14 SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF ZIEGLER POLAR EXPEDITION 



The timepiece was a watch* regulated approximately to local time beginning at midnight. 

 It hung on a small brass hook screwed into the middle stud of the south wall. 



The piers are of pine, 35 centimeters in diameter. That for the magnetometer is 2.3 

 meters long and is sunk 0.8 meter in coarse, frozen gravel, leaving 1.25 meter above the floor. 

 The pier for the dip circle is 2.15 meters long, is 0.8 meter under the surface, and i.io meter 

 above the floor. These piers are marked ^and D respectively on the west side near the top- 

 There is a vestibule 0.75 meter by 1.3 meter by 1.25 meter, with doors opening into the 

 observatory and outwards into the open air. 



In cold weather considerable trouble was experienced from the collection of ice on the 

 mirror, eyepiece, reading glass, and circle. The roof and walls of the observatory became 

 studded with small ice crystals, the incessant fall of which covered the instrument and necessi- 

 tated cleaning every day or two. 



During the construction of the observatory a memorandum was kept of every iron tool 

 used and its removal was assured before magnetic work began. This precaution was necessary 

 because of the frequent snowfalls. The building is absolutely non-magnetic and the only iron 

 near by was the small adjusting pin, used to reduce the amplitude of the oscillations after the 

 magnet was disturbed. This pin was placed vertically on pier D beyond the sphere of influ- 

 ence and has since been brought away. 



In the spring of 1904 a bear attempted to break into the observatory while Mr. John 

 Vedoe was observing. He failed to drive it away by noise or voice and was liberated from the 

 embarrassing situation by finally arousing the pack dogs, whose barkings brought aid from 

 the house. As a safeguard against recurrence of such visits a revolver was afterward placed 

 at the far end of the sight shaft 4.5 meters distant from the magnetometer. On March i, 1904, 

 this was taken away and instead a rifle was left outside standing against magnet box No. i. 



Permanence op Site and Preservation of Piers 



Judging from the condition in which the living quarters of the Italian Expedition were 

 found, it is to be concluded that the observatory with its piers may stand for a long time, but 

 snow will collect about the building and hold a small supply of water coming from the summer 

 thaws until it freezes again. Ice, accumulating annually in this manner, may gradually rise 

 in the hut to the top of the piers. The distance and azimuth of the astronomic brick pier will, 

 however, furnish a means of recovering the precise point, should it be buried in a future field 

 of ice. The astronomic observatory is so situated as to be swept clear of snow by the strong 

 winds, unless a decided and permanent change in the prevailing direction should occur. 



On the cessation of observations (July i, 1904) the observatory was left undisturbed with 

 every article in place excepting the instruments. 



*In the tabulations of results the times by watch are listed as " Chronometer time." 



