Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-03-29
FROSTY LIFE ON MONT BLANC.
MORE TRYING THAN TRIP TO ARCTIC
REGIONS

Life in the observatory on the summit
of Mont Blanc is even frostier than on
an Arctic expedition, says the New
York Sun. The observatory was found
I e by Pierre Jansen. the French
physicist in 1898, and since the first
ascent of the mountain in 17S6 tenn
; perature above freezing was never re-
corded there until last year, wnen for
few minutes temperature of de-
grees ceutigrade, or about 36 degrees
Fahrenheit, was observed.
The observatory is generally occupi-
ed from about the beginning of June
TO the end of September. These are
the utmost limits at which men could
live there. The work is both astro-
nomical and meteorological.
Lest year important observations
were made on Venus and Jupiter
Jansen himself, though SO and lame,
used it when it was first erected to study
the effect of the atmosphere on the
solar spectrum.
One of the &, eatest Wbacks to the
work is the stream of tourists In July
and August, who expect to have ey-
erything shown to them regardless of
the loss of time to the men of science.
One of these, w. de Fonvlelle, in a
| recent account Of the work on the
mountain-top dwells on the courage
that it taken to spend to spend weeks
and months amid the monotony of the
snowfields and glaciers. The mental |
depression is all the harder to fight on |
account of the physical conditions, to |
which 1t is very difficult to become ac
customed.
At that elevation human beings are
tortured by an unceasing thirst, due TO
the rapid evaporation of moisture from
the body. On the other hand, the ap-
petite almost entirely disappears.
At first all the system cans tand is
a few glasses of warm tea daily, with
plenty of sugar and pulverized milk in
it. Recourse to alcohol is absolutely
forbidden. Soirits of all sorts are found
to be exceedingly harmful.
When the men begin to get acclimat-
ed diet principally made up of meat
is found to be best. The meat is car
ried up from Chamounix and frozen in
order to insure it's preservation.
1t is stored in the CELLAR of the OBJ
servatory, where the temperature
ranges from II to Is degrees. Fahren-
heit. Canned or preserved meat is
never used. It is found to be too try
ing to the digestive powers in that re-
gion. The meat is for the most part {
boiled. Green vegetables are eaten 4
with it to prevent scus vey or similar t
disorders. I
The process of cooking is far more t
tedious than at ordinary levels. AS {
water boils far below 212 degrees it I
takes four or five times as much boil
ing to render the. food fit to be eaten l
as it does in ordinary places. |s
The scientific men who spend their I
live in Arctic clothing. They spend
day and night IN an atmosphere at L
freezing point. 1t is true that the t
building is warmed with fires of coal {
and wood. But it is only warmed at {
at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The mols. a
ture from the breath of the inhabi
tants condenses On the walls in a thin +
coating of ice, and icicles depend from ]
the ceiling and means and lintels.- {
When it gets little too warm the ice +
melis and there is veritable rainfall +
In every room. 4
The observers gradually learn to be
at 32 degrees. They take t
off their gloves to handle the more de-
Iicate instruments. They sleep in bags 6
and keep their health. When tney go c
home for the winter they don't feel the l
cold. Their scientific work is, besides, I
recognized as compensating l
for all they endure to accomplish it.