The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-06-08
manitomcf pilot.
THURSDAY, JUNE 8. 1882.
Timing the Wind.

lining tAo " AAu
Doyou know what an anemometre IS
If YOU have mounted to the top OF the
Equitable Building in Boston, or near
the Tip-Top House on Mt. Washington,
YOU may have seen one without knowing
it.
As Won stand on the roof of the Equit-
able Building, you may see 1t above
you.
Anemometre,-it is word full OF
possibilities to the unthinking; but you
know what metre is, and YOU must re-
member that fragile little flower, the
anemone, or wind flower. The meaning
of the strange word is wind-metre; not
a very hard conundrum, after all.
You have probably stared inquiringly
at those four little bronze cups whirling
about YOUR head, with unfiinching per-
severance and gaiety of mien, doing
their five hundred revolutions to mile.
Those cups with their dial form the
thermometer.
You may have noticed the dial just
below the cups on the same rod. This
shows US, by means of two wheels which
fit into each other somewhat like cog
wheels, how many miles the wind is
blowing by the hour, half hour, or less.
As it would be very inconvenient to
examine the dial every hour, there is
attached to it a wire, which connects
with the registering machine in the Of
fee of the Signal service. This machine
has cylinder around which is placed a
paper automatically marked off into
spaces designating hours and minutes
from II NJ. to u NJ. On this paper a
pencil records every mile accomplished
by the anemometre. We are thus able
to register in the office the exact velocity
of the wind.
Another instrument used by the Sig
nal Service is the anemoscope, or wind
vane. 1t consists of an arrow-vane with
two wings. Placed below it on the rod
at about the same distance as is the dial
from the cups, we see something which
looks very like tomato can.
In this can is plate, marked into
quarters, North, East, South and West,
and governed by the motion of the yane.
From each of these quarters awire goes
to each of the four levers of the register
inc instrument, recording on the same
paper as the anemometre, from whence
the wind comes, whether from the east,
northeast, or any other point Of the
compass.
The cylinder of which | spoke above,
is turned by clock-work which is wound
every day at II NJ, at which time the
observation is taken.
The anemometre and anemoscope are
set in motion by the wind, and their
motions act on the stop-cock, let us say,
of an electric current, opening and shut
ting-the current.
Opening it causes it to act on the pen
ellis of the registering-machine, and
forces them down on the paper for an
instant, making tiny mark, thus re-
cording the velocity and direction of the
wind.
\ feeble wind blows at velocity OF
about four miles an hour; fresh breeze
about sixteen miles; q strong wind about
thirty-two miles; tempestuous wind
sixty-five miles, On Mt. Washington
the force of the tempestuous wind is
often registered.
Anemometres are not only used in
meteorological observations in theprin'
cipal cities. but in mines to register the
quantities of air that circulate through
the passages. Any want of care on the
part of those having charge of the sup.
plying of currents of fresh air is thus
| detected. A visit to signal service
| station would well repay the reader
| I0uth'S Companion.