MOUNTAIN METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS 



AND AN INSPECTION OF PIKE'S PEAK 

 IN ITS WINTER SEASON. 



By Lietjt. John P. Finlet, U. S. A. 

 [Read before the Albany Institute, March 4, 1890.] 



There is some division of opinion among meteorologists as to the 

 value of mountain stations of observation. The United States Signal 

 Service has maintained for over ten consecutive years the two most 

 notable stations of this order in the world. I refer to Pike's Peak, 

 Col., and Mount Washington, N. H. On the former the station has 

 an altitude of 14,134 feet above sea level, and on the latter an eleva- 

 tion of 6,279 feet. The highest stations in other parts of the world 

 are, Leh, 11,503 feet, Southern Asia, province of Ladakh, Lat. 34° N. 

 Long. 78° E.; and the Sonnblick in Austria, 10,154 feet. In France 

 the highest station is the Pic Du Midi, 9,380 feet ; in Italy, the Val 

 Dobbia, 8,360 feet ; in Mexico, Zacatecas, 8,189 feet; and in Switzer- 

 land the Col de St. Theodule, 10,899 feet. 



The official report of the Chief Signal Officer for 1885 records my 

 inspection of Pike's Peak, as April 10th to 17th, inclusive, in that year. 

 This period of time (eight days) will appear significant when it is 

 understood that, on the average, only two days are required for the 

 inspection of a Signal Service station, and that since the establish- 

 ment of the Pike's Peak station, July 21, 1873 (over twelve years), 

 during which period the base station had been inspected ten times, 

 niy visit made the longest inspection on record, the average being 

 about three days. These inspections were made in the months of 

 January, April, June, August, September, November and Decem- 

 ber, but the Peak was only ascended in the months of January, 

 -December, September and August, when it is most convenient of 

 access. As the meteorological work comprised the maintenance of 

 * W0 . 8t »tions, one at the summit and the other at the base (Colorado 

 ^Pnngs), connected by seventeen miles of telegraph line, it was con- 

 sidered advisable, at times, to confine the inspection to the base 



