Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
295
-flrca-sGOLDEN DAYS:-em
April 15, 1882.
cQ%nldenx
Our Subscription Price.
Subscriptions to max D.n's “ 33.00 per
nnum, 1.50 per six months, 51.001181‘ four mom 5,
all pnyu he in zulvzm . ,
Slu le numbers slx cents each. V‘ (5 pay all post-
189.
TO THOSE ‘VHO DESIRE TO G ET UI’ CLUB ‘
. n clnh for "(in
DAYS.“ smnl Ila your ll:llllP, zunl We will fol'u.I
charge, a number of 3]
ll
ieclmen copies
or the pupcr.so that, with mom, you can glve your
OUR CLUB RATES.
L0[)lcs for one year to one
adtlress, or each copy to in separate mhiress.
I-‘ur owe will send funr c nes iur one your to
one mmress, or I31l(‘ll copy to : sepzirilte zuldrcss.
For 320 we will send e ght copies to one address,
to separate addI'csse'
o sends us can for .m club or eight
cnplcs all sent at one time) Wlll be entitled to a
- u .
ters-up of rlubs of eight copies can afterward
I(l4l single copies ill $2.3) cucll.
Money sllolllll be Sent to us either by Post Office
Order or Registered Letter, so its to provide as far
is sslble against its loss by mail.
All communications, business or otherwl must
be addressed to JAMES ELVERSO. .
Publisher.
“ Oscar in $1'ri.ca!”
NEXT WEEK, we shall begin the pub-
lication 0f the long-looked for story by
HARRY CASTLEMDN, entitled “ Oscar;
IN Armcs.”
This story is (L sequel to “ THE CAMP
IN THE F001‘ IIiL.Ls," and no doubt all
the boys, at least, will be mzxinus to read
of the exploits of Osman in the limiting
grounds made famous by G 0 17. D 0 N
CUMMING.
A WONDERFUL NEVADA VALLEY.
Captain Rhodes, of Esmeralda County,
Nev., is owner of what is known as
“R.hodes' Salt Mursli," but which is a
perfect laboratory of mineral wealth.
The valley contains 4140 acres. It is
quite level, and is surrounded on all
sides with high volcanic mountains. It
is situated about fifteen miles northwest
of Columbus.
In this little valley is n sulliclent
amount of salt to supply all the markets
of the United States, if not the whole
world. A foot or two below the surface,
is found a solid floor of pure rock-salt, as
tirm and as transparent as ice. Indeed,
it is said when the sand that covers the
surface is strip d on‘, the salt below
bears a close resemblance ton lield of ice.
In mzmy places little streams of water
bubble up through the mass of salt, and
very frequently deep pools are l'<nind,
which look just like the air-holcs m a
frozen lake.
The salt made at this marsh is perfect-
ly pure. When a tract of ground has
been stripped of the surface soil, the salt
water rises over the bcd cl‘ rock-salt to
the depth of a foot or two, then crystals
of salt begin ‘.0 form on the surface of
the water, and as they form they sink to
the bottom.
If salt is to be tine, for table use, work-
men stirthcse crystals uhout with slmvels
as they settle to the bottom, thus break-
ing them up. The solid formntitm of
coarse salt used in working silvcr ore,
may be du up with picks, it‘ necessnr ,
but the loose crystals are more rczull y
handled, and as much salt of that kind
is formed as can be (lisposed oi‘.
Nut onlynrc there inexhaustible stores
of salt in the little vallev, but immense
storcsofhnrzix. This I . l,-ml'thc lincst
quality known, mid two or thruc ccuts
per pound more can bc nlmtiuczl for it
in Europe than for any other bornx sent
to the market. Splulnlixl specimens of
tincul, or natural cry :1 n mi-ax, are
found in thc nntrsli lIIll)l3llll(:ll in the
clay near thc Su1'f2u:c. Immemc quan-
tities of sulplmtc of nnigucsiu (cpsonl
salt), an d sulphate of soda (glaubcr
salt), in a pure :1tutc,urculso found. Dc-
posits of snltpctrc have also been dis-
covered here.
Common potash is found, in great
abundance, and znnnng the curious sphci-
mans to be ubtuinoll are what are culled
u(,,,m,n h4,‘11-4“ (borcutc of lime). and
fibrous crystulliuc borax. Also there is ‘
an ubuudancc of an wpknnmn mincrrtl.
