The Helena independent., 1890-02-26
HELENA SIGNAL STATION.
The Curious Instrument Used TO
Record the State OF the
Weather
Tho Storms OF Montana Originate
in tho F-igid Regions OF
British America
People OF the Lasi TWeniy-siN BE
low "A Midnight.

One q the most useful bes, appreciated
and poorest plil departments NJ the gov
'rn'ilnt 81 The signal service. Down on
lovor Main street IN tie second story of the
llroadwicr- AsAhy block is the signal Office
iu this ciiy, presided over by Sergeant But
Ter. q man of thorough cyDoricnce and
knowIedgo IN the business, In his Office afo
several curious looking instruments. which
those unncQpaintcd with the pnraphcrnnlia
of q sirHal stDiion would find u a difficult
task io understand. l'ui the main
p1It of the apparatus of u signal station are
pl1crd un the roof, and IN response 10 o.
polite invitation from tho sergeant the re
porter ascend. to this sacred precinct A
smAll and rickCiy pair II stairs leads into
thr attic md fran there a do0f leads out
onto The roof Tho first thing 90 strike tho
VISITORS attention b. the weather guage
perchod on an iron rod about twelve feet
high. II consist, # four metallic cups.
which are fastened io ,m0ll rods, attached
10 the nam shaft ia such a man
ncr that when the wind blow-
thtg wLlrl around and record the
rate %. which the wind Is blowing per hour.
The is done hy a curious cOntllNanCu. The
mnn shaft is raised and lowered ~ will lay
u hinge attachment ~ the base. The s'r-
Ccnnt lowered n and explained the modus
opcrandi Of the machine. just beneath the
metallic cups is u little instrument about tile
RiXe Of, and very much resembling. watch.
on the rim lf ihc diGl are little pins and
when the wind is blowing the dial revolycs
slow or iRsi according to rs velocity. Thosr
pins come IN contact with "a spring which
breaks the electric current passing through
copper wires and into the Office below,
EYoy time onn Of these pins strikes tic
spring IN ihc revolutions of the dial 1t
records in The Office below one Inilo. and by
a simple calculation the rate NJ which the
wind is blowing per hour can he easily AS
certalned.
lp another siairwa,, about fifteen feet
frOm the roof isa small box rooted over
and lnclorcd ON three sides. The north
side is open and IN il arc placed five differ
cnt Instruments for rec tdlnu the state of
the weather, moisture. ctc. -Four of these
are thermometers, more or loss complicated,
and tho third " n unique invention chilled n
thermograph. IL Is run by clock wo and
records tho state Of tho weather autonati-
chlly. II consists Of n small box incased
N glass. inside of which il n cylinder
viii II slowly turns on its axis. Around
this cvlinder is placed piece of paper upon
iure as on thermometer. Passing
through one end of this box is n little
mulnic rod, NJ the outer end of
viii is "A curious piece of thin metal,
resembling hrass about three inches
IN length and bent nearly double. This Is
composed of platinum. quicksilver and cop
per, and Is very sensitive 10 cold and heat.
~ the upper end nf this piece of metal and
passing through Tho hox Is a needle. with a
Joint in tie middle. The point Of the
needle touches the paper un the cylinder
and falls and rls,S With the temperature.
II II set at the point recorded by the ther
uometer and keeps a correct record when
wound up for period of seven days, the
length of time the machine runs.
Besides. there IS a rain nnd snow gauge.
These are simply zinc cans, about one foot
nnd n half long md six inches IN diameter.
and open az the top. The snow Is collected
and melted 20 correctly ascertain The
amount.
lhe life of signal service officer is not
nm eAsy one by any means lie Is Obliged
10 send two reports ~ the east every day by
telegraph. and can bc seen any morning
about o'clock on the roof of the building.
lantern in hand, looking al his instruments.
he people here he SAWS, know little and
care less about the weather indications.
itul lhilhFl fhHN Ut ~ ~ IifHl itutli. ANNi
of the storms begin in British America and
are first recorded NJ AssInniboine. and
gradually extend south and east. by means
of the signal service. bulletins are sent out
twenty-lour ia foriy.cight hours in advance
of the storms. and people farther east are
prepared 20 meet them. Sunday morning a
chinook was blowing nearly all over Mon
iann. Al 10 o'clock the thermometer drop
ped 10 zero NJ Assinniboine and by - M
sunday night the storm struck Helena
aud the Thermometer fell tc
10 degrees below 10y ~ O'Clock
Monday morning Sergeant Butler bc.
hcyos Yesterday and to-day will be he cold
csi during tins storm aud that il will probn,
bly, last until about the first of March.
The surrounding buildings are getting toe
high for the signal station. they ohstruci
the wind and influence the Instruments. An
early move is contemplated 10 a more cle
vaiod perch,
Tho cold last night was very intense
The the mometer at Halc's drug stor,
marked y, degrees below at II midnight