34 



to the upper atmosphere. But of the great atmospheric 

 disturbances, covering one or more days' time, having a 

 sweep of thousands of miles, we get, it appears from the 

 record, the first barometric indications at lower stations. 

 In a few instances the Mount Washington record gives 

 earlier indications than the other stations ; this is true of 

 the December gale. 



Preceding the gale of January 22d and 23d, the high- 

 est reading was on the 19th at each place, but it was 

 some hours in advance of Mount Washington at Hanover, 

 N. H., and Lunenburg, Vt., where the maximum ob- 

 tained at 7 A. M. ; at Gorham, N. H., 2 p. M., and at 

 Mount Washington not until 4.57 P.M. At Lunenburg 

 and Hanover, the minimum was on the, 21st ; at Mount 

 Washington the 22d." The maximum after the gale 

 abated was obtained at Hanover and Gorham the 25th ; 

 at Mount Washington and Lunenburg on the 26th at 7 

 A.M. Lunenburg has an elevation of 1,124 feet, and the 

 climatic conditions more nearly correspond to those of 

 Mount Washington than the other stations above men- 

 tioned. 



THERMOMETER. 



Although our observations in this department are not 

 so complete as we could wish, yet they furnish much in- 

 teresting and valuable matter, imperfect as they are. We 

 had no spirit thermometer when we most needed it, and 

 our mercurial instruments, though excellent, were too few 

 in number. Dr. Kane says that " errors dependent on 

 wind, sun and local radiation should be carefully guarded 

 against." These remarks apply with much force to Mount 

 Washington especially as regards radiation from clouds 

 lying below the summit. 



From partial records for the year from December, 1870, 

 to November, 1871, inclusive, I think the mean tempera- 





