New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-27
AMONG THE CLOUDS.
LIFE ON THE SUMMIT OF BEN NEVIS.

ITO him who in the love of nature, holds conn
munion with her visible FORMS" an interesting
place Of residence Is the observatory on the top OF
Ben Nevis. This Scottish peak is as Is well KNOWN
the oftest the British Isles. having an elevation
Of 1853 feet and its situation in Inverness, exposes
It at times to the rlgors OF almost arctic cli-
mate. For the last ten years scientific observa-
tory has been maintained upon Its summit 'he year
round. Before this indeed. the peak had been useo
as a place OF observation For In the fall OK isoo
Mr.. Clement l.. Wragge wrote to the Scottisn
Meteorological Society offering to ascend the noun
tain daily during the next summer and make OBJ
servations at the summit simultaneously with OBJ
servations made at Fort William This oner was
accepted. and from June to October, 1881, stimuli
taneous observations were made, without break
of a single day. by Mr.. Wragge at the top and by
Mrs Wragge at Fort William. second series OF
observations on a much more extended scale was
made by Mr. Wragge and two assistants during the
summer Of 1882 from June to November. A number
OF stations, extending from Fort William to the
top of Ben Nevis, were established at dinerent
heights the side Of the mountain Readings
were made at these stations both on the outward
and on the homeward journeys; and simultaneous
ly with these, complete observations with all the
instruments made at Fort William, amount.
ing to twenty-one daily. This elaborate system Of
observations carried out with a skill, energy.
resolution and success worthy of all praise. So
valuable were the results OF Mr. Wragges work
that In 1888 a permanent observatory was estab-
lished the peak, and In little handbook Just
published concerning it most interesting account
is given of the life Of the isolated watchers and the
phenomena they behold.
The mist colorings described as often gor.
geousy beautiful. Perhaps the most interesting
are seen during moderately fine winter weather
when the hilltop is clear OF all dense fog, but the
atmosphere not too dry When thin, almost i'm
perceptibe film of scud-cloud or mist covers the
moon coronae Of the most vivid colors formed.
Gt NJ colo pVS
concentrically round the moon sun. Each ring
has all the usual spectroscopc or rainbow colors
In more less perfection. arranged with the red
belt outside. very curious and not uncommon
type Is in which there is well marked red
ring with yellow and blue inside, but with also q
blue margin or glare outside IL. The colors inside
and including the red make up the usual spectrum.
and this margin is a kind Of extra and unbalanced
development Of blue.
What are called 'glories" almost equally In
teresting. I'm winter when the sun is low, even
at noon the shadow of a person standing near the
cliff that runs all along the northern side Of Ben
Nevis cast clear of the hill into the valley below
In bright winter weather this deep gloomy gorge Is
often full of loose shifting fog, and when the shad-
falls upon 1t the observer sees his head sur
rounded by a series Of colored rings from two to
five in number, varying in size from mere botch
Of light up to a wel-defned arch six or eight de-
grees in radius This phenomenon does not present
quite the same appearance as the better-known
Broken Spectre, for here the shadow of the OBJ
server in consequence of the distance Of the mist
from him. does not appear unnaturally large; In
fact, the image Of the head appears as mere dark
speck In the centre of the colored rings"
Fogs in winter often build great masses OF ex-
qusite crystal Blown the hilltop by the
wind. 1t condenses upon some post or other OBJ
ject and freezes then in tiny crystals of snow or
frost. These accumulate, pointing to windward like
frozen streamers until they break Off by their own
weight. Sometimes a wooden stake few inches
thick will thus become the centre Of a crystal COLI
| umn several feet in diameter, and during dense
fog this crystalline growth has amounted to as
much as two feet in day.
The electrical phenomenon known St. Elmo's
fire is often seen. 1T usually appears like little
Jets of flame the lghtning-rod, thermometers.
etc, but in the brilliant displays every post
and chimney is tipped with fire. and sparks glim-
mer the observers hat, pencil or fingers. 1t II
| always accompanied by peculiar kissing or buzz
| ing noise, and almost invariably by heavy fall
OF soft hail or conical-shaped snow. Most frequent
| In winter 1t may sometimes be observed In stormy
| weather in summer. One July evening the OBJ
| server. going out at p m. had his attention
| first drawn to high post which was sounding like
| a teegraph-pole Carrying a noisy wire and on
| turning his face up to the sky he felt gentle
pricking sensation all II. The daylight was
too bright to anything, but the noise lasted for
a quarter OF hour or more. st. Elmo's fire occurs
| in weather of the type that accompanies thunder"
| storms in the British Isles"
Thunderstorms splendid spectaces. but often
unpleasant and terrifying The cloud is seen APP
preaching with lightning flashing from it, II then
envelops the hilltop, during which time no lightning
| is seen, but rain snow falls heavy-as much as
| ethrd of inch in ten minutes has been re-
| corded: and them as the cloud moves off. dis
| charge takes place. not merely from the cloud but
from all large metallic bodies in the observatory:
I brilliant flash springs out fran the stoves. and
| a sharp crack like pistol-shot is heard Some OF
| the observers have received shocks under these
| circumstances. but no serious harm has been in-
fcted The most severe of these storms was In
| January 1890; of the observers was almost
| knocked down when sitting writing and the tee-
| graph wire was fused and all communication
| stopped for five days. This is the only occasion in
| eight years that the telegraph wire has failed
| This telegraph wire is sometimes for weeks to.
! gether the observers only means of communication
with the OF the world In summer many visit
| ors ascend the mountain But few attempt to do
so in winter The of the observatory road.
however. makes frequent ascents, carrying up let
| ters and newspapers and bringing down records or
| the observations. I'm moderate weather he may
| go I'D at intervals Of a week or ten days but when
heavy falls of snow and strong winds have pre-
| vailed the observers have rare occasions been
| five or six weeks without seeing him. Since for
| weeks at a time the observatory on the top OF the
mountain is thus cut off from intercourse with Fort
| William and for months conveyance of provisions
| Is practically impossible. the observatory requires
| TO be provisioned for nine months"
| Apart from the lonely observers themselves. ami
| nal life on the mountain top is scarce. Snow
buntings build their nests among the rocks Of the
| northern cliff, and fit about the top. Hawks
and ravens too, frequently seen but other prds
| are only occasional visitors. There are usually
n pair or more OF stoats somewhere about the sum-
| nit they seem to hunt all over the hill, ana "heo
| hard pressed for food have been known to in'a'e
! the storeroom Of the observatory. Footmarks OK
| hares and foxes may often be seen IN tne s,o"'
and the red deer occasionally come up 10 "i."i.'
| a few hundred feet of the summit In summe, a".
butterflies and other insects have been noticed alo
many flies are found lying frozen on the STU" :"
| fine weather at all seasons.
| Snowstorms are OF frequent occurrence o ~.
| Sayer