VIII. Ox THE Meax Direction and Force of the Wind at New 

 Haven, Conn. ; from an extended series of Observations 



REDUCED BY FrANCIS E. LoOMIS, Ph.D., PrOFESSOR OF PlITSICS 



IN Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Direction of the Wind. 



A meteorological journal has been kept at New Haven since 1779, 

 and is well nigh continuous to the present time. These observations 

 are the result of the labors of a large number of individuals, and the 

 system of observation has been repeatedly changed. Nearly every 

 observer made some record of the direction of the wind, but on 

 account of the looseness of many of the observations and the frequent 

 change of the hours of observation, it is difficult to deduce from 

 them satisfactory results. There are, however, two series of observa- 

 tions made with such care that the results deduced from them are 

 thought to be of considei'able value. 



The first series of observations extends from 1804 to 1820. These 

 observations were made by Rev. J. Day, D.D., at that time Professor 

 of Natural Philosophy in Yale College ; but the direction of the wind 

 was estimated only for the eight cardinal points of the compass. The 

 observations were made three times a day, and recorded under the 

 headings M., N. and E., abbreviations for morning, noon and evening; 

 and they are supposed to have been made at about the same time 

 as the observations of temperature, viz: sunrise, 1 p. m. and 10 p. m. 

 The direction of the wind was probably indicated by an ordinary 

 vane on some church spire in the immediate vicinity of Yale College. 



The second series of observations extends from 1844 to 1852, during 

 Avhich time the observations were made five times a day, and the 

 directions were estimated to 32 points of the compass. The observers 

 were Col. Enos Cutler and Mr. Fi-ancis Bradley. Occasionally during 

 the summer months the observations were suspended, so that while 

 fqr certain months the records are pretty complete for eiglit or nine 

 years, for other months the records are complete for only five years. 



The hours of observation were not perfectly uniform, but did not 

 vary greatly from 6 and 10 a. m., 2, 6 and 10 p. m. The mean hours 

 of observation for the different years are stated in the Transactions 

 of the Connecticut Academy, Vol. I, Part I, page 225, etc. It is pre- 

 sumed that the direction of the wind was derived from a vane placed 

 upon some convenient church spire, and it is probable that the same 

 vane was not employed throughout the entire series of observations. 



