Year: 1871

IhE ~ fhOoI WYNN. 4. .r.


The % frost work. is one of the most
remarkable phenomenon of this high
altitude. As few have ever seenit; and
none have attempted to describe it,
and as the causes that produce it are
but imperfectly understood, we shall,
perhaps, be pardoned if we present
some rather crude ideas in regard to it.
1t. is difficult also to convey in words
any idea of its wonderful form and
beauty. From the study given to it
last winter, and the opportunities we
have had of observing its formation,
we are aole to give what seems to
us a plausible, if not a correct theory to
account for this, the most. plastic Of all
the handiwork of nature. At our very
first observation we see that it forms
only when the wind is northward, 1. Co..
at some point between n. and w. or n.
and E., and never when the wind is
southwark. 1t begins with mere points
on everything that the wind reaches,
on the rocks, on the snow, on the rail-
way, and on every part of the buildings,
even on the glass. On the south side it
is very slight, as the wind reaches there
only in eddying gusts. When the sur
face is rough, the points, as they begin,
are an inch or more apart; when
smooth it almost entirely covers the
surface at the very beginning, but soon
only a few points elongate, so, on what
ever surface it begins to form it has very
soon the same general appearance, pre-
senting everywhere the beautiful,
feathery-l liks forms. In going up the
mountain we do not see it until we get
some distance above the limit of the
trees it is nearly a mile before it is
seen in its characteristic forms, and it is
only Immediately about the summit
that it presents its most, attractive
features. We notice also that it always
forms toward the wind-never from it
and the rapidity with which it forms
and the great length of the horizontal
masses is truly wonderful. We placed
round stick an inch III diameter in a
vertical position, where it was exposed
to the full force of the wind, and in less
than two days some of the horizontal
icicles-we call them icicles for the
want of q more appropriate name
were two feet in length and scarcely
any thicker than the stick itself. They
formed on every part OF the stick that
was exposed, but of course some points
were much longer than others. They
remained several days, but with
change of wind they were blown of.
On some of the piles of stones south OF
the house, THESE nOf1ZOntal 1n;lSSeS are
now more than five feet in length. On
the southern exposures, instead of the
''frost work" there are only masses Of
pure ice, which have always peculiar
hue of greenish blue. In the early part
of December, when she thermometer
ranged from twenty-five to twenty-nine
degrees and the wind was southwark,
the ice formed to the thickness of a
foot or more on the telegraph. poles near
the house. These icy masses are formed
evidently by the condensation of the
vapor of the atmosphere, as it is not un-
common for it to be above the point of
saturation. The frost work" is also
formed by the condens ton of vapor,
but besides the vapor the air must. be
filed with minute specule of ice. As
the vapor condenses they are caught,
and thus the horizontal feathery masses
are formed. This accounts for the facts
that we have observed, namely, that it
forms when the wind is northward and
always toward the wind. .la al- HlsTi


The following is the summary of the
meteorological observation by Ser
geant Theodore Smith, of the Signal
The highest temperature has been ....---....- go