Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-01-18
A QUEER MOUNTAIN.
on IT'S TOP IS A ROCK FROM WHICH
ELECTRICITY sPoUTs.

4 Surveyors Interesting Experience on
Roundtop, Which Is 10000 Feet High.
A Dwelling Not Larger Than an Average
Sized Packing Case.
w. B. Fairfield Of the geodetic surrey
ing party, under the direction Of Professor
Davidson, decided to go to the top Of Al
pine peak, or Roundtop, tzmake an obser-
vation that would help him and his col
leagues to tell which is California and
which is Nevada. Roundtop has been
climbed many q time, but never with com
fort or entire safety. 1t Is a rocky peak
10,500 feet high. The steep surface Is COW
cred with disintcgrated rock, commonly
called shingle, that slides from under foot.
Near the top a slide ON the shinGle would
be exceedingly perilous for the descent is
abrupt for 500 feet and preeipitous for 100
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 little
closer TO the summit. They had not mere
ly their own weight to carry, fer instru-
ments and a little tent and -four and ha-
con had to 90 with them--some Of the mr.
tcles of use to science, others OF use to sci
entists.
At the very top of the mountain Mr.
Fairfield found he had barely room to turn
around. The peak comes 70 such sharp
point that to stretch his tripod he had to
build base Of rocks for one of the legs.
Mr.. Fairfield knew before he ascended
where he would dive while there; yet,
though he'l.new where to lcok and had
but four feet OF space to look through, he
had difficulty in discovering the place
Then he found it and laughed at his noun
tain home. Art had joined with nature III
making this nest 10, 49G feet mp Roundtop.
a heliotroper Of the coast survey was there
ID years ago to flash signals clear across
the Sacramento valley to an observer on
peak in the Coast range. He hnd deepened
a little cave or recess in the uountainside,
then with boards that had been carried up
the steep ascent had built frontSwall,
roof and u floor. The broken rock had 80
covered the roof that the little house could
he detected from the summit of the noun
tain four feet above, only by close scru
tiny
Before he had finished his work great
snowstorm came up, ard 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. Ia
the nipping cold and without light the
hest 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 sleep
ing in the heliotroper's combination hut
and cave was not intended for two.
On the-inside this entire house was just
72 inches long, 81 inches high and 80
inches wide MIR. Fairfield and his assist
ant had to lie down together very careful
ly and begin to arrange themselves in the
same position as two spoons in box, the
front of one man close against the back OF
the other Turning over ut night was an
event. After proper notice to each ether
of the intention each would rise on his ell
bows or hands. and then together 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 cramp-
ed position they were compelled to take
made them stiff rs if from rheumatism.
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
dtions about Roundtop. 'Porcupines have
made nest under the floor"
The porcupine story soon proved to be u
fiction of the country. From under the
floor came rats--enormous rats I or
inches long and light brown in color--ac-
tive rats that ran about this little house in
high aud noisy carnival--rats that climbed
mp the walls and dropped to the floor with
delighted squeaks at the noise they were
making.
These monstrous rats had a taste for
disturbing the peace and 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
untouched by them, though no attempt
was made by Mr.. Fairfield to hide his pro
visions.
For three days Mr. Fairfield and his
companion did not leave the tiny hut eN-
cept for few minutes. The snow was
falling constantly. The top of the noun
tain was wrapped in black clouds. Vision
could not reach more than three or four
feet through cloud and snow.
During the storm the observer had the
most extraordinary of all his strange expe
riences on that mountain.
He was lying in the hut listening to the
storm and wishing for bright weather,
when his assistant. who had gone to the
portfolio to watch the snow and the Clouds
called him.
Mr.. Fairfield was in no haste to leave
his blankets to look at falling snow, but
his companion urged him to come and to
come quickly. He reluctantly unrolled
himself and went to the opening. He was
repaid.
From the ground short distance away
came a kissing sound, as if the cook of ma
ture were frying half the mountain. The
kissing was continuous, but varied in in
tensity. Mr.. Fairfield cautiously APP
preached the place whence the sound came.
He found that the noise seemed centcred
in little jut Of rock not bigger than
chair
He stepped upon the rock and Instantly
received an electric shock, not so severe as
to hurt him, but sufficient TO make every
part of his body tingle. He stepped from
the rock, and instantly the electricity left
him. One foot from the rock it could not
be felt.
His assistant then stepped upon therock.
The shock was too much for him. Evi-
IDENTIFY he is much more sensitive to elcc-
tricity than Mr. Fairfield because it hurt
him. He felt pains all over his body, and
Il, cts,f,.1 ofesbr from, head