Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-28
TOYS OF A STORM
An Experience on a Mountain Top
Alive With Electricity.

We had spent a week in painless
and dense woods, working toward a
high mountain in northwestern Mon
Jana. At last We left the pack horses
in care of the guide. and three of us
set out on foot for the peak We
carried a plate camera. provisions,
gun, ice pick, aneroid barometer for de-
termining elevation and other neces-
sary articles. For several hours we
climbed over ridges and up rayines.
The final ascent was a slope Of rot
ten shale. For four and a half hours
we climbed the loose rock. with not a
solid bit Of footing. halfway up the
slope we observed that a storm cloud
had gathered southwest of US. not far
above a ridge which we had crossed
early in the morning. Suddenly a bolt
of lightning flashed from the cloud to
the earth A little later wreath of
smoke assembled from the ridge, and
we knew a fire had started from the
lightning.
About half past l we reached the
summit, a narrow top but a few feet
n width. on which was pile of rocks
shoulder high, A government triangu-
laion monument. Before was a preci-
pice, at the foot of which was an un-
named and unexplored glacier. Be-
hind was the rotten shale up which
we had scrambled To the right a
narrow ridge. with powders as large
as a small house, connected cur sum.
nit with the one beyond
Against the eastern face of this sum-
NIT great masses of snow and ice
formed the head of the glacier. To
the left was a steep. open ridge.
The glacier was furrowed by hun
dreds of chasms. The yellow rocks of
the neighboriDg SUBMITS were flanked
by great masses of ice on the one side
and by tremendous precipices on the
other. Far away the mountains blend
ed with the blue sky. On the crags
were a few mountain goats.
what is that noiseT' shouted one
OF the boys suddenly.
What noise? / do not hear it." /
replied.
over at the monument"
al will go and see"
The monument was not a dozen
steps away. As l approached it
smelled the pungent odor of ozone.
and instantly l knew We had for
gotten the storm cloud gathering near
us to the south. The summit on which
we Ssaod presented to the electric
| cloud above a sharper point in COM
! parison with the earth than can be
made on any electric machine. The
exchange of electricity between the
| charged cloud and the earth began at
/ the rock monument, which was a lit
I tie higher than the place where we
stood. l may have heard the noise; l
do not remember. I smeIled the ozone
aud turned toward my companions
with the cry: We are in an electric
storm! We must run for our liyesr'
| In a few seconds the electric dis
/ charge had increased with wonderful
I rapidity. My rife was shooting sparks
/ from the end of the barrel. which
/ were visible in broad daylight. / did
1 not drop the gun; threw it. My
scalp felt as if each hair was q bristle
. va Obu p141h4Aes dShAHoL LLA nut
could feel the discharge from fingers,
cheeks. nose and chin. and | was
wearing heavy rubber soled shoes.
which should have assisted III making
me noncoDductOr.
/ One of my comps mons threw away
his ice pick, as ] had thrown my gun.
[ The other. seeing my white face-as
he afterward told me-was completely
unnerved and knew not what he was
doing or what to do. Before was the
cliff. Behind was the rG-k shale. With
{ no protection. To the right was the
impossible ridge, connecting the sum
mits and blocked with masses of rock
/ There was Gully one way-to the left.
Shall We go this way" said one,
extending his hand in that direction
I The extended hand and fingers were
aglow with sparks shooting outward
from the body, and instantly the arm
was terked hack TO the body with a
startled exclamation. Stronger and
stronger grew the charge. 1t seemed
TO fill our bodies and cracked from
every projecting rock.
Ad'A ud"eu' uOOAeu my arm III the
carrying case of my camera and with
it dashed down the ridge. followed
closely by my two companions. We
crawled under a big rock and with
our feet against the ice and our backs
against the solid mountain. felt safe
Thus we remained for perhaps An
hour. Then we began to feel hungry
and in this trying position ate our
/ luncheon.
We returned to the summit Fortu-
nately the cloud had passed to the
south of US, and we had experienced
only the edge Of the manifestation of
electricity. BAD the cloud been direct
~ overhead this story would perhaps
never have been writter.-Morton ].