Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-09-18
A BIG THERMOMETERS
GIANT INSTRUMENT FOR MEAsrR.
ING EARTH's TEMPERATURE.
SEVENTY FEET In LENGTH.
IL is Now Being BuiIt by Col Knight
Mt Harestock, Winchester-Difficu
ties Incident 10 the Work and the
Benefits to lie Derived Therefrom.
dor the DispatchO

WINCHESTER. September lO.-Wlth as
little signs OF excitement as though Il
were only a Decent toy there is being
placed in the ground by Colonel knight
of Harestock, Winchester. a giant Their.
mometer that Is TO be used for main.
moth work, no less an undertaking. 10
TACT, than the measurement Of the ear,hs
emperature. The great thermometer Is %
eet in length, and the work OF merely
llacing IT IN position has occupied O CONS
Il workmen for a long time.
The scene of operations is visible iar
.reat distance around, by reason u DE
mass OF scaffolding necessary TO enable
10 work TO DO done with carefuileiA
lrst, a shaft was sunk 20 feet IN tli
round, and then a scaffolding erected %
the mouth OF the shaft 20 render hb
handling Of the great thermometer easy
when the time came for sinking Il IN 10
earth. The scaffoding was higher than
the thermometer, which had TO be- ho.s'ed
10 the perpendicular by means OF steam
cranes, and then dropped gently into us
70-foot shaft. The work has progressed
so far without accident, and will b. a.
ccmplshed, it is hoped, With no injury 10
the great instrument.
WILL REGISTER EARTHS TEMPERA'
TURE.
When IL is I'm place il will be the mos!
unique thermometer I'm use anywherl rs
great stem will register the temperature
OF Mother Earth 10 feet below the surface,
recording exactly all her moods. anl
giving scientists an opportunity 90 De-
come closer acquainted with the under
ground mysteries OF the globe on WhlcA
they live.
The giant thermometer Is made In a.
cordance with the principles that govern
the small instruments in everyday USE
In constructing Il, many dificulues %
account Of its size, had 10 be overcome
To construct an ordinary therm0meier
tube of an equal-sized bore must be- usel.
It's bore is tested by means OF stream
of mercury run down the stem, the lensh
OF the mercury being carefully measured
at different parts OF the tube. II the''
are differences the tube must be rejected.
When the tube is selected the bulb -
blown on the lower end, and after no
air has been driven out by heat, mo
tube is plunged, open end first. into a.e]-
hol. The bulb then contracts under 10
cooling process. and little of the alco-
hol is forced into it by pressure Of no
atmosphere. This is shaken down INTO
the bulb and the bulb held over a lamp
until the alcohol hollis The boiling p.o'
cess drives out what air has been JAZZ. %
the tube. and, as soon as the glass A-'
been allowed 10 cool. Il Is plunged liiO
alcohol again until the tube and buip 70
filled. In order 10 reduce the qudhuy
OF alcohol 10 that reaching 20 the poiD'
In the tube that is desired FOR the thr.
mometer, the bulb is heated again a"'
by the expansion OF the spirit slth
quantity is driven out as Will leave wv
right amount in the tube.
When the correct amount Of alcohol -
been collected in the tube. me l.A-
thing 10 do is 20 seal the upper end.
bulb Is again heated so as % clear az -
air out OF the upper end OF the tube "N'
that end Is then Theoretically closed .,
The graduation process Is the nek' -
be gone through. and this is where ~
nice calculation comes in. Win me u.
OF the size OF the one belons".
TO Colonel knight. IL was not possiuIo
use any but an arbitrary scale. IL y ~
supposed that there Will be any eomp
BILE readings necessary with this giant ~
4
made. however, and the result rec,
on the instrument so that the pls '
mometer can be read, II possible iA
cordance with the scale OF the sma!iei
struments. In making scales for the
ter. the bulb is frozen and the iie,-.'
point recorded on the scale. II Is
boiled and the boiling point mifNee a,'.s
the tube. The remaining points are i".
In by dividing up the scale into Sc ~,
This simple plan was the basis OK
scale adopted for the 7O-foot thefiho,,
ter. although this scale may BE- supJ,e. y,
variations when the great insruni'"'
In working order. =,
The largest thermometer ever ,
previous 10 the one constructed Tor -,
mel Knight was that made By ForD.'. (,
built one measuring nearly " h.
length. This was considered a gfee'
and the Forbes toei
ter became one OF the curiosits'
science. The one now construetSu
Colonel knight. however Is 80 mncn "a
ger that the Forbes Thermometer
longer considered large.
With the new thermometer the teihps
ture OF the earth can be taken AZ
the depth IL has been possible 70 tsAx
heretofore, and the records ooShnes
prove OF unusual value 70 sclencc>