Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-22
hardly. When he got out in the street he
simply said: "Come on, fellsrs; peanuts, /"
and they went.
THE BAROMETRR.


a Ab0ur0 Notions Enteftal0eQ OF H py
Some People.
Certain people have attempted to establish
rules by which the coming state of the
weather may be predicted from the height
Of the mercury in the barometer; and we
accordingly find the words train, }" schange-
able, "fair, "frosty," etc., engraved on the
scale attached to common domestic barome-
ters. AZ If, when the mercury stands at the
height marked by these words, the weather
is always subject to the vicissitudes ex-
pressed by them, says writer in the New
York Ledger. These marks are, however,
entitled to no attention, and 1t Is only sur
prising to find their use continued in the
present times, when knowledge is SO widely
dihused. Two barometers, one near the lev
ell of the Hudson river and the other on the
top of Trinity steeple, will differ by half an
inch, the latter being always half an inch
lower than the former. # the words, there
fore, engraved upon the plates are to be re-
lied on, similar changes of weather could
never happen at these two situations. But
what is even more absurd, such a scale
would inform us that the weather at the foot
of high building must always be different
from the weather at the top of it.
Changes of weather are indicated, not by
bQ6 6CLuHk uolku6 CL buo uuoICuxy, Uub Wy lt6
change of height. One of the most general,
though not absolutely invariable, rules is
that where the mercury is very low, and
therefore the atmosphere very light. high
winds and storms may be expected. The
following rules may generally be relied upon,
at least to q certain extent:
1. Generally the rising Of the mercury in
dieates the approach of fair weather; the
falling of it shows the approach of foul
weather. z.si., 3ae --s!e
9. In sultry weather the fall of the mer-
eury indicates coming thunder; in winter the
rise Of the mercury indicates frost; in frost
its fall indicates thaw, and its rise indicates
snow.
8. Whatever change of weather suddenly
follows, a change in the barometer may be
expected to last but short time. Thus, if
| fair weather follows Immediately the rise OF
| the mercury, there will be very little of it,
and in the same way, If foul weather fol
lows the fall of the mercury, it will last but
| a short time.
4. If fair weather continues for several
| days, during which the mercury continually
| falls, long continuance of foul weather will
| probably ensue; and again, If foul weather
continues for several days, while the mercu'
| ~ continually rises, long succession OF fail
| weather will probably succeed.
| 5. A fuctuatipg and unsettled state Of th'
mercurial column indicates ehangeablt
| weather.
The domestic barometer would become 8
much moro useful instrument if, instead Of
| tho words usually engraved on the plate,
| short list of the best established rules, such
as the above, accompanied it, which might
| be either engraved on the plate or printed OF
a card. It would be right, however, to e1'
press the rules only with that degree of prob
ability which observation of past phenomens
has justified. There is no rule respecting
these effects which will hold good. In ex'
planation let it be known that when th'
mercury falls this action shows only that thu
much as moist air is lighter than dry air, j
! is assumed that when the atmospher
changes from heavier to a lighter condi
tion It also becomes more moist; and go
generally does, but this is not always tn