The record-union., 1899-04-17

inches.
Elevation of Weather Bureau gauges
st. George building, Fourth and j
streets, 81 feet; Frat building, Second
and Il streets, 81 feet; Arcade building,
Second street, between ] and K, 5S
feet; Lyon & Curtis building, III ]
street, 81 feet; present location, Federal
building, Seventh and K streets, 100
feet
Railroad gauge at the shops, SO feet.
S. H. Gerrish's gauge is located at his
residence on G street, between Six
teenth and Seventeenth. on the ground.
The railroad gauge is located about
a mile north of the Weather Bureau
gauge, while that of Mr.. Gerrish is
about a mile and a half northeast of
the Weather Bureau gauge.
1t will be seen that the difference be-
tween the Government and Gerrish
gauges is so trifiing as to be compare
lively the same. The railroad gauge
collects on an average for the year or
season between 3 and 4 inches less than
the Weather Bureau and the Gerrish
gauges.
There is no doubt In my mind but
that the greater cause of this difference
in the railroad gauge is due to the shop
buildings, which are all mostly con-
structed OF iron and rooted over with
the same material. Then the heat from
the many engines in, around and pass
ing through the railroad grounds causes
much greater evaporation than takes
place at the point of location of other
gauges mentioned. Then, again, the
readings are taken but once a day, and
If the rain ceases for several hours be-
fore measurements are made there must
be an appreciable evaporation. The
railroad gauge being near the south end
of the building, the wind on reaching
the gauge passes over it at a greater
velocity than were it located in the CEN
ter of the roof, and as our storms are
with southerly winds. it places the rail-
road gauge to the windward of its posi-
ton as to the buildings location
c. c. Bonte has suggested placing the
gauge on pole in the grass plot near
the passenger depot, which would take
it from. most undesirable location and
place it in one of the best that could be
suggested in that locality, being sur
rounded by grass all the time, which
being irrigated in summer would reduce
the evaporation to a much smaller
amount than at it's present location.
eAtAAOe@N Sod6C c1l0 llic w edll6I
Bureau gauge being of nearly the same
elevation during sixteen years should
not show such great difference as
they do, and a change in location will
be looked for with considerable curios-
1ty by those interested in rainfall rec
ords
AT the request of the Record Union
i take great pleasure in laying before
your manV 6arc ha till
on rain gauge comparisons in different
localities of this country. 1t was pre-
pared under authority and by the direc-
ton of Professor Willis L. Moore. chief
OF the Weather Bureau. by Alfred J.
Henry, chief of the statistical division
of the United States Weather Bureau.
washington, D. c., and published in
the annual report for the year 1867.
The article is as follows:
THE EXPOSURE OF THE RAIN
GAUGE.
In analyzing and comparing a large
number of rainfall registers. covering
different periods of time and made I'M
der varying conditions of gauge expo
sure. ii is desirable that INQUIRY be
made at the outset as to the dependence
that can be placed upon them.
The problem of measuring the rain
and snow that falls would appear at
nrst saght to be quite simple; yet it is
beset with many difficulties. IT was
discovered many years ago that the
catch of gauge on the roof of build
ing was less than on the ground. and
many experiments have since been
MADE with a view of determining the
variation of rainfall with altitude above
ground.
The experiments carried on under
the direction of DIR. G. Hellman of the
German Meteorological Society of Ber
lin, for period of seven years. lead to
the following conclusions: The more q.
rain gauge is exposed to the wind. other
circumstances being equal, the less
rainfall it records. and the greater the
altitude of the gauge above the ground
the less rain ii collects. since the dis
turbing action of the wind is greater
than on the surface of the ground If.
however, a gauge is properly protected