The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-07
LIFE ON PIXIES PEAK.



tho United states.
There Is no communication from the
Peak to the towns below at present,
tue telegraph line being out of order,
and 1t has been found 10 be All impos-
sibility to keep 1t from grounding.
owing to the forest, as the storms blow
down the trees, which carry with them
the wire. The sun telegraph as n
means Of communication is sometimes
used at present with the town below.
on the northwest side OF the Peak there
are several large gulches in which the
snow is fifty feet deep, and 1t is upon
this that the observer depends for his
supply of water in the summer.
Entering the signal station we find
cosy seat by the big stove and enjoy
o,'rself by Watching the logs of wood
burn. Coal is not used. and the wood
costs twenty dollars cord to cut, pack
on the backs Of mules and burros, and
transport from the timber line below.
The signal station was established in
1873, and for several years daily reports
were sent to Washington, but since the
wire has been down only monthly re-
ports have been sent. These would
have bocn discontinued had not Har-
ward University taken an interest in il
and shared the expense with the Gov
eminent. 1t is intended next summer
to experiment in stellar photography at
that high altitude. Observations arc
taken in regard to the weather, tern
perature, height of barometer, direction
and speed of the wind, and the amount
OF snow and rain as well as the kind of
clouds that are visible. These are
taken ut seven a. in., three p. NJ, and
ten p. M, by the large clock which is
kept with Washington time. but our
time here is two hours earlier.
The signal station is solid stone
building. with walls two feet thick and
is anchored down, while it has double
windows and an iron roof 1t has
kitchen, dining-room. office, bed
room and spare chamber for visi-
tors. while a woodshed is connected
with the establishment. The instru-
ments are mostly in the Office. and
there is library. the books of which
have been donated by friends, although
many have been purchased. As we sit
by the fire enjoying ourselves we can
hear the wind outside playing "to
deum," rs the Irishman says. and we
take look at the weather vane and see
that it registers seventy EIGHT miles an
hour, while the thermometer is at zero,
and this in October, which is one of the
pieasantcst months of the year in the
East. But this is not any thing beside
some OF the weather that we have here,
rs it frequently reaches forty degrees
below zero in January and one hun
ured miles an hour is no unusual We
locity for the wind. Think of it, and
then OF the pleasures that surround life
in this forsaken place, where it is fre-
quently impossible to get down to the
town below and see anybody in two
months. 1t is no unusual thing for the
observer to have to travel five miles on
snow-shoes in the middle Of summer
IN order to reach the town.
In the way of eatables the
observer is provided with large sup
ply OF canned goods, which are brought
up on mules in the summer months,
and he frequently has a dinner of
game. The altitude of the peak is so
high that it is impossible for an observer
to stay very long at II time, and when
it is possible change is made once a
month. Thomas H. Smith, in Boston
Traveller.