Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-24
THE LARGEST THERMOMETER
Eiffel Tower Utilized to Register The
Changes in Temperature
CDR. Leonary X. Hirsberg, in the
Outlook

/
Outlook
J Everybody knows about the famous
Eiffel tower in Paris, and many Ameri-
can visitors to Paris have tremblingly
surveyed the great metropolis from its
dizzy heights 1t has been found that
this modern tower of Babel is useful not
only as a great wireless station, but
for many other purposes. DR.. Charles
f. Guillamue has arranged to confirm
his findings that changes in the atmos-
Iphere really produce corresponding ac-
tual changes in the tower The tower,
it will be remembered is a quar-
ter of century old, and during this
period of 25 years a vast number of
scientific discoveries have been made
upon its platforms The amount f
bending by the winds, heating ana
cooling by various conditions of the
Atmosphere, and the resistance of the
Orders to the changes of temperature
and wind have been carefully record
ed now since 1889.
M. Eiffel, who first carried out these
scientific observations built a series es
doors in the floors and Orders of the
tower at certain levels. M Guillaume
has continued Eiffe's studies, and has
also stretched wire of invar-a ma
terial not Influenced or changed by
temperature-from the second plat
form, which is 1870 yards above, to the
earth, where it is fastened. The upper
end is fastened to a screw with a ball
land-socket joint. This again rests on
a knife-edge from the Orders of the
| platform. At the far end is a weight
on a lever, and nearer the point of
suspension a plate of lead, which dips
in oil Furthermore, there is pencil
on the lever which writes upon a re-
volving drum. This can be moved
about and different scales or markings
put upon it for registering the temper
ature, winds, and barometric pressure
At first DR. Guillaume was afraid
that the wire would be disturbed by
sudden gusts of wind or storms and
that the observations would thus be
| inaccurate. He has, however, found
| that all clustering blows show them
selves on the revolving chart as little
humps or waves, and by keeping about
100 pounds weight on the lever there
was no confusion whatsoever in sep
arating the wind from the temperature
effects. Thus the Eiffel tower is not
only a Gargantum thermometer, but
also wind register and a barometer
as we'll.
The tower really behaves more deli
cately than the ordinary small Their
mometers. In fact, it shows all the
minor variations of temperature Com
pared with the official temperature is
sued only few hundred yards dis
tant by the government weather bu-
reau, it has been found that the Eiffcl
tower is much more accurate for the
closer variations.
One hundred and twenty-five yards
of tower expanded about | inch on
January %, and a shower of rain i'm
mediately showed a contraction of Il
registered measurement DIR. GULL
aume says truly that you should not
be surprised to find so huge a struc>
turs so sensitive. 1t is most slender
in spite of it's gigantic height and its
1000 tons of American iron ore. If a
pillar or cylindrical covering were
provided for the entire tower, the mass
of the air to the mass of iron would be
in the ratio of to 3. Hence the iron
ought easily to respond to changes IN
temperature. In brief, that is actually
what happens. The iron becomes more
quickly heated and cooled than the
general atmosphere.
Thus even mist or fog: the passing
nf clouds over the face of the sun. a
hoar-frost a summer shower, or even
more momentary changes than these,
will be much more pronounced in the
Eiffel tower than in the surrounding
air.