cards for sulphur match
es instead of mOuey, and various games,
such as checkers, etc. Private Cahll often
enllvens the house with the violin, or fright
ems the cats by sounding the bugle calls.
The greatest dissipation is to pop corn.