It is S0lllDIlIlIlL7( ,. cribcd in none of the
ooks. It does not uppcur in thc slnlpc
of crystals, yet has 2: rcgulur form of IL‘? l
ow n, prcScntint,; t ll 15 u )p(-nrsumc
branches of coral. It is tlmuglit that
this may be some now salt. 0. B. u.
’ WEATHER FORECASTS.
BY A. A. “'OOD, F. C. S.
PART III.
Next in importance to ascertaining the
pressure and temperature of the atmos-
phere is the determiningof its humidity.
Our readers will probably recollect that
when explaining why a low barometric
column forctells wet weather, we inci-
den'tally alluded to the power which the
atmosphere possesses of holding, in the
form oi’ invisible vapor, in large quantity
of water. The great source of this moist-
ure is the ocean, but similar evaporation
is also going on more or less continu-
all all over thb curth‘s surlhco, and
Y .
even plants and animals contribute a
portion of the same.
The uuutity of water-or, as it.is usu-
ally cal ed, aqueous vapor-contzuncd in
the atmosphere vari e s greatly, the
amount being influenced by changes of
teinperziture. The higher the tempera-
ture the larger the amount of moisture
the air can absorb. Thus, at a tempera-
ture of 27 de vrees, the ztir can hold only
one-two-hun redth of its weight of wa-
ut at 45 degrees it
can retain even r>nc-tweu-
ty-filth of its own weight
of water.
This moist condition
of the atmosphere, usu-
ally called its humidciity,
which regulates its is-
position to absorb or de-
posit mcisture, does not
epend upon the actual
quantity of aqueous va-
P0
its relation to its point of
saturation. Thus air,
which contains one-hum
dredth of its weight 01
water in the form cl’ va-
p0r,will deposit moisture
or dow if the tempera-
ture falls bclow 45(16-
grces. The same air will
absorb moisture ii" thc temperature in-
creases even slightly. This: fact explains
why dew is deposited in thc nitrht, whon ‘
the temperature decreases, nnd not dur- ‘
ing the day, when the temperature in-
creases.
' e istrument most usually employ-
ed for ascertaining the humidity of t 19
atmosphc u is Mason's lly-
grometcr (A), sulnetimcs ,
l
l
E spoken of as the Wet zmd
Dry liulb Thermometer.
This instrument consists
of two thcrmomctcrs,
mounted on the sums or
on separate scales. The
bulb of one thermometer
is covered with a piece of
white muslin, an (I kept
coutinuallymoist by being
connected with a rcscrvoir
of water, by means ofsmnc
threads of lamp-cotton,
which have been prcvious- ‘
ly washed in a solution of ,
carbonate of sod a. This
thermmneter is called thc l
w12!,whilothcotherisculled ‘
the dry bulb thormumctor.
The moisture on the surl‘n(:c of the wet
bulb thcrmomctcr will cvupurutc with
more orlcss rupidity, llllfmrillllg us the
atmosphere is more or loss dry, and thin
eva[)0r11tl0n(-nuls down the thornmmcthr
and cuusc:-1 it to iudicutcn lower tumpoi -
turo than thc dry bulb thcrmmnctcr, ,
this lhttor thermomctcr nlwnys giving
the true tcmpcruturc of thc utxmwplmrc
at the time of making the ob.-‘vrv:ui<m.
“'hen the atmosphere in V0!‘ dry, the
dillcrencc between the rc:uIiu;.: oi‘ thc
two tlicrnimnctr-rs will lw gr:-at: but 1
when the uir is fully clmrgcrl with IImisl,-
urc, the two thermomctcrs will rczn
alike.
The dillcrcnce between the rcmliiigs
of the two tliorinmnctcrs enables the rc-
lutivc immiility of the ntinosplicrc to ho
iIS(.'0Tl.2Illll34l, and also allbrrls thc mchnsx
of determining thc dew oh -0 in
other wurrls, the temperature to which
the ntnmstphcrc would have to he
rluccd In-fnrc it would spontaneously dc-
posit nmisturc and form (lcw.
