Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-16
TALKING BY THE sun.
Mountain-CIimbi In OregOn-Ama-
tour photographers.


cortland, Ore. Letter in Evening Poet)
In Oregon and Washington there exists
a unique society called 'Mazamas.' n
very rare animal lives among the lava
rocks and perpetual SHOWS OF the huge
volcanic peaks of the Pacific coast, called
the Spaniards 'Mazama' pronounced
Ma-zah-ma. 1t is not the big-horn, or
Rocky Mountain sheep, which is also
found there, but a goat closely allied
TO the channels OF the Alps The Mazamas
is a society OF mountain climbers 20
whose ranks no one can gain admission
who has not climbed, unaided, to the
summit Of a snow peak, and this Is why
the name of this agile mountain goat was
adopted. year ago the society adopted
its constitution and bylaws on the sum-
nit of Mount Hood, with the mercury
coquetting with the freezing-pont ard
the wind blowing gale, 1s3 persons
being present out of go who had started
from the timber line in the morning full
of hope and enthusiasm. OF these ls3 sue
cessful ones, thrty-fve were ladies.
For it's second annual outing the
Mazamas conceived the idea OF climbing
half a dozen peaks simultaneously the
climbing parties 10 appear at a gwen
hour on the various SUBMITS with hello
"a
sage from one peak to another clear
across the States OF Washington and Ore
eon. AS these mountains average more
than two miles in height, and are diff
cult of access. this was a feat not easily
TO be accomplished; but the Mazamas
knew what they could do in the way of
Notwithstanding. and set themselves
TO work to become expert operators on
the heiograph. Instruments were bor-
rowed from the army. and for several
months there was network OF sun
flashes from the hills surrounding Port
land on every bright afternoon. Though
they soon became expert operators, they
wen knew that the chief difficulties to be
overcome were those OF reaching the va
rious SUBMITS simultaneously. They
| knew by experience the many unexpect-
| ed obstacles and causes Of delay To
be at a given point on the mountain at a
certain hour set several days in advance
is no easy matter, especially when that
given point is the summit OF an extinct
| volcano 1900 feet high. Ordinarily a
party intent upon climbing a snow peak
conforms to circumstances. II 1t is
stormy, or smoky or too windy. or one
OF them is i'll. or one Of a dozen possible
things happens. the ascent is postponed;
but on this occasion there could be no
/ postponement. The party must be at
! the top of the mountain with its instru-
ments at the pointed time. If half of
| them had to be left below in n hospital
or II IT blew great guns. as, in fact. it
did on this occasion, on some of the
mountains.
| The constituents of a heliograph are
| quite simple though its construction re-
quires much mechanical skill and nicely.
Its operation is easy. and any person who
| knows the Morse telegraph alphabet can
| read its messages. Ii consists merely OF
| French plate mirror mounted upon a
| tripod, and so adjusted with screws and
piyots and sighting apparatus that the
| reflection OF the sun from its surface may
be cast upon any desired spot and held
there This flash blazes like a dazzling
| sun, and may be seen a hundred miles.
and twice that distance with a glass.
The Mazamas had instruments made with
glasses 6xG inches. with mountings OF
auminium. the total weight being about
ten pounds. the army pattern being
i1-2x41-2, with brass mountings, and
Weighing more than twenty pounds. As
the distance al which flash may be seen
depends upon the size OF glass. they had
manufactured the largest instrument ever
made, with a glass ax3S inches, which
has been used practically and found bet
ter for long-dlstance work, as II renders
the use of a telescope BY the receiving
party unnecessary.
The operation Of Photograph is simple.
In front OF the glass is a shutter, which.
moves on a pivot When the shutter is
closed the mirror Is obscured and gives
forth no reflection: when II is open Their
is a steady CLEAN Of light upon the point
upon which 1t is sighted. BY alternately
opening and closing the shutter the re-
Election Is broken up into long and short
flashes. which correspond to the dots and