The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-07-04
FAHRENIHEITs

Jsmes Parton begins recent artl-
Gle on Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, IN
this odd and interesting style: Under
the bronze statue of Dr. Franklin,
which stands in Printing House Square,
in New York, I saw boy the other
day selling thermometers at ten cents
each. I looked up, almost expecting
to see the eyebrows OF the philosopher
rise IN astcnishment, and smile OF ap-
probation Frightening his metallic
countenanca. He used to say that he
would like to return to the earth at
the end of every hundred years. to
see how We we're getting on and II
his wish could be gratihed this year,
am sure thai, among the minor street
sights of New York, nothing would
amuse or surprise him more than this
small dealer IN card thermometers.
When DR.. Franklin frst had ther-
mometer, about q hundred and thirty
years ago, few persons IN America had
ever seen one, and there were proba-
blynot more than six on the continent.
There may have been one at Harvard,
one at Yale, one at New York, and
two or three at Philadelphia. After
Franklin obtained his Thermometer he
was never weary OF experimenting
with it; and for many years the laws
of heat and cold, the varying temper
ature of the body, and the effects OF
heat upon the air currents, both IN
doors and out, were objects OF his
yigilsnt investigation. 1t was ne VINO
discovered the effect of color upon
temperature, and first established that
dark clothes warm US best IN cold
weather, and that white clothes are
most suitable for hot. 1t was he who
suggested the white cap covering, now
called the Havelock, used ey the En-
glish soldiers in the East Indies, and
by travellers in the desert. All this,
and much more, from the use Of Fab
renheit's thermometer.
After come interesting biography,
Parton continues: The use of the
thermometer has added greatly to our
knowledge, and is doubtless destined
to play a still more important part in
the future. The following facts the
reader may find interesting: The
lowest degree OF artificial cold that has
yet been produced is one hundred and
eighty seven below zero. The hard
est thing to freeze is carbonie acid,
which requires temperature OF one
hundred and forty-eight below zero.
At forty below mercury freezes; and
this is also the average winter temper
ature at Nova Zembla. The average
of the year round at the
North Pole is thirteen below zero.
Salt water freezes at fourteen above;
wine, at twenty above; blood, at
twenty-five vinegar,at twenty-seven;
milk, at thirty; water, at thirty'two-
Alcohol boils at hundred and seven
ty-three, On the summit of Mt. Blanc,
water boils at one hundred and eighty
two; on the summit of Etna, at one
hundred and ninety.two; at the Cats
kill Mountain House, at two hundred
and six. on the surface OF the earth,
at two hundred and twelve. At two
hundred and thirty-two sulphur melts,
and at three hundred and twenty two
petroleum boils. The temperature of
the ocean, at few hundred feet below
the surface, never changes, but stands
at about forty-fve the year round.
The interior of the earth, however,
grows warm as we descend. The tenn
perature at the bottom of an artesian
well, one thousand three hundred feet
deep, is seventy-three but there are
some mines, not more than one thous-
and feet deep, where the temperature
begins to be oppressive, and the ther-
mometer marks seventy five. The
animal heat of various creatures
varies remarkably. The maximum
heat of mans blood Is one hundred
and two; but of ducks and guinea
fowls, one hundred and nine; and il
you wish to hatch hens eggs IN an
oven, the proper temperature is one
hundred and five. The highest point
which the mercury reaches in an or
binary situation, in the hottest port OF
the East Indies, is one hundred and
fifty.fou at which point also the
occasionally stands in the en-
gine =oOvm of steam ship