The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-02-23

maintained in connection with the PERU
Wan station of the Harvard college OBJ
serVatoEy. With the. exception of the
station at Areoupa itself all are to be
given up, the objects for which they were
established having been in large part at
tanned. -
Observations have been continuously
made for over q decade. and since the
phenomena of climate and weather are SO
much more stable, taking one year with
another, in Peru than in a country like
our own, for example, it is believed that
they Will furnish a basis for a fairly
complete knowledge CO the meteorological
conditions prevailing throughout this re-
gion of the Andes. The barometer for
example, shows in Peru no such irregu-
iarites in our northern attitudes
There is simply a double diurnal change.
twice each day, reaching a maximum and
twice minimum. January differs from
July, but u day in cue january or July
Is remarkably like q day in another
Among the various Peruvian stations
that of FL Misti, some ten or a dozen
miles from the city of Arequipa, is nota
BILE as being the highest point at which
continuous meteorological observations
have ever been taken-19,20O feet above
very summit of the mountain; some $500
feet lower is another station called the
Mont Blanc station, as being at the same
altitude as Mont Blanc in Switzerland
where the observatory at Meildon, assist
ed by the French academy, for q time en-
deavored to maintain observations.
The line of stations in which Arequipa
and Ell Misti are central points Marked
at the time it was established, the be-
ginning of regular meteorological work in
Peru. An occasional traveller had made
a few random observations, but next to
nothing was known. from the point of
view Of strict scientific accuracy, about
the regular conditions Of weather and eli
mate. Since the Harvard work has be-
gun, however, the Peruvian government.
inspired perhaps by the enterprise of its
American visitors, has started an excel
lent observatory of it's own at the cap
ital, Lima. -Arequira also, as has beer
said. will still retain the main Harvard
station attached to the astronomical OBJ
servatory proper, 50 that Peru will be
quite rs well off, in this respect, as most
or the South american countries.
The line OF stations now given 10 be-
gins at MOllendo on the coast. at an ele-
desert plateau between Arequipa and the
sea, crosses the Western Cordillera Of the
Andes at the summit OF FL Misti, takes
&, in the Eastern, Gordillerag at ayineoeaya,
14.6OO feet, and finally rests ait Santa Ana,
$500 feet above the sea, in the Amazon
valley. The chain thus stretches in a
nearly direct line northeast for about 4OC
miles. The observations taken, over SO
wide an extent of country and at both
Low and extraordinarily lofty points. have
embraced, in the ten or more wears that
they have lasted, practically the whole
range of phenomena which go to form,
the peculiar meteorological conditions of
Peru. Meteoroligically speaking. that is
Peru is known and no longer an un-
known country.
1t is to be remembered, however thai,
extreme meteorological precision is not
claimed for all the observations taken at
all the stations. The purpose of the Har-
ward expedition has been the visual and
Photographic study of the Southern
heavens; except at Arequipa, therefore,
1t has been unable to spare trained obsar-
Vers to have charge Of work which was
only secondary to it's principal objects.
1t has had to rely on such fairly intel
hgent Peruvians as it could find at the
various points-in one case, for example.
a statonmaster on the line of the rail
road, who was glad to add even a small
sum to his slender wages; in another 2
prosperous farmer who took I'D his tasl;
sratuitously with q real interest in its
scientific Valuez-to assume the responsi-
bdl1ty OF watching and keeping in order
the various delicate self-recording instru-
snents, for measuring wind velocity and
direction, atmospheric pressure, humidity
and temperature, which We're distributed
at the various stations. But the instru-
ment and the observer in all cases fur
nlshed a mutual check; and the work if
not everywhere scientifically exact has no
less It's real value, even where least care
gully done, as practical pioneer work in a
region unknown to the meteorological.
Ell Misti was, of course the greatest
problem. To carry up the material for
the Shelter, for the observer who every
now and then must struggle up from
Arequ1pa to set in order the instruments
and bring back their records, and to bring
the instruments themselves without
breaking over a route which street ched
out tnirty-five miles in a constant ziszas Q
up the steep volcanic sand, was a ask
which the easy-going Peruvians prophe
sled would be impossible. 1t was accom-
pl1shed however, in safety, by the aid
OF twenty mules and twenty Indians in
addition to party of nearly dozen from
the observatory-'fifty of us i'm all" az
one member. of the expedition smilingly
said tho other day. 81 .'53~ - Re, - :
1t WAS impossible, with such resources
as the observatory coula spare for this
single station, to continue a trained OBJ
server on the summit. Indeed, the most
mat could have been zone in any circum.
stances, and only by the expenditure OF
a good many thousand dellars-an ex.
peholture. by the way,which some time
1t Is hoped to make, if the necessary funds
can be secured-would have been to secure
Il couple of hardy Indians, of fair intel
'hsence, to live six months alternately on
me mountain, with an assistant from be.
low TO make the ascent perhaps once a
week to see that they were keeping the
Instruments in reasonable order. The
sorocne," as the mountain sickness, due
10 the decrease of atmospheric pressure,
/. rs called in Peru, would be fatal to any
Walfte man, Peruvian or American, who
ATTEMPTED to pass any length of time al
such an altitude
Accordingly a meteorograph. containing
the Varaons self-recording meteorological
instruments combined in a compact and
convenient form, was specially construct.
ed to run three months with continuous
records. This was left on the summit in
a strongly built little house. whose sides
We're covered with Stats. since weather
Instruments must pc exposed to the
weather, so as to be open to all outside
indications llst Tbs little station was visit