The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-02-27
ESTABLISHED 1879
A QUEER MOUNTAIN.
ON ITS TOP is A ROCK FROM WHICH
ELECTRICITY SPoUTs.

GEGO niGti " ~
A Surveyors Interesting Experience on
Roundtop, which Lis 10000 Feet High.
A Dwelling Not Larger Than an Average
Sized Packing Case.
w. B. Fairfield Of the geodetic survey
ing party, under the direction Of Professor
Davidson, decided to go to the top of Al
pine peak, or Roundtop, to make an obser-
walton that would help him and his col
leagues to tell which is California and
which is Nevada Roundtop has been
climbed many time, but never with COM
fort or entire safety. 1t is a rocky peak
10, 500 feet high. The steep surface IS Gov
cred with disiptegrated rock, commonly
called single, that slides from under foot.
Near the top slide on the single would
be exceedingly perilous, for the descent IS
abrupt for 500 feet and precipitous for 200
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 mere
ly their own weight to carry, for instru-
ments and little tent and -four and ba-
con had to go with them-some of the ar
ticles 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 to 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 assembled
where he would live while there; yet,
though he knew where to look 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 in
making this nest 10, 400 feet up Roundtop.
A heliotroper of the coast survey was there
IA years ago to flash signals clear across
the Sacramento valley to an observer on
peak in the Coast range. He had deepened
little cave or recess in the mountainside,
then with boards that had been carried up
the steep ascent had 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 noun
tain, four feet above, only by close scru-
tiny.
Before he had finished his work great
snowstorm came up, and the thermometer
fell to 8 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 sleep
ing in the Eeliotroper's combination hut
and cave was not intended for two.
On the inside this entire house was just
70 inches long, "a inches high and 80
inches wide. Mr.. 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 at night was an
event. After proper notice to each other
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 as 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
ditions about Roundtop. "Porcupines have
made nest under the floor"
The porcupine story soon proved to be
fiction of the country. From under the
floor came rats-enormous rats Z or
inches long and light brown in color-ac-
tive rats that ran about this little house in
high and noisy carnival-rats that climbed
up the walls and dropped to the floor with
delighted squeaks at the noise they were
making.
These monstrous rats had 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 ex-
cept for a 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 haC 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 a short distance away
came 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 centered
in a 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 Jingle. 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 the rock.
The shock was too much for him. Evl-
IDENTIFY he is much more sensitive to cleo
tricity than Mr.. Fairfield, because it hurt
him. He felt pains all over his body, and
every hair stood straight from his head.
He stepeped quickly from the rock and
would not try the experiment again.
One experience with an electric storm
had insulated him against the desire to re
peat 1t.
The formal record of Mr.. Fairfeld's trip
to Alpine peak is simple line-latitude,
so much; longitude, so much.-San Fran
cisco Examiner.