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The Telescope of the Rocky Mountains
Onthewest,however,risetheRockyMountains,thatimmenserangewhich,commencingattheStraightsofMagellan,followsthewesterncoastofSouthernAmericaunderthenameoftheAndesortheCordilleras,untilitcrossestheIsthmusofPanama,andrunsupthewholeofNorthAmericatotheverybordersofthePolarSea.Thehighestelevationofthisrangestilldoesnotexceed10,700feet.Withthiselevation,nevertheless,theGunClubwerecompelledtobecontent,inasmuchastheyhaddeterminedthatbothtelescopeandColumbiadshouldbeerectedwithinthelimitsoftheUnion.AllthenecessaryapparatuswasconsequentlysentontothesummitofLong’sPeak,intheterritoryofMissouri.
NeitherpennorlanguagecandescribethedifficultiesofallkindswhichtheAmericanengineershadtosurmount,oftheprodigiesofdaringandskillwhichtheyaccomplished.Theyhadtoraiseenormousstones,massivepiecesofwroughtiron,heavycorner-clampsandhugeportionsofcylinder,withanobject-glassweighingnearly30,000pounds,abovethelineofperpetualsnowformorethan10,000feetinheight,aftercrossingdesertprairies,impenetrableforests,fearfulrapids,farfromallcentersofpopulation,andinthemidstofsavageregions,inwhicheverydetailoflifebecomesanalmostinsolubleproblem.Andyet,notwithstandingtheseinnumerableobstacles,Americangeniustriumphed.Inlessthanayearafterthecommencementoftheworks,towardthecloseofSeptember,thegiganticreflectorroseintotheairtoaheightof280feet
