The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-17

THERMOMETER HABITS.
INTEREST THAT YANKEES SHOW
ABOUT THE MERCURY.

anu aItfSttc 0ucl OF WofoS on inc suotcSt "a
cold weather. You must get man from
Northern Vermont and man from North
ern New Hampshire 70 swap" weather
experiences Some objecter win at once
say. Of course, that reieher Of these men
know as much about cold weather IS their
more northern neighbor, the Canadian
But the implied inference that the Cana
dian could talk more eloquently about low
temperatures than tho c3taxeus wo have
designated is not founded sa net.
For your Canadian is either so consti-
tuted that cold weather isstes cold weather
to him, or else he is So eh1Aed through By
Il that he won't talk shout II. But who
ever yet knew Yankee who was not in.
timasely acquainted with ali the posi-
bih,ies of lew temperature in his part OF
the state and was not willing TO back the
record Of his thermometer against that Of
any other MANI
And talking about Thermometers sug-
gests the question, "Whas do you know
about the thermometers ancecedentsp
Very little. probably. The thermometer.
like the weather, is taken as = fact TO be
grumbled at. perhaps even TO be denounced.
but to be accepted, nevertheless. Boston
has always claimed to turn out the best
thermometers, though that claim is vigor-
ousIy disputed by New York and Balti-
more.
About seventy years ago an old Scotch
man named Pollock began the Lnanufact-
nre of fine Thermometers in Boston. Thomas
Pool, an Engfishmap, was rival to him in
the business. Pool had two brothers who
came to this city and began to manufacture
thermometers. The Pools were all skillful
workmen, and they are entitled to the cred.
it of making the first high grade thermome-
tiers in this country.
THERMOMETERS ~ NEW ENGLAND.
Beferetbermometers were made in this
country they.were imported from Francs.
Germany and England. and even now great
numbers are imported, generally cheap
grades which can. be sold below the price
Of the domestic article. The higher grades
of European Thermometers are no cheaper
or better than the same, grades in this
country, and 80 they are net imported.
That the New Epgla1ders are weather
sharpsis proved by the fact that more Their
mometers are sold in New England than
in any other part of the country. In many
parts Of the west and south a thermometer
is rarely seen, the people having little or
no interest in. the state OF the temperature
But the Yankee. especially in Vermont,
New Hampshire and Maine, always wants
to look at the thermometer, as soon as he
gets up, and maybe half 3 dozen times dur
ing the, day.
The thermometer habit, indeed, Is one Of
the marked characteristics OF the Yankee,
and it has mon him much the same slim
| ulating effect that cocktail has on the
| average citizen. After his glance at tho
| thermometer he goes in to breakfast Ia n
state of suppressed though Joyous excite
ment, feeling that there is at least one topic
of conversation that is absolutely fresh; for
though the weather itself is as old as the
world, the record of the thermometer is
| always new.
The aperture in the tube. of thermom-
eter is smaller than the finest hair. And
though it appears to be round 1t is not; for
If it were, the mercury could not be easily
seen. 1t is, therefore, made fat, and then
the glass magnifes it 80 that it seems to be
quite large. To bring 1t ont still more dis
tinctly, a maker of Boston recently con-
ceived the idea of backing the tube with a
thin film of white sizing This device is now
generally adopted by the foreign makers.
Mercury is generally used in thermom-
eters because it is more regular In its con-
traction and expansion. 1t is indeed i'm
possible to make spirit thermometer that
| will be as Trustworthy as one in which
mercury is used. In mercufiai tbermom-
eter the degree marks are adj the same dis
| tance apart, because the expansion under
| ell conditions s uniform
KINDS or THERMOMETERS.
| But in spirit thermometer the degrees
are wider apart at the top, because the ex-
pansion increases at a greater ratio after a
! certain temperature is reached. Though
/ not so trustworthy. spirit thermemeters
are necessary, as mercury freezes at 20 degs-
below zero Spirits OF wine is generally
used, and is coiored red 80 that it will be
more visible to the eye.
| Ia a correct Thermometer the scale Is
| graduatedto the requirements of the tube
! TO which it is fitted, so that every correct
thermometer must have a special scale OF
/ its own That is to say. itswouldn,t do "a
/ put the tube of one thermometer In the
| frame of another. OF course, in the very
cheap grades Thermometers such &C
| curats adjustments are not made, and
! therefore their records are only approx
@naasely correct The best thermometer
/ tnbe madewill cost about .; but q Their
| rnometsr may be made TO cost almost any
price, according TO the way in which It is
mounted.
/ As every one knows, the Fahrenheit
scale is that most commonly used in tn :
| country. Fahrenbeit arbitrarily assumed
limit Of cold which he termed zero. This
makes the freezing point 30 degs above
zero. and the boiling point 2i2 degs- above
zero. As matter of fact, however, IL
northern ATTITUDES the temperature in win
/ ter frequently falls below the zero point. >,
/ that there is DO scientific reason why tbs
zero point In the Fahrenheit scale shcolt
be where IL is
! A much more scientific scale f. thai
known as the Centierzde. which marks tn.
point at which water freezes at zero, ane
Givides the space between that and tas
point at which water boils into 100 deQs
! In the Reeamur scale zero marks the fr.ez
ing point, and eighty above zero the boil
/ ing point. Many self registering thernon
eters are low used These instrunseat
mark the highest or lowest Temperature
! reached, rs the case may he. so that th.
weather sharp may return az night feeiinf
/ assured that the weather can play nc
prsnks without his learning Of them--Sez
York Tribune
Miss Laura who has been listening 20
| the conversation of her learned caller for
zt>orIs two hcuxeYeS toe f.nGiish Ian