240 OBSERVATIONS AT THE SUMMIT OF MONT BLANC. 



The lower story was to be three-quarters sunk under the snow in 

 order to insure to the edifice a solid seat and to give the sleeping 

 chambers of this story a relatively uiild temperature. 



.Moreover, the whole construction would be so bound together in all 

 its x>arts that it would form a rigid whole, which with the aid of 

 liroper jackscrews could be brought back into place in case motions of 

 the snows of its foundations should take place. 



It was necessary also to take into acc<mnt the weight and dimensions 

 of the materials by reason of the difficulties of transport over the 

 glacier, it was decided to make the beams in different ]»arts hollowed 

 out in the interior, so as to limit the weight of them and to obtain 

 lightness combined with rigidity. 



Such were the general arrangements adopted. 



For their realization and the drawing up of plans I was greatly 

 aided by my friend, M. Vaudremer, the eminent architect, member of 

 the Academy of Fine Arts, who had fully ai)proved my ideas and my 

 plan. 



The observatory was constructed at Meudon under our direction. It 

 was then taken apart and transported to Chamonix, where the materials 

 were divided for the ascent. The weight of the materials amounted to 

 nearly 15 tons and formed the matter of seven or eight hundred por- 

 ters' loads. Accordingly, to avoid confusion and diminish the chances 

 of accident, the road was divided into four sections and huts of deposit 

 and refuge were constructed at the two i^rincipal stations. 



The first section comprised the road from Chamonix to the entrance 

 of the glacier. This road, new made in its upper part, could be traveled 

 on the backs of mules. The second station embraced the part from 

 the entrance of the glacier to the rocks called the Grands Mulcts, where 

 there is an inn belonging to the comnume. 



At this important station in the midst of the glacier and at about 

 3,()(U) meters elevation — that is, half way up — a rude hut for porters 

 was built, for the transportation across this part of the glacier, which 

 is highly diversified, can only be effected on men's backs. 



The course from the station of (Irauds Mulcts to that of the Cirand 

 Kocher Eouge, about oOU meters below the summit, formed the third 

 section. 



This station of the Grand liocher llouge was valuable owing to its 

 proximity to the summit. We there built a living hut, which was of the 

 greatest service to our workers. They came there to pass the night 

 and to take refuge in bad weather. 



The whole summer of 1892 was spent in the construction of the obser- 

 vatory, its transportation to Chamonix, the organization of the stations, 

 and the building of the huts and transports. 



Business had been pushed, for at the end of the campaign all the sta- 

 tions had been organized, a quarter of the materials had been carried 

 to the Grand Eocher Eouge, and the rest was on deposit at the Grands 

 Mulcts. 



