The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-06-07
READING THE GLASS,
Use and Construction Of the Mer-
CuriaI Barometer.
ITS VALUE ON BOARD SHIP.

ITO VALUE uEN puAhp oEllF.
The Significance Of a Fall Of the Glass
Varies Considerably According to
Latituds-FIuetuations Of the Ba-
romster In the Tropics.
How's the glassi This is question
which is asked daily by thousands of
people all over the world and frequent
~ for very trivial reasons. To the
navigator the fluctuations Of the ba.
rometer are always Of interest and not
infrequently OF great moment. Hence
1t is customary In the navy to record
the reading at least every four hours
and in stormy weather at much shorter
intervals. The style Of barometer
which is supplied for use IN the navy
is that known to makers and physicists
rs the "cistern' barometer. IteonsIsts
OF a glass tube about thirty-three
inches in length and about one-third
inch internal diameter.
Any one who has seen a barometer
Of this type Is aware that the glass
tube contains a column Of mercury
reaching within a short distance OF the
top, butt is not as plainly apparent to
the ordinary and uninstructed observer
why this tall and narrow column thus
remains In the tube. The two condl-
tons essential to the construction Of
mercurial barometer are, first, that
there shall be as perfect vacuum as
possible in the upper end OF the tube.
which is closed, and, secondly, that tile
lower end, which is open, shall be kept
immersed In basin or cistern Of mer-
curry.
These ends are accomplished in a
simple fashion. first discovered by an
italian scientist named Torrlcelll, as
far back as the year 1649. The tube is
held perpendicular, with the closed end
downward, and mercury is poured In
until It Is quite full. Then the finger Is
placed over the opening and the tube
is turned over, end for end; the open
end is immersed in a cIstern Of mer-
curry. and the finger or stopper Is re-
moved. The mercury then sinks
short distance in the tube, leaving
space at the top which must obviously
be completely devoid Of air. The pres.
sure which the atmosphere exerts upon
the surface OF the mercury in the els.
tern maintains the column in the tube,
and any variations in the air pressure
will be accompanied by a correspond
ing rise or fall Of the mercury in the
tube.
The clstern must, of course, be of the
smallest dimensions possible or the in
strument would be too clumsy. In the
marine barometer it consists Of cup
about one and one.haIf inches in d.
ameter. The necessary limitation of
the clstern causes certain Irregularities.
which, however, do not practically ar
feet the efficiency of the instrument as
a weather glass. and in bGrometers
which are designed for more accurate
readings the difficulty is overcome by
an ingenious device which there is not
space to describe here.
1t should be noted that mercury Is
used in the construction of barOmeters
simply because it is by far the heaviest
OF liquids. 4 barometer can be made
equally well, for instance, with water
but this would entail having tube
nearly forty feet IN length, for when
the mercury stands at thirty inches the
water barometer will stand at about
th!rty-four feet, a cumbrous sort OF in
sTument for the navigator to carry
about with him.
The glass tube and cistern thus com
bined are attached to a wooden mount
ing or placed in metal case. with
openings to show the upper part Of the
tube. anu OH the case q scale is cut
showing inches and tenths and hun.
dredths OF an inch. or, in marking a
more accurate Instrument, something
like the two hundred ana iftieth part
OF an inch Barometers are usually
scaled from twenty-sevCn to thrty.onc
inches, this being the practical limit OF
the fluctuations due to weather. and,
indeed, when the glass gets down to
twenty eight inches it Is time to lool;
about you,
The significance Of fail Of the ba-
rometer, However varies considerably
according TO the latitude. In Great
Britain, says writer IN the Navy
and Army, it has fallen perhaps half
an inch or more during the night, and
yet there may be no very alarming
gale of wind, but such fall in the
tropics would be the signal for the
navigator to prepare for a cyclone, the
fluctuations of the glass in these lati-
tudes being usually confined to a slight
and regular rise and fall at certain
hours In a recent cyclone In Japan
the fall during one hour was three.
traths and the rise during the next
hour no less than slx-tenths, or more
than half an inch.
1t Is indeed with regard to these
terrific storms that the barometer IS
of the utmost service to the navigator.
The behavior OF the glass, In conIupc,
ton with the shifting of the wind, will
indicate to the experienced seaman the
DOSitiOn Of tho dreaded VOrtpy md thn