Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-03-07
BRITISH MEASUREMENTS.
How the Standards are Ascertained,
Established and Made Known.

Preparations are being made for de
posting Parliamentary copies of the
imperial standards of length along the
hoor of Westminster hall. The delicate
undertaking, which is being carried out
III IT'S initial stages by the first commits
sioner of works. will be taken over on
its completion by the standards depart
ment of the board of trade. as the re-
sponsible authority in such matters. The
standards. it is understood, will he
identical with those which were placed
some years ago in Trafalgar Square.
There are. in fact, four sets-the first
ranging from one foot to an imperial
yard, while the second is a pole or perch,
the third a chain Of G6 feet, and the
fourth the standard measure of 100 fee;.
Students of history scarcely need to be-
reminded that King Edgar decreed that
there should he but one standard meas
ure-that kept at Winchester-for all
English, and Magma Charta contained
4 similar provision with regard TO
weight. Strict enforcement of the law
was found impracticabe for generations,
great number Of customary weights
and measures continuing in use. eSpe-
cially in transactions relating to land,
corn and wool. Finally. however, Parlia.
mcnt insisted upon the observance of
general uniformity Since 1896 an inn
perial system OF weights and measures
has been in vogue throughout the king
dom, and an act passed IN 1873 inHicts
, heavy penalties for using weights and
measures not recognized by the law.
Naturally. the IMAM in the street" re.
quireS 10 know how the standards are
aSccrtained and established. Chief
| among the earliest standards Of length
were the palm, the foot. and the cuhit.
There We're two leading cuhits-the nat
ural cnbit of Egypt, Chaldia, Phocuicia
| and Greece. and the real cuhit of Mem
| phiS. The Greek foot passed into Italy.
| where it was divided into twelve inches.
| The Romans used threc-foOt una.
while the SaNons adopted an ell or yard
of threc-siN inches. based on the Roman
! foo, The measurement remained In
! England, although the lapse Of time saw
various notifications in the ell. SO mat
| ters progressed until 700 when II copy
/ OF an old yard measure, found in tho
| Tower of London, was made for select
| committee of the House of Commons,
and in 1924 this copy was legalized by
! Parliament, with a direction that ''in the
| event of its being lost, the standard
should be recovered by making the length
| of meantime seconds pendulum in the
| latitude of London, in vacuum at sea
| level equal TO 39.1 SOB inches" I'm
| fortunately, the standard disappeared nc
| the great fire which destroyed the
! Houses of Parliament in 1884, and as
the committee subsequently appointed by
the Astronomer Royal reported against
the accuracy Of the pendulum method.
the duty OF restoring the lost standard
was entrusted 20 royal commission. IL
was not till 1884 that the task was ac-
complished. Taking the best secondary
evidence available, the commissioners
produced a standard bar Of gun metal,
the distance between two lines on which,
crossing gold studs, in one yard Mt 81
degrees Fahrenheit and 30 inches baro-
metric pressure Authorized capies of
this legalizcd standard are preserved mt
the mint, the royal observatory nj
Greenwich, Trafalgar Square aud else.
made in Westminster hall is a precaution
which experience has shown to be neces-
sary in a matter vitality affecting the
commercial life OF the nation. - London
Telegraph.