Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-10
THE HISTORY or ZERO.


A Curious Instance OF How wise
Mems Errors are Rendered NOR
tai
Metal Worker.
Zero, on the common Thermometer,
like the fsnciful names of the constells-
tions, is curious instance of the way
wise mems errors are made Immortal by
becoming popular. 1t may be worth
while to say that the word itself (zero)
comes to us through the Spanish from the
Arabic, and means empty; hence, nothing.
In expressions like 80 degrees Fair. !"
the abbreviation Fahr, stands for FAhren-
heit, Prusslan merchant of Dsntzic, on
the Baltic Sea. His full name was Gabriel
Daniel Fahrenheit. From boy he was
close observer Of nature, and when only
10 years old in the remarkably cold win
ter of l7u9 he experimental by putting
snow and salt together. and noticed that 1t
produced degree of cold equal to the
coolest day OF the year, and that day WAS
the coolest day that the Oldest inhabitants
could remember. Gabriel was the more
struck with the coincidence of his little
scientific discovery and hastily concluded
that he had found the lowest degree of
temperature known In the world, either
natural or artificial. He called the degree
zero, and constructed thermometer, or
rude westher-gless, with scale gradual.
ing up from Zero to boiling point, which
he numbered 212 and the freezing noint
32-because, az he thought, mercury cou-
tracted the sd of its volume on being
cooled down from the temperature of
freezing water to zero, and expanded lS0th
on being heated from the freezing to the
boiling point.
Time showed that this arrangement,
instead OF being truly scientific, was az
arbitrary as the division of the Bible into
verses and chapters, and that these two
points no more represented the real extent
IT temperature than from Dan to Beer
sheba', expressed the exact extremes of
Palestine. But Fahrenheits thermometer
had been widely adopted with It's incon-
venient scale, and none thought of any
better until his name became su authority.
for Fahrenheit finally abandoned trade and
gave himself up to science.
Tue three countries which use Fahran-
heit are England, Holland and America.
Russia end Germany use Reaumer's Their
numeter, in which to boiling point Is
| counted 80 degrees above the freezing,
| France uses the oentigrade thermometer,
% calico because u marks tue ooiiing
point 100 degrees from freezing point On
many accounts, the eeuti2rsds system is
| the best, ard the triumph of convenience
| Will be made when Zsro is made the free q
| ing point, and When the boiling point is
put 100 nr / 600 degrees from it, and all
me SUBDIVISIONS are nxen decima'iy. IL
fdnrenneit hau zone 'ois 81 hrst, or even
oe RAD maze II ohe oi ms many improve
error. the lack of epportuni.v. which was
really his, would have secured to his inven-
ton the patronage Of the world.
-~-----
The Neeroes In North Carolina.
Raleigh Farmer and Meehanic
Race troubles are nearly extinct with US.
The better clements Of the Negro people
rising; the worse elements aluking-
through vice, crime, whisky and want
Many Of the vller sort have exodusted
north and west. Already there is a pro-
nounced aristocracy among the negroes.
At their ta.hicpable weddings the array Of
silks, white kids and jewslry is gorgeous,
There are blacks in raleigh gorth from
$4,000 to $40 oDO in 4pod city property
There ore negroes in this county who owl
200 acre farms, with all necessary i'm prove
ments, Oae recently built school hon4e
for his neghhors and got county roat
S10o nuO ,varth NJ nronartv is f,vned Il,