New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-28
NO oBsEprAroRY ON MONT BLANC.

NO OBSERVATORY ON MONT BLANC.
Regret may be expressed, but no surprise, at
the abandonment of the Mont Blanc Observatory
project Surprise is rather to be felt at the fact
that il was ever seriously undertaken. NJ.
Jansen. indeed, met with little encouragement
when he first proposed it but in the end ne en-
listed the interest of such men as Baron Al
phonse de Rothschld, Prince Roland BOnaparte,
VI. Bischofrsheim and NJ. Eiffel, and they agreed
to give him all the money needed for the great
work. NJ Eiffel also gave much valuable adj
vice regarding it. The first problem, he said,
was to furnish shelter for the workmen; and
for this he suggested horizontal tunnel into
the mountain peak. The next was, to ascertain
the depth Of the ce-cap on the summit. II this
was more than forty feet, it would be impos-
sible to give the observatory secure foundation
on solid rock, and the scheme must be gwen
I'D. So NJ lmfeld, Swiss engineer, and eight
yorkmen went to NJ. Vallots little observatory,
some 1850 feet up the mountain, and using
it as a lodging-place, began the work OF tun-
nelng into the side of the peak, on the south
ern side, about twenty-five feet below the
summit How trying their occupation was may
be estimated from the fact that in Nj. Vallots
cabin, with two coke fires raging they could not
get the general temperature above the freezing
point while water boiled at Isl degrees Fahren-
heit They persisted in their work, however
The tunnel was made through snow compressed
into ce-granueS, for cutting which tools OF
special form and temper had to be constructed
They did not venture to try blasting, not know
ing what disastrous effect it might have The
men suffered much from frozen hands anu Ieet
as we'll as from " NAL de montague" fort
night ago DR.. Jacottet, who was attending to
them at NJ. Vallot's, died from exposure. And
so at last, having bored in nearly hundred teet
or moro than half way through the mountain,
without finding any indication of rock or any
thing but snow and ice, they abandoned the
whole undertaking.
The practical results of the attempt are OF
little value 1t is known that glacier more
than thirty feet thick crowns the great noun
tain. What the form Of the rOck-summit is has
not been asceitained though NJ. Imfeld believes
it to consist of number OF points or short
ridges. The highest rock actually found Is
about sixty feet below the summit, and is Gov
cred with three or four feet of snow And that
is all results in value scarcely comparable with
the life of DR.. Jacottet Sentimental consldera-
tiOns regarding it all will be divided To some
it would seem like sacrilege to erect structure
of human handwOrk on tho very crown or
"the monarch of mountains" Others, how
ever. will remember that on that very spot De
Sassure made his famous observations, and thus
laid the foundations Of meteorological science
above the clouds and they will regret that an
observatory for the continuation OF his work
may not there be established
What additional knowledge would be gained
from the operations of such an observatory, near
" 10000 feet above the sea, is matter of in
teresting speculation. There are few subjects
more eagerly studied by meteorologists at pres
emit than the upper currents OF the atmos-
Dhere. The highest European observatory
is that of NJ. VallOt on Mont Blanc it
self, about 1880 feet up; but it Is occupied
only for short time in summer. The highest
permanent station fully equipped is that on the
Sonnbhck, in Salzburg, 10000 feet up; that
on tho Pic du Midi though few feet higher
having a meagre and Intellectual equipment
The Hermit OF the Mountain" as the dweller
on the Sonnblicll is called, lives in a house with
stone walls four feet thick and a heavy copper
roof to serve a conductor for the electricity
which greatly centres there For some months
in each year he cannot get out nor can any
one visit him; but he has constant Geographic
and telephone communication with the rest of
the world. The Mount Ena Observatory is
$500 feet up and two others in Italy are re-
spectively $500 and 1000 feet high one in
Austria boasts an altitude of 5000 feet; and in
Switzerland that on the Santi is 5000, and that
on the Great ST. Bernard 5000 feet high. Eng
lands loftcst station, on Ben Nevis, is only
4,4OO feet above the sea. In the United States
the Mount Washington Station is we'll known,
6,2SS feet high. That on Black Mountain is
6,7O7 feet high, the oftiest spot in America east
of the Rocky Mountains. But that on Pixies
Peak, on ground Il, 147 feet high, holds a
barometer a fraction more than 14,150 feet
above the sea-leve and is thus, with the single
exception of NJ. Vallots hut, by far the loftiest
station in the world That on Mont Blanc
would have surpassed it by more than quarter
of mile, and would have given opportunities
for studying higher currents than have yet been
Systematically observed.