The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-01-20
THE WEATHER CLERK" IN LAP
LAND.
Automatic Registration of Meteoro-
logical Phenomena, Under
Difficulties.

DlnlCulIiSSs
If the weather observer in Lapland
were to initiate the tenants of the
stations on Mt. Washington or Pixies
Peak and spend the winter on the
mountain top to observe the changes
in person, there would probably be
no observer left to tell the tale when
spring came. To secure the observa-
lions without sacrificing the observ-
er, Professor Axel Hamberg, of the
University &C Stockholm, mas con-
structed automatic registering appara-
tus for the Lapland Alps, one station
being on Sahko.. mountain at an alti-
tude of $500 feet, and the other on
the Portitjollko at an altitude OF
$500 feet. Each apparatus is expect
ed to run without interruption or adj
justment for one year. Emil Guarini
describes the method of operation and
the attendance difficulties in the Sci
eniific American:
The registration is obtained by
means OF bar, which, three times
an hour, fall across needles and pro
duces in the paper perforations cor
esponding to each of them. The
great difficulty to be, surmounted is
the boar frost. The Portitjoliko sta.
ton, for example, was, after few
months, completely surrounded by a
stratum of frost of at least three feet
in thickness, and the apparatus very
naturally ceased to operate. The in
strumenfs were then taken down to
500 feet from the summit, but, even at
this altitude. the formation of frost
interferred with their operation. espe-
cially in autumn. 1t Us then almost
impossible to prevent Interruptions in
the registration of the velocity and
direction of the wind. In order to OBJ
viate this inconvenience, M. Ham
berg has the summit apparatus clean
ed from time to time by Laplander,
and after this the running proceeds
uninterruptedly till the succeeding
autumn.
The instruments must not only be
kept free from frost, but Also from
moisture as far as possible:
In order to dry the air to as great a
degree as possible, it became neces-
sary to place paper cylinders around
the clockwork movement, and, around
the registering apparatus. an iron
plate casting containing cups filled
with chloride of calcium It was ow-
ing only to such precautions that the
running of the apparatus became uni
form during the entire winter. The
apparatus installed at $500 feet alti-
tude has operated almost continuous
ly for two summers, and the second,
placed at 5000, has operated equally
as WELL The winding UP of the clock
work and the changing of the paper
bands of the registering apparatus
are needed but once year. The regi-
stration during the year requires the
use of 65 feet of paper. The weight
that aotuates the clockwork move
ment descends but 60 inches year.
This movement was constructed by
NJ. G. w. Linderoth, Swedish horolo-
gist.
A complete station comprises two
huts, one containing the paper cylin-
ders, the cloclSwork, and the register
ing apparatus, and the other the rain
and snow registering apparatus. This
latter is suspended from spiral
springs in large cask. When there
is fall of rain or snow, the cask de-
scends accordin to the greater or less
quantity of material that it receives,
and thus registers.