Telegram-herald., 1890-01-06
FROM Hoo Towers.
How They WIN he ImPortant Assistant.
ia meteorological IRquirY.

the ElIei tower. u VIII ie 80 lCet
high, and VIII enable scientific men 10
make important observ 4tions not posi-
Die on the earth's surface
The proposed tower would allow Of an
inQuirF into the atmosphere conditions
up 10 200 feet Instruments for meas
uring the heat Of the suns rays. such as
black bulb thermometers IN yacuo, and
actinometers, disposed at the top and
bottom of the tower, would also give
very interesting readings, the instru-
meuts az the highest station probably
showing an excess Of the suns heat over
the other. because Of the atmospheric
humidity intervening between the earth's
immediate surface and an altitude Of
POO feet.
Thermometers disposed at various
heights and properly screened from
radiation would show the temperature Of
the atmosphere al different levels, the
air would probably be found cooler on
rising higher and higher. giving this GU
rious resultant the sun would be
warmer at the top than at the bottom,
but, in the absence OF the sun, the air
would be- colder at the top. At night
the distribution of the temperature Ia
the atmosphere is known 10 be the re-
verse Of the daytime. On fine, clear
night the temperature will be found
higher at ,0o0 feet than il is on the
earth, while on cloudy night it VIII be
much the same at both stations; but we
have much to learn of the laws of ter
restial radiation, and the proposed tower
would be very useful IN that respect.
OF course an observer would not he
expected 10 race day and night up and
down tower 200 feet high, TO make
observations and read thermometers;
this would be too great. and indeed an
unnecessary devotion 10 science. The
whole thing can be done from below in a
comfortable building Icy means Of Sic
mems electric thermometers. Such an
instrument has been used for some time.
and is now at work at the Lincoln cathe-
dral, giving correct thermometer read
ing on the earth's surface from height
Of 270 feet. Besides observations for
temperature at various attitudes, the
state Of humidity of the atmosphere,
condition greatly concerned in the forma-
ton Of fogs, could be readily examined,
dry and wet bulb thermometers disposed
at various heights and in electrical con
nection with the station below would
yield interesting observations. and assist
materially in conjunction with the ba-
rometer in forecasting the weather.
The force and direction Of the winds
at various attitudes are subjects for me-
teorological inquiry of much interest
and importance; there are eddics in the
atmosphere, spiral and upward currents,
Of which little is known, and tower
such as that now contemplated would
allow OF very interesting observations to
be made on winds. We may also ven
ture TO suggest that the information thus
obtained would have an important prac-
tical bearing in an engineering point Of
view, as showing the strength of the
wind buildings may have 10 withstand
at great heights. The measurement OF
rainfall. made simultaneously at 200
feet and on the ground, would add to our
knowledge Of the laws of rainfall: il
would be found that less rain falls at the
top than at the bottom. The connection
of this phenomenon with atmospheric
humidity and temperature would be
very interesting to investigate.
Finally, earth tremors. the forerun-
ners OF earthquakes, would lie felt at the
summit OF a high tower much more
readily than in contact with the earth,
and earthquakes might be expected TO
produce greatly maCnifed effects at such
an elevation; hence seismomcter
would find a fitting place 1T the top Of
the proposed building. 4 great deal
might be added on this subject. We have
not touched on the Astronomical uses Of
very high tower from the greater clear
ness O. tho atmosphere 20 such an alti-
tude There are also other pointsof physi-
ological interest that could have been
dwclt upon. such as the influence of an
altitude of 200 feet on respiration. or
on The nervous system. H. might bc re-
marked that there would DE little fear II
feeling ciddy whom looking down from
tower of such ahoicht although the Wow
over a prccipice of / 1.200 feet would not
be unlikely to produce n most unpieas-
ant sensation.- Brush Medical Journal