The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-14

feet the barometer but little, but as II
flowed away II would meet with coun-
ter currents. the distractions of noun
tains and other things which would
gradually transform that original wave
into a sea broken by waves of such
magnitude that the mountains or the
earth's surface would be dwarfed by
them. II has been estimated that
difference of two inches in the height
of the mercury. which is not an un-
usual range (or about one-nfteenth OF
the whole height, indicates a wave OF
air whose distance from crest to hol-
low is about 20 miles. These great
waves meet each other, from vast
whirlwinds, exchange their burdens of
heat or moisture, and go cavorting
about, making for the poor mortals
upon the earth what we call weather.
The barometer can measure but one
element which thus produces weather.
but as this is the primary cause of all
winds, and as winds bring the weather.
weather glass" Its principle and
operation is simple. In the case OF the
mercurial barometer, IL is simply
glass tube, about 80 inches long, closed
at one end and filled with mercury.
When all air and moisture have been
boiled out of the mercury, the tube is
inverted and its open end inserted In
a cup Of mercury. The mercury in the
tube runs down into the cup, leaving a
vacuum at the top of the tube, but
when il reaches a point where the pres
sure of the air, which is trying to get
up into this vacuum. equals the weight
of the column of mercury below the
vacuum, a delicate balance is secured.
and every change in the pressure of the
air is thereafter shown by the rising
or falling of the mercury in the tube.
OF course. at the same time that these
changes occur more or less of the mer-
curry remains in the cup at the bottom,
and for purposes of record this is
either regulated to a fixed point with
screw. which raises or lowers leather
bottom to the cup, or a sliding scale is
used in taking the measurements, but
for general use this is unimportant.
The aneroid barometer works upon
the same principle, but in the place of
the column of mercury there is used in
1t either one or series of flexible hol-
low metal disks, from which the air is
exhausted. The pressure of the air
which tries to enter these disks
is met with the counter pressure of a
spring or a weighted lever, and the
movement which takes place is trans
mitted to a hand which revolves about
dial. These machines are made in
sizes ranging from that of a watch
to machines with 10 or ~ inch dials.
The men who study the barometer the
closest are ship masters. The weather
bureau men keep a record of its doings
and watch its movements closely
enough, but they have the records Of
many other devices and reports from
all parts of the country upon which to
base their representations of the
weather. The sailor man has nothing
else except his knowledge of the direc-
ton and force of the wind, the look of
the sky and the feeling of the air.
weather" to the sailor man means
wind. however. and he doesn't care
much whether he is going to have rain
or snow with the wind or not. STILL he
can tell about these two.
On the face Of every barometer is
hand or little sliding gauge which
can be set to the point where the ba-
rometer stands at the time of any OBJ
servation. In the summer the observer
must watch the variations more closely
than i'm winter. for they are, as a rule,
of less amount. and therefore mean
more than in the winter. The nearer
| the tropics the closer, too, must we OBJ
serve the barometer.
I'm these ATTITUDES" said Captain
Charles b. Parsons, who sailed for 20
years between this port and the West
Indies. 1.-The winds which bring rain or
snow with them generally come from
| the sea. With a northeast wind blow
the mercury means usually that the
wind will be stronger from the same di-
rection. If the wind is from the east
and the barometer goes down a little,
IL means that the wind is going to the
southwark. When the wind blows from
| the southeast and the glass is falling.
| the wind is going to the westward, and
| the rapidity of the change in the glass
| indicates clearly the rapidity with
| which the change will take place, and
| the severity of the wind which is COM
| ing. A slow and steady fall means that
| the wind is becoming more fixed, and
| that the weather will be steady for
| some time.
when the wind is at the westward,
watch for a rise in the glass. Just as
| long as the mercury stays steady the
wind will blow, but IL will moderate
with the change. The highest readings
are usually with the north or north
easterly winds. In summer time look
| out for squalls IL the glass shows a
| drop of two-tenths of an inch, or even
| less. i'm a short time"
The farmer is another man who is
deeply interested in knowing what sort
of weather he is going to have. The
| smoke from his kitchen chimney has
| been his barometer for many centuries.
| If IL rises straight up he looks for fine
weather and II IL sinks and trails along
| y .
and he looks for rain. Then If he is a
| near" down easter or "close" Jer-
seyman he gets out the garden tools
and tells the men they can work in the
| kitchen garden when IT rains too hard
| TO work in the fields.
Many farmers I'm late years have
| bought barometers and learned the
meanings of their changes, and reaped
great profit from their use. The storm
| glass which is sold for "a trifie in the
shops, mounted usually in connection
with a thermometer. is a cheap form
| of the barometer. 1t consists of a tube
| of glass of from six to ten inches in
| length in which a cloudy solution of
camphor is held in suspension in alco-
hoL With each change in the pressure
of the air the camphor solution rises
or falls in the tube. going up when the
barometer falls. and down with a rise
in the barometer. 1t is marked Fair
at the bottom. Change" at the center
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