In order to zwccrtain 'h Hciontilic
accuracy tho rclutivc humirlity of thc :it- 1
1""-“l>ll0Y‘0y N‘. 'rcncc should be mmlo to
(llnisl:cr's lrtgruiiictrio bibles; but it
will prubnbly bo sullicicnt for our rc:uI-
crs to know that coinplotc smturutitm of
the atmosphere-that is, when the two l
‘.5
v r
, luwcd bv lino wentlwr, zmd the increase
thermometers read alike-isrcpresented
100; when there IS u dlllcrence be-
the humidity is 75-that is, the Sll.lIl0‘3-
phere is three-quarters charged with
moisture. “’hen the difference is 10
degrees, the humidity is 50-that is, the
atmosphere is half charged with moist-
re.
In order to ascertain tdhe dew ploint,
reference must also he ma cto Glais ier‘s
tables in order to obtain the number-
or, as it is termed, the factor-that is re-
uired for the multi)licr of the ditl'er-
Q l ,
ence between the readings of the two
thermometers. We give three of these
factors that may he used as approxima-
ti l'hen the rcading of the dry
bulb thermometer ranges lrom-
44 dog. to dc-g., multiply by ‘."ll factors.
r . .. .. . .- ..
3 .. E? x. .. pg; ..
To find the dew point, multiply the
dilfercncc between ic rcadingsof the
thermometers by the factor that is
given in the foregoing table opposite to
the reading of the dry bulb thermome-
:-
tcr, and the product will indicate how
many degrees of teinpcruturc the atmos-
phere must be reduced for dew to be de-
posited.
Subtract this product from the
reading of the dry bulb thermometer,
and the remainder will be the dew,
oint.
lVl1cn the liygrmnetcr is to be used to
nsccrtnin the condition of the atmosphere
of an apartment, it should be placed ‘
away from the iirc, and in a position
w here it will not be exposed to currents
of air from the door or wim ow. ,
If it wamtcd llvr the open air, it
should be planted in the shndc, whore it l
will not be iullucnccd by heat radiating 1
from surrounding bodies, nor by the ‘
wind.
The water in thc cistern should be rc-
plcnishcd with distilled water from tinny
to time, und the bulb covering mid the
thrc:uls should be renewed once :1
nth.
In the winter, when the hygromctcr
is used in thc open air, :1 little water
should hc pourcd on the bulb, so us to
form a thin cnuting ofir-0, which must be
repeated when new ' -,
lly observations with this instrument,
either in summer or wintcr, the robu-
ble occlirrcxnrc of mic or rainy weathcr
can be known.
1l'.illH'lII‘.: thc summcr,thc morniuvr
olxscrvution slnm-.2; but a small dillcrcm-.6
bctwccn tho two tlicrlnonietcrs, and this
diilvrcin-o rlocs not nmtcriullv incrc;t.s'c
us the (luv progresses, thcrc
])l'Ul):1l1lllty of rain in thc cveninnr. If
on tho 1-,onirury, the diilcrcncc inclrjeusesv
line wcuthcr Indy l>c auticiputcd. ’
In the wmh-r. thc (Iv'r',2'vm.s'(’ oi‘ the tem.
pcmturc oi the dew point is usually fol.
5
of, this tcmpcruturc IS prcmonitory or
mm.
Should nnyof our renders desire to
make u Mus:-u‘s llygrmnctcr for them-
-5, llll')' must bc c:m>,l‘ul to use two
tlicrinonielcrsi lhnt pcr1'cctlv accord,
Tl c isonc form of l1ygi'r)1iietci' that
used to bc very connnon u fewyeztrs ago
and cvcn now muv ho bnugllt in somd
toy-slmps. It cm ts of alittlc house
with two (lnors, and inhabited by it mm;
and his wills. These two figures -ire
lll.‘(tO:lL)ll‘ on the two cnds of u i, d o‘
wnm,w.1ioh is so mcvct . ' I '
cut-gut that tln, In: 1 cnimlzs l’))llt‘ilpIlllc[l).ll)(‘!
woman goes into thc house whon the
weather is wot, uml rutr mmm when L1".
wr-,;ulmr is lino its this movement 14
(llm to tho Imiw Lnn.wl‘tlic outgut when
the 1l.lI' is nmini, nud tln: twisting of the
sumc when thc nir is drv, this lry In).
mctcr scrvcs only to allow what Ethe
weather is, and not what it will be.
