The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-01-12
LIFE ON PIXIES PEAK.
A Visit to the Loffiest Signal Station
the United States.

the United States.
There is no communication from the
Peak to the towns below at present.
the telegraph line being out of order.
and it has been found 10 be an impos-
sibility to keep it 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 it is upon
this that the observer depends for his
supply of water in the summer.
Entering the signal station we find n
cosy seat by the big stove and enjoy
ourself 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
1875. 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 been discontinued had not Har-
ward University taken an interest in it
and shared the expense with the Gov
eminent. 1t is intended next summer
to experiment in stellar photography at
that high altitude. Observations are
taken in regard to the weather, tenn
perature, height of barometer, direction
and speed of the wind, and the amount
of snow and rain as we'll as the kind of
clouds that are visible. These are
taken at seven a. H., three p. M, 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 4 woodshed is connected
with the establishment. The instru-
ments are mostly in the Office, and
there is Il 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 ''te
deum," as the Irishman says. and we
take look ut 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
pieasantest months of the year in the
East. But this is not any thing beside
some of the weather that we have here,
as it frequently reaches forty degrees
below zero in january and one hun
dred miles IN 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 fire.
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
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 dinner of
game. The altitude of the peak is so
high that it is impossible for an observer
to stay very long at time, and when
it is possible a change is made once a
month. Thomas II. Smith, IN Boston
TrarpLer