Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-03
A QUEER CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN.
On Top of 1t is a Rock From which
Electricity Seems to Spout.

A QUEER CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN.
On Top of 1t IL a Rock From which
Electricity seems to Spout.
From the San Francisco Examiner
W. B. Fairfield of the geodetic surveying
party, under the direction of Prof Davidson,
decided to go to the top Of Alpine Peak or
Roundtop to make an observation that
would help him and his colleagues to tell
which is California and which is Nevada
Roundtop has been climbed many a time,
but never with comfort or entire safety. 1t
is a rocky peak. 1880 feet high. The steep
surface is covered with disintegrated rock,
commonly called shingle, that slides from
under foot Near the top a slide on the
single would be exceedingly perilous, for
the descent is abrupt for 500 feet and pre-
cipitous for 40 more.
Nearing the apex, Mr.. Fairfield and his
companion were compelled to walk slowly
and with great caution around and around
the mountain, each time getting a little
closer to the summit They had not merely
their own weight to carry, for instruments
and little tent and -four and bacon had
TO go with them-some of the articles of
use to science. others of use to scientists
At the very top OF the mountain Mr.. Fair
field found he had barely room to turn
around. The peak comes to such a sharp
point that to stretch his tripod he had to
build base of rocks for one of the legs.
MIR. Fairfield knew before he assembled
where ne would live while there, vet though
ne knew where to look, and had but four
rect OF space to look through, he had difti-
Guilty IN discovering the place. Then he
found II and laughed at his mountain home
Art had Joined with nature in making this
nest, 1O,436 feet up Roundtop. A heliotroper
of the coast survey was there fourteen
years ago 10 flash signals clear across the
Sacramento Valley TO an observer on a
peak in the coast range He had deepened
little cave or recess in the mountain side,
then with boards that had been carried up
the steep ascent mad built front wall,
roof, and floor. The broken rock had
| so covered the roof that the little house
could be detected from the summit of the
mountain, four feet above, only by close
scrutiny.
Before he had finished his work a great
snow storm came up, and the thermometer
! fell to degrees below zero. There was
nothing TO do save TO crawl into the queer
| house and wait for the storm to cease. In
| the nipping cold and without light the best
way OF keeping warm and killing time was
| to sleep; but to do this was not so easy as
might be supposed. The space for sleeping
in the heliotroper's combination hut and
I cave was not intended for two.
! On the inside this entire house was lust
seventy-two inches long, thirty-four inches
high, and thirty inches wide. Mr.. Fairneid
and his assistant mad to lie down together
very carefully and begin to arrange them
| selves in the same position as two spoons
in a box, the front of one man close against
/ the back of the other. Turning over al
night was an event After proper notice
to each other of the intention each would
rise on his elbows or hands, and then to-
gether they moved slowly around, finally
| lying again in exactly the same place in
which they had sought rest while lying on
the other side. They did not often turn
The cramped position they were compelled
to take made them stiff as If from rheuma
tism.
During the night Mr.. Fairfield heard
strange sounds under the floor of the tiny
| house.
'Porcupines," said his companion. who
was acquainted with the neighborhood ira.
ditions about Roundtop. "Porcupines have
made a nest under the floor"
The porcupine story soon proved to be q
Notion of the country. From under the fool
came rats-enormous rats seven or eigh
inches long and light brown in color; &C
tive rats that ran about this little nous,
In high and noisy carnival; rats that climb
ed UP the walls and dropped to the fool
with delighted speaks at the noise they
were making.
These monstrous rats, with a taste fol
disturbing the peace, had no taste for the
food that pleases the rats of civilization
The flour and the bacon, the crackers. and
even the cheese remained in the house un
touched by them. though no attempt wa,
made by Mr.. Fairfield to hide his provis
ions.
For three days Mr. Fairfield and his com
few minutes. The snow was falling con.
stantly. The top of the mountain was
wrapped in black clouds. Vision could moi
reach more than three or four feet through
During the storm the observer had the
| most extraordinary of all his strange ex
periences on that mountain.
He was lying In the hut listening to the
t-ich brio
his assistant, who had gone to the porthol,
to watch the snow and the clouds, called
him.
MIR. Fairfield was in no haste to leave his
blankets to look at falling snow, but his
companion urged him to come and to CONS
quickly. He reluctantly unrolled himself
and went to the opening. He was repaid.
From the ground short distance away
\ came kissing sound. as IL the cook OF
nature were frying half the mountain. The
| kissing was continuous, but varied in in.
tensity. Mr.. Fairfield cautiously approach
ed the place whence the sound came. He
| found that the noise seemed centered In
little Jut of rock not bigger than a chair
/ He stepped upon the rock and instantly
received an electric shock, not so severe as
to hurt him, but sufficient to make ever,
part of his body Jingle. He stepped from
the rock and instantly the electricity lef
him. One foot from the rock it could moi
| be felt.
His assistant then stepped upon the rock
The shock was too much for him. Evi
| IDENTIFY he Is much more sensitive to cleo
| tricity than Mr.. Fairfield, because il hur-
MIN. He felt pains all over his body and
every hair stood straight from his head.
| He stepped quickly from the rock and
would not try the experiment again.
One experience with an electrical storm
had insulated him against the desire to re
peat il.
The formal record of Mr.. Fairfeld's trir
TO Alpine Peak is simple line: Latitude
so much; longitude, so much.
THE HISTORICAL NOVEL.