The rivers that diversify the earth, and
form highways for the people that dwell
on its surface, are formed by the deposi-
tion of aqueous vapor from the atmos-
phere. Some portion of this moisture is
deposited in the form of dew, in the
manner previously described, but the
urger proportion reaches the earth in
the iorm of rain or snow.
If the air be very moist, the raindrops
will incl 'n size; but if, on the other
hand, the air be dry, the drops are va-
porized, and very little, if any, rain
reaches the earth.
The amount of rain which falls in
particular places varies somewhat, ac-
cording to certain local peculiarities, but
it may be generally stated that more
rain falls in warm climates than in cold
climates, the rainfall decreasing from
the equator to the poles.
t must be obvious to all who give the
least consideration to this subject, that it
is not only interesting as a scientific fact
to know the quantity of rain that falls
during any given period, but that this
information must have an im
bearing on the welfare of the
tants of the earth.
The instruments em loyed to ascertain
the amount of rainfal are,called “ plu-
viometers,” or “rain-gauges '
porthn
inhabi-
A ram-
gauge may be roughly described as con-
sisting of a funnel, which serves to col-
lect the rain, and a receiver, into which
the rain passes from the funnel, together
with some contrivance for measuring the
same.
We give illustrations of the two forms
of rain-gauges most usually employed.
Fig. 1 is VVood's rain-gauge, and Fig. 2 is
Glaisher’s ruin-gauge. The latter is the
more simple of the two, but the ruin it
collects has to be measured in a raduat-
ed glass vessel (Fi . 3.) W00 ’s rain-
guuge, however, in icatcs the rainfall at
aglzmce, 21 graduated glass tube being
fitted to the tin receiver, so that it is onl
necessary to observe the height at which
the water stands in the tube to tell the
depth of rain that has fallen since the
last cxziliiiiiiitiuti.
.1t1s' cnstonnu-y to express the amount
of ramfall in inches and parts, and
when, for example, one inch of rain is
reportcd to have fallen at any particular
place, it is signilicd that ii’ the min which
has fallen had remained on the surfuccof
the ground, like snow, instead of sin kin '
mtclt orrunning;.uvuy,theground wouh
huvc been covered by wutcrto the depth
oi one inch. It may, perhaps, be conve-
nient to remember that it would require
22,622 gallons of rain to cover one acre
oi ground with water one inch deep,
and that amount of water would weigh
100 tons.
, “‘ 'b’“"gh for approximate observa-
tion can be very easily iittcd up. Pro-
curo it tin or glass l'mmcl 4% inches in
(ll:llliUlel', mu. place the sumo in the neck
ul :1 bottle oi about one quurt capacity,
and you have 21 r2lin- rnugc. A gruduntcd
glass incusure of lni I‘ ' capacity will
ulso be required, and this can bu obtain-
cxl pl :1 druggist or glass-dcnler.
[he ram-gauge fhcultl be placed on or
no:n-‘the ground, in as open at position as
possible, away Irom trees and buildings,
cqnully exposed at all points, and so sc-
oured that the wind will not blow it
over. The rsin- run we should be exam-
mcd once a.d2ty,an< the ruin that has
been collected in the bottle should be
carefully mcusurcd. Half u pint of ruin
colloctcd by n 4%-inch funnel is equal to
u‘ruml'nll of one inch, und lesser qu:mti-
tics in cquzil pl'()p(u'l,iuns.
The 1nsi.ru1ncnts that have been de-
scrlbed in this series of papers are such
as boys may cithcr make, or probably
would have thc privilege of observing,
and, while several details of structure
wluuh 4 no important for stricilysclcntilic
0 I tions huve not been dcscrihcd,
thc dircctirms that have bccn supplic
will be .u1licicnt for beginners in this
interesting study.
There are also various instruments
0h1playc(l for meteorological observa-
tions that we have not referred tout ull
--instruments for measuring thc veloc-
ity and force of thc wind, for determin-
mg the magnetic and electrical comlitioll
of the earth and air, etc. These we d0
not describe, as our renders would not
be able to lit them In for themselves:
and they are very costly to buy.
me----7
-Grumbling is a poor trade, and yields
“" “"053: but patience has a goldvll
hunt . livery time a sheep blenls it 1050“
9. mouthful, and every time we com-
plznu we lose a blessing.
’- lwll