The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-16 00:00:00

Barometrical Variations of the Late Storms,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—The variations in the readings of the baro-
meter at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, are
shown in the accompanying diagram, which I send
to you for your inspection. It includes 46 days,
ending the 30th of November, during which period
there have been several severe gales of wind on
our coasts, producing, as usual, distressing ship-
wrecks, attended with fearful loss of life.
The reading of the barometer from the Ist of
October to the 15:h day was always high, and
every day above its average, frequently to the
amount of o.3in and o.4in, and on the third day
to o.si❑ nearly. The direction of the wind till the
eighth day was generally E. or E.N.E., and the
greatest force of the wind during this interval was
about 8:b on the square foot, ; • but usually the air
was in gentle motion. From the ninth day the pre-
vailing direction of the wind was N. and N.W., but
at all times weak in strength. On the 16th day
it changed to the south-west, and the barometer
reading descended below its average and declined to
28.71 in by 3 a.m. on the 20th, on which day pres-
sures to 91b on the square foot took place. The read-
ing of the barometer suddenly changed to an in-
crease, and at midnight on the same day was 29.40 in,
being no less than 0 69in increase in 15 hours,
It remained some little time at this point, and des
caned to 28.901 n by 9 p.m. on the 223. From noon
of the next day, the 231, its general ten ieney was
increasing. It passed above its average on the
30th, having been 14 days continuously below, and
at times, for 24 hours together, as much as three•
quarters of an inch nearly. From the 233 the
caurso of the wind was mostly from opposite quar.
ters, viz., S.W. and N.E., but at all times light,
and sometimes the air was almost free from motion.
The barometer reading continued to increase,
though with frequent slight falls, till Nov. 6, when
the reading wes as high as 301 in, or 1 in higher
than on the 20th. On the 7th day the reading began
to decrease, Lied passed below its average on the
10th, it having been above this point flora October
30 (or 11 days), a part of which time it was for 24
hours together more than 6-10ths of an inch in
excess. During the 13th and 14th days the dea
crease was rapid, and the reading from noon on the
14th to nearly noon on the 15th varied only be-
tween 28.61 in and 28.64 in. Thus the decrease
amounted to I.sin in eight days. At this time at
Greenwich the greatest pressure we experienced
was 31b only ; and it is very remarkable that, with
so low a reading of the barometer about London,
there was scat coly any wind, whilst fearful storms
were rrging north of us. From the 25th
the readings of the barometer oscillated, but for the
most part increased, and were 29.72 in on the 19th,
whilst the air was in gentle motion from the S.W.
and S.S.E. Like changes followed, but decreasing
readings were greater than increasing, till the read-
ing of barometer again was very low, viz.:-28.72
inches at 1 a.m. on the 26h, accompanied with
S.W. wind, blowing with a pressure of Sib, on the
square foot only. From this time the readings in-
creased, and on the 30th passed above the average,
having been below 18 days. It cannot fail to be
remarked that at all times when the reading of the
barometer was above its average, the wind has
every where been moderate in strength, but that the
periods of our recent heavy gales have begun shortly
after the reading has descended below the average,
that they have been the worst when the departures
below have been the greatest, and that the bad
weather has ceased only on approaching the average
again.

