Jungfraujoch, the High-Alpine UniversitySource: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 52, No. 4 (Apr., 1941), pp. 382-384Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/17340 .

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382 THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

characteristic of New Guinea ineluldes the birds of paradise, honeveaters, pigeons, parrots and lories, kingfishers, euekoo shrikes and flyeatehers. Exam- ples of five of these groups are shown in the exhibit. Most of the birds shown have never been exhibited before. Four of them were unnamed before last year.

The group was colleeted in the course of Mr. Richard Archbold 's third and most spectacular expedition to New Guinea, known as the Indisch-Ameri- kaansche Expeditie. The expeditioni, in cooperation with the Netherlands Indies Government, concentrated on an alti- tudinal survey of mammals, birds, plants and insects from sea level to snow line on the north slope of the Snow Moun- tains. The success of the whole expedi-

tion, as well as the collecting of the group, was made possible by the use of the large flying boat Gutba, which flew the party of more than 100 men, inelud- ing carriers ancd a niilitary escort, to Lake Habbemna, and supplied them with food for their stay of nine months. Here the Gutba operated from a higher altitulde than had any flying boat previ- ously. To have even reaehed the points iiliandl by boat and on foot, the only other modes of travel possible, would have beeln an achievemelnt. By the use of an airplane the party had ample time for studies, and was able to selid out in addition to specimens such bulky mate- rial as the accessories for the group.

A. L. RAND

JUNGFRAUJOCH, THE HIGH-ALPINE UNIVERSITY

ON the Jnngfraujoch, in Switzerland, at an altitude of 11,340 feet, there stands a castle-like, massive stone building of two floors, with a solid-looking tower. This is the High-Alpine Research Insti-

Coin tesy WiViy Haller, Zuri'ich

TRAIN OF THE JUNGFRAU RAILWAY IN SWITZERLAND BETWEEN KLEINE SCHEIDEGG

AND EIGER GLACIER.

tute. A visit to this building reveals scientific equipment many a university would be proud of-practically installed workiu-g rooms and splendid laboratories with the most up-to-date instruments. High up in the tower is the library, a comfortable, oak-panelled room where innumerable volumes of scientific works are at the disposal of the scientists. A permanent supervisor is in charge; he is probably the "highest" beadle. For visiting scienitists there are comfortable dormitories and two-berth cabins, as well as a kitchen for the preparation of their meals things one does not usually asso- ciate with scientific research stations. Adjoining the building are stables where a certain number of animals are kept for experimental purposes.

Although this buildiing was only started in 1929 and completed in 1931, the history of the Jungfraujoch High- Alpine Research Station dates back to 1894. It was then that Adolf Guyer- Zeller, the creator of the Jungfrau Rail- way, undertook to support scienee in its endeavors to exteln d research to high altituLdes. A clause of the rai]lway com-

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rTHE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 383

Coutrtesy A. Klopfenstein THE ALETSCH GLACIER, FIFTEEN AND ONE--HALF MILES LONG

FROM JUNGRAUTJOCH, SWITZERLAND, CONVENIENTLY REACHED BY MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS ONE

ENJOYS A GliORIOUS OUTLOOK ON THIS GLACIER, EUROPE'S MOST GIGANT'IC "RIVER OF ICE."~

pany 's concession obliged them to set aside considerable funds for the erection and the mai ntlenance of a permanent observatory for meteorological and ter- restria'l-physical observations.

The JungfraujLoch Research Station was originally housed in a woodcen pavilion erected on the plateau in 1925 by the Central Federal Meteorological Institute with the collaboration of the Jungfrau Railway Company. This was only a provisional arrangement until the meteorologists were able to take over their permanent home.

The Swiss Society for Natural History Research, which had 'been commissioned by the Federal Goveriiment to carry out the lat;ter work, experienced great diffi- culty in finding a suitable site. The spot had to be freely accessible in all weather conditions. The solution was found by the Jungfrau Railway Company, when, in the spring of 1927, the "Sphin-xx" gallery was driven through to the Jung- fraufirn. The new building was placed at the exit of this gallery. Thus the

stately house oi- the south slope of the Sphinx came into being.

The institute uudertakes research and investigations of a medical character, in physics (particularly cosmic rays), bot- any, zoology, etc. But astroiiorners also wanted to mb-ake use of this new home of science on the Jungfraujoch. The obser- vatory of Gelleva University accepted the task of installilig a "branch" on the Jungfraujoch. Now a solid stoiie build- ing is perched like an eyrie about 130 feet above the exit of the Sphinx gallery on the east slope of the SphinLx. But meteorology, which Lad been given pri- ority in the Jungfrau Railway conees- sion, was still without a home.

Unfortunately the Research Statioli itself did not possess the necessary fuilds wherewith to erect the required building. So "Sphinx Limited, Jungfraujoch" was formed iln August, 1936, for the purpose of erectilng the necessary build- ings. Thorough investigation by famous meteorologists had led to the conclusion that the peak of the Sphinx would be the

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384 THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

SW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~k

Courtesy L. Beringer SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE AND NEW METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY JUNGFRAUJOCH, BERNESE OBERLAND, SWITZERLAND, 11,340 FEET, HAS THE LOFTIEST ALL-YEAR SETTLEMENT IN EUROPE. IT CONSISTS OF THE BERGHAUS HOTEL, THE JUNGFRAUJOCH RAILROAD STA- TION, THE HIGH ALPINE SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE JUNGFRAUJOCH, AND TO TOP IT ALL, ON THE SUMMIT OF THE SPHINX ABOVE, 11,729 FEET, THE NEW METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY JUNGFRAUJOCH.

most favorable spot for the new observa- tory. But again the problem of safety and accessibility had to be solved. A suspension railwav from the Research Institute to the peak would have been too mnch exposed to weather and would have been useless at certain periods of the year. Thus it was decided to make use of the existing Sphinx gallery andi to drive a shaft for a lift from here to the peak. In the sumLmier of 1937 the erection of a solid stone building on the peak of the Sphiinx, 11,716 feet above sea level, was completed. The observatory is at the free disposal of the Foundation "High-Alpine llesearch Station of the Jungfraujoch" and the Central Pederal Meteorological Institute. Meteorological observations and weather forecasts froim the peak of the Sphinx mnountain are inot only very imeportant for mountaineers and skiers, bu.t also render invaluable services to interniation-al aviation. The

Swiss Alpine Club expressed its great interest in the erection of the meteoro- logical station on the towering rock of the JungfraLjoch by subsidizing the scheme with a substaintial amount of money.

Nowadays the Jungfrau Railway con- veys not only nuLmerous tourists to the l-ofty heights and beautiful Alpine scenery of this glacier district, but also an ever-increasing iuniLber of explorers and scientists eager to extend their in- vestigations to hitherto unknown re- gions. Durin-g the five years since its comIpletioll, 184 scien-tists from every part of the world have taken advantage of this unique opportunity to carry out research work at this high altitude unider the most auspicious conditions. They all study the same theme, naamely, the in- fluenee of high altitudes on men, animals and plants, and apply the results for the benefit of humanlity.

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