Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-16

Putting girdle around the earth may not
seem necessary preliminary for developing
a new mode of measurements, yet this is what
was done TO obtain basis for the metric sys-
TEN One object in devsing a new scheme
was to secure a standard unit which should
be superior to all changes, which should new
err by any complication in human affairs, be
altered or lost As to the old, familiar Eng
lish measures, such ms barley-corn, foot,
grain, pennyweight and others which seem
to have been taken from common things a.
standards, no one knows how far they were
from once real equivalents of the things they
name but il is quite certain there is no cor
respondtnce now; the length Of a mans foot
or the weight of penny is no guide in ascer-
tanning length or gravity. French scientists,
in the closing years Of last century, devised
the plalr Of measuring u line on the surface
Of the earth sufficiently long and definite to
afford n permanent standard. The line Sc
lected was the meridian, that is "A direct line
from the equator TO the north pole, passing
through Paris About one-ninth part of this
quadrant was most elaborately and precisely
measured, and thus data were obtained for
computing the whole length and one ten
millionth Of the whole was selected as unit
from which all measures should be deduced.
and was christened the metre-the chief or
universal measure The philosophers con-
sidered that if mankind should ever lose all
reliable foot rules and steelyards, or if suspi-
cion should arise that changes were creeping
in error could be detected and accuracy re-
stored by measuring the meridian again. As
the equator is an imaginary line and the
north pole an inaccessible spot, this scheme
for obtaining a unit reproducible with GER
talnty, seems questionable, especially as any
second measurement might vary from the
first by reason of improvements in methods
and Instruments And so the result has prov
ed for some remeasurements made in recent
years have modified the original result about
1000 feet on the quarter circumference and
falstcd the metre as adopted and in use by
about l-2nS of an inch But this, though it
somewhat disturbed the theory, has not upset
the system. Practically, therefore, the metre
is the length Of Il certain platinum bar CON
structed to be equal to one ten-millionth part
of the earth's quadrant passing through Paris,
and kept as a standard in the Paais des Ar
chives in that city. As thousands of copies
have been made in the utmost possible con
formity TO the original bar, and are every
where in use, "A permanent, Interchangeable unit
is practically secured and earth can ''bulge"
a little along that line if she wishes, without
doing the metric system any harm.
Another advantage desired was that the ea-
siest possible mode of reckoning in weights
and measures should be attained. For this
purpose decimal division has been adopted
throughout. Americans are so familiar with
the convenience of this principle in our ma
tional coinage, that it should be at once un-
derstood in its application to measurements.
Thus, reckoning upward, or toward larger
measures:
Ten metres make a deca-metre,
Ten deca-metrcs make n hecto- metre,
Ten hectO-metres make kilo-motre.
And, reckoning downward, or toward small
or measures:
One-tenth of a metre is a eci-metre
One-tenth Of a deci-metre is n centi-metre,
One-tenth of a centi-metre is a milli-metre.
The same decimal principle runs through
out the extension of the system to surfaces,
solids, weights, &c.
Another advantage desired was to attain
facility in reducing measurements Of one
kind to the corresponding expression in
another; computing weights, for instance,
from known solid contents. For this purpose
the metre is carried out as the basis of all
forms. All measures of length are tens or
tenths of the metre. Measures of surface
and of solid capacity are formed by employ
ing linear measures in two or three direc-
tions, on the same principle as the superficial
solid foot is formed by measuring off
linear foot in two directions or in three. For
metre in each dimension is taken as Il theo-
retical unit, called one gram, or gramme
and muluples or ahquot parts Of this, com
puted by tens, give the various measures of
weight The principle is further extended to
the various kinds of measurement employed
in the applied sciences, until a complete set
Of the tables seems like a complicated maze
but great ease and rapidity is the resul; in all
the varied and difficult computations Of scien-
thc men.
A fourth advantage desired was the adop-
ton of a common, uniform system. This is
less important in this country-where the
old fashioned English tables have been very
uniformly used throughout the States-than
in Europe where each nation, and often each
little principality and canton, had its different
system before the metric was adopted. Thus,
"A foot (tuss) in Hesse-Darmstadt was less
than 10 inches, in Prussia little more than
II, and in Swaryburg- Rvdolstadt Just above
II, and in other German States it varied be-
tween these limits. The metric system was
designed for uniform use throughout the civ
ilized world. 1t is steadily gaining favor.
An international convention, held in 1873, Sc
cured its acceptance so extensively that adop-
ton everywhere seems to be only n question
of time. In this country it was authorized,
though not made obligatory, by act of Con-
gress in 1866, which provided that standards
should be prepared by the National Govern
ment at Washington and furnished to the
States. Many of the departmental bureaus
and offices have voluntarily taken it. Scien
tiic men, engineers, surveyors and others,
use it extensively for private computations
and in papers to be interchanged with each
other, and will welcome the time when it is
understood among tradesmen and workmen
" y. Times.