One fact may be learnt from these readings, and
it is one I forcibly impressed upon the fishermen on
the Northumberland coast when I first fixed the
barometers there, that at no time, and particu-
larly daring the winter months, should the warn-
ings of the barometers pass unheeded; for although
the bar meter reading may be low, and indeed
unusually low in some localities, without the storm
passing over these places, yet they may feel certain
that bad weather or gales of wind are at that very
time most likely raging not far from them, and
which might suddenly visit their localities without
further warning. It is remarkable, indeed, that
about London the butoine'er was no less than three
times a goad deal below 29 inches, yet no storm of any
moment visited us; but we have had ead evidence
of the fearful storms then raging ou our northern
and eastern coasts; and one almost sees the agonies
and hears the cries of the drowning men, women,
and children at Tyyemouth and shields, imploring
help from the plunging lifeboat, two of whose noble
crew perished in their humane efforts to succour
their perishing fellow-creatures. All honour to
these brave but nameless heroes, of whom England
may well be proud ; and well may we mourn over
those who, unhappily, perish in such sacred work.
These sad wrecks were taking place all along our
eastern and nothern coasts, while in London we
were in comparative calm.
I wish to impress upon all sailors and fishermen
the necessity of care when continuous declining
readings of the barometer are proceeding, and of
viewing such a state of things as plainly indicating
approaching gales, which may not visit their own
localities, but yet may do so; and if, fortunately, a
gale does not visit them on any occasion, not to
place less confilence in the barometer warnings,
but rather to be careful till that reading of the
barometer be attained which is the average of the
place.

It is an ascertained fact that when great atmo•
spheric disturbances take place, and great depress
sions of the barometer readings occur, particularly
when sudden, that they are the certain and sure
prognostications of the approach of storms ; such
signs no fisherman or seaman can, I think, now be
so unwise as to neglect; for the caution thus given
to him, conjoined with his own knowledge of the
storms of the locality with which he must be
familiar, will probably save him and others from

loss of life and property. The Royal National
Lifeboat Institution, by placing reliable barometers
(tested by me at the Royal Observatory, Green•
with) around the coast, and thus directly prevent-
ing loss of life, may not gain so much praise as
when its lifeboat saves a crew from the sinking
ship; but I consider that it deserves Equal credit by
taking timely steps to warn our fishermen from

- ,
going to sea in times of danger. And surely the
public will not fail to appreciate fully the feelings
which prompt the committee of the institution to

prevent as far as possible the necessity of having
recourse to the lifeboat, by timely warnings to
those who otherwise might need its valuable and

ever-ready eervices.—l am, sir, your obedient ser-
vant, JAMES GLAISIIER.
Royal Observatory, Greenwich, Dec. 15.

THREE MEN INJURED THROUGH THE FALLING
OF A PORTION OF A STA=LE,—This morning. about eight
o'clock, the flooring of an old stable in course of demolition
adjoining the rear of Aberdeen House, Marlborough-mews,
fell with a loud crash, burying in the rubbish several men
who were engaged at the time beneath the flooring in under-
pinning some walls. The men were afforded but little as-
sistance, some of them having to extricate themselves, and
three of them went to the Middlesex Hospital, where, on
examination by the medical officers of that institution, it
was found that they were severel contused, but their inju-
ries were not of a sufficiently serious nature to compel their
remaining in the hospital.
The West-end houses of business have been for
some time past making preparations for the Christ.-
alas campaign, during which time they expect to be plea-
santly besieged by a publie most exacting and varied is its
tastes and requirements. The stores laid in for that siege
are abundantly strewn in the windows of the shops and
overflow in the reserves within, so that a very large and a
long attack may bo made wil bout exhausting ; and if the
public do triumph, for once the besieged will say, " So much
the better." Among all the many West-end houses that
have laid in a large and costly supply of Christmas novel-
ties, in additLn to those which are meant for New Year's
gifts, or those which supply all the year round wedding
and other presents, the house or Messrs. I'. A Simpson
and Co., No. 151, Regent-street, stands pre-eminent. Never
have they more exerted themselves to excel in taste and
variety, and never have they heaped greater stores together
with the hope that they may be singled out tor patronage
among the numerous firms who bid for the custom of the
public. The windows show many things which are tempt-
ing, end that range from trifling value to cistliness, but
these are as nought in comparison with the store within,
where jewellery, articles of virtv. curi a,itips, knickknacks,
clocks, dressirg cases, and trvieles of varied character for
ornamenting the atiartraent abcund, and at prices that range
the awe :aodest figure upwards.