The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1849-05-02
THE 4aI.rE OF THE IARoNIETFR.

Tonicelli invented. and PASCAL perfec.
ted this instrument. and il is OF great use.
not only IN forelelling the changes of The
weather, and thus saving The lives Of ma
vigqiors, and preventing The loss Of mil
lions OF properly on The ocean. bui also in
enabling Us readily 10 ascertain The height
nf mountains, or Of any other situation to
which il can he taken.
In ILLUSTRATION Of tho. use first mention.
ed, ] am going 10 tel you an anecdote
which have read Of Lord Celhngwood.
who succeeded Lord Nelson IN the CON-
mand OF the British feet. after Nelson's
death al the battle Of Trafalgar. in 1903.
DR.. Gray, a surgeon in Lord Cofiiag.
woods ship, was very fond Of observing
the weather, ard kept regular register oil
il. But his Lorlship had little or no faith ia
The barometer. and used 10 laugh at the
Doctor for his credullty. The fleet. at one
time, was cruising of Sicily, near Syta.
cuse, lillle before sunset; the weather
was very fine, and the sky gave no indl'
cations Of change. DIR. Gray, on going
TO consult his glass. and enter his obser.
vaiions as usual, was surprised 10 find thai
the mercury had fallen nearly an inch
This alarmed him. aud he mentioned the
fact 10 Lord Cnlingwood, who was. great.
~ amused by his anxiety. The Doctor
however urged that the fall was unusually
great, and he had no doubt before mid
night they would have 10 encounter gale,
which, though il might moi be Of long du-
ration, would be extremely heavy. lie
added, if in this case the glass deceived
him. he would admit that il was false
prophet. WELL" said his Lordship.
smiling, we will put you on your trial,
and you shall have the management Of the
fleet for once" A signal was accordingly
made 10 prepare FOR bad weather. One ni
the captains told DIR Gray, next day, they
were quite al loss wta, To make Of such
an order, as the afternoon was so fine, and
the sky looked so settled. However, be.
fore midnight, they all acknowledged the
wise foresight Of the order, for il blew a
hurricane for several hours, which must
had they not been prepared for it, have
done them great damage.
Another occasion uttered, some time af.
ter. to scatter his Lordshlp's doubts. They
had gone ashure; and in the morning il
blew a heavy gale, which alarmed them
greatly for the safety Of a little vessel il
which was The son OF one of their agents,
For some reason, il had been taken in tow
BY one Of the ships, and was in danger o
being drawn under water. The ialhel
stood, therefore, on the shore, almost dis
tracled. DIR. Gray, however, finding iha
ile mercury in his barometer had Use,
considerably and very quickly. cnmfnret
him. BY telling him that he had very lit
lie doubt, but that, high as the sea WA
then. in an hour or two he might go Of
board his sons vessel in boat; and Ii,
actually did SO.
Thus we see that this instrument, as
prophet Of the weather, is Of great con
sequence to the sailor. and carries the re
cordsoflife and death inits prognos,cs. I,if,
may be secured 10 him BY the knowledge
which il gives; for even an hours warning
Of The approach Of Storm, gives hin
time 10 lower his sails, and render as Sc
cure as possible, the few frall planks
which alone separate him from eternity.
This is certainly the highest use of tn
barometer, but lis other uses are by n
means unimportant. The mercury fall
when il is carried from any lower To an,
higher spot, and the degree Of falling tell
exactly how much air has been left below
Thus, thirty inches high on the barome
Ter mark the whole pressure a, the sursac
of the ocean, and if the instrument b
found, when carried TO another place. I
stand at only twenty inches, it proves tha
one third Of the atmosphere exists belo,
, the level Of the new situation.
/, In carrying barometer from the levt
OF the Thames, to the top Of ST. Paul