Monday, March 5th, 2012
Bishop’s Cap Peak is located at the southern end of the Organ Mountains. It was named because it looks something like a Bishop’s Cap — or so the early namers thought. It is easily seen on the east side of Highway I-25 when driving between Las Cruces, NM and El Paso, Tx.
Bishop’s Cap cave is located on the western side of the peak, about one-fifth of the distance to the summit. The eastern side of the mountain is off-limits. A power line access road traverses the western side of the peak. At the point at which you can see the mouth of the cave, there is a short spur that climbs about 150 feet toward the mountain.
The point where you begin the ascent is marked on the map above (32.18698 -106.61020). You can see the power line road and spur in the satellite image below.
The cave as it appears from the road is shown below.
I rate the hike to the cave fairly difficult. There is no path, it’s rocky, and it would be easy to get hurt. Don’t climb alone, and if you are climbing during snake season, be cautious.
The cave mouth (click for larger image):
Some images of the cave (click for larger image):
The view from the cave (click for larger image):
See also:
Mine House Spring – Hayner Mine
Mine House Spring – Hayner Mine – The Video
Visit to Apache Wells
Hiking Dripping Springs – Part 1
Tags: History, Hiking, Organ Mountains
Saturday, December 3rd, 2011
Snow on the Organ mountains this morning.
Tags: Las Cruces, Organ Mountains, Snow, Weather
Sunday, November 13th, 2011
Every day some new suggestion is made as to the probable use of electricity. A San Francisco professor thinks the time is coming when swamps and sewers will be deprived of their unwholesomeness by strokes of lightning, or, in other words, by electric currents that will kill the germs and spores that communicate disease to the human system. This is based upon the germ theory of disease, which is to the effect that malarial and other foul air contagions are due to animalcule, or infusoria, which multiply in the victim’s body after inoculation. But would it not be a miracle if all atmospheres were rendered wholesome by electrical discharges? The electric light has made one change in cities which may lead to important results. It has enabled buildings and other public works to be constructed at night as well as day. Laborers are employed in eight and twelve hour shifts, and edifices are completed in less than half the time required when only day work could be employed. In summer laborers prefer to work at night. Scientists tell us, as yet we only dimly appreciate the marvelous changes that will be wrought by electricity in human conditions.
Rio Grande Republican, February 18, 1882 (Newspaper)
See also:
First Electric Light in New Mexico
Tags: History, Electricity.
Friday, October 14th, 2011
“The Rio Grande is the only river I ever saw that needed irrigation.” — Will Rogers
“I never realized what beauty water added to a river until I saw the Rio Grande.” – Mark Twain
Photos taken October 13, 2011 at Las Cruces.
Tags: Las Cruces, Misc Images
Saturday, August 13th, 2011
The following advertisement from the June 23rd, 1881 Las Vegas Optic newspaper probably documents the VERY FIRST appearance of electric light in New Mexico.
Regarding the electric light shown in the illustration, the advertisement says:
“All under the most perfect sun-eclipsing ELECTRIC LIGHTS, which are exclusively used to illuminate the VAST METROPOLIS OF EXHIBITION TENTS.”
William Washington Cole, who began his circus in 1871, promoted new technology — “marvels” — in his expositions along with traditional circus acts. The electric light advertised here would have been a Brush Arc Light, which American inventor Charles F. Brush began selling commercially in 1879. Brush had invented the first modern electric dynamo in 1876. One or more of Brush’s dynamos, powered by a steam engine, would have powered Cole’s electric arc lights.
Electric arc lights were quickly shown to be much cheaper than gas, the prevailing technology, and to provide more light. By 1881, Brush had sold over 6,000 arc lights, including the following:
- 800 lights in rolling mills, steel works, shops, etc.
- 1,240 lights in woolen, cotton, linen, silk, and other factories
- 425 lights in large stores, hotels, churches, etc.
- 250 lights in parks, docks, and summer resorts
- 275 lights in railroad depots and shops
- 130 lights in mines, smelting works, etc.
- 380 lights in factories and establishments of various kinds
- 1,500 lights in lighting stations, for city lighting, etc.
- 1,200 lights in England and other foreign countries.
Thomas Edison invented his incandescent light bulb in 1879 which would replace fairly quickly the arc light.
Note that the word “electric” in the advertisement is written with “lightning” characters, a typographic convention evidently already established in 1881.
See also:
The Electric Light
Tags: History, Electric Arc Lights, Charles F. Brush, W. W. Cole Circus
