1854.] 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, HAMILTON, C. W. 



187 



Meteorological Observations at Hamilton. 



Hamilton, 8th Feb., 1854. 



To the Editor of the Canadian Journal. 



Sir : — I enclose herewith, for publication in your Journal, if 

 you see fit, the mean results of my meteorological observations 

 for the last eight years. 



At the time my observations were commenced, I was aware 

 that a daily morning and evening observation would give a near 

 approximation to a correct annual mean temperature. I was also 

 aware that from horary observations at Leith, in Scotland, con- 

 ducted at the suggestion and under the auspices of Sir David 

 Brewster, it was found that the proper times for the morning and 

 evening observations there, were 9j A. M., and 8$- P. M, but that 

 from the examination of a register kept at these hours at Alford, 

 in Aberdeenshire, Sir David calculated that the proper times at 

 that place for giving the mean temperature were 8f A. M. and 8 

 P. M. I selected, therefore, at first, two hours most convenient 

 to myself, marking, at same time, the daily highest and lowest, 

 intending at some future time to calculate the times at which 

 the observations might be made to correspond more nearly with 

 one another, and with the mean temperature. I also made a 

 series of monthly observations on the temperature of a spring of 

 water. 



The thermometer used was one by Troughton & Sims, of 

 London, which was tested, and found correct; but, after being 

 used for some time, the steel rod got entangled in the mercury 

 oftener than once, and was with difficulty extricated. I therefore 

 got another thermometer, which, after being used for two or three 

 years, was broken. In 1839, finding that the exclusion of the 

 daily maximum and minimum did not affect the mean tempera- 

 ture by more than from one to two tenths of a degree, I only 

 marked the monthly maximum and minimum, and used the old 

 thermometer, not suspecting that it had become incorrect ; nor was 

 this suspected till 1846, when it was found to stand two degrees 

 too high. In the end of that year, I therefore got a new thermome- 

 ter, by Dunn, of Edinburgh, which has been used since. I men- 

 tion this to account for the observations of Capt. Lefroy in your 

 Journal for Nov., 1852, and for the apparent high temperature 

 of 1846, which should, in consequence, I believe, be reduced 

 two degrees. That the position of the thermometer within the 

 Venetian blind of a window, in a northern exposure, was not 

 improper, was ascertained from frequent comparison with another 

 thermometer, hung under a pine-tree at the same height from 

 the ground. 



I will only farther remark that the thermometer is about 8 feet 

 from the ground, and that the column headed " slight showers" 

 implies not exactly what it expresses, but that the rain was not 

 such as to prevent out-of-doors work for more than two hours. 



The sum of the two first columns gives the number of days on 

 which rain or snow more or less fell. 



Should any further explanation be deemed necessary, I shall 

 be happy if you will give me an opportunity of making it. 



I am, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



W. CRAIGIE. 



3U-o.il Results of Meteorological Observations at Hamilton for 

 Eight Years— 1846 to 1853 inclusive. 



1846. 





Thermometer. 



CQ 

 CD 



.a 

 to 



00 



o 



Barometer. 



CO 



d 



— 



P 



'3 



3 

 o 



XI 

 CO 



M 

 X 







Mean 



at 



9 A.M. 



Mean 

 at 



9 P.M. 



Mean 

 of both 



a 



C3 

 V 



CO 



to 

 X 



4? 



CO 



o 



CO 



&> 



■a 



& 

 ft 





















Jan. ... 29,2 



30.4 



29.8 



51 



4 



29.657 



30.30 



29.22 



Q 



9 



19 



Feb.... 24.54 



24.4 



24.47 



48 



-4 



655 



21 



28.97 



5 



7 



16 



March 38.16 



35.32 



36.74 



53 



10 



66 



14 



29.00 



4 



9 



18 



April.. 47.16 



44.93 



46.05 



85 



26 



774 



22 



17 



5 



7 



18 



May... 62.645 



57.323 



59.984 



85 



35 



603 



29.92 



25 



4 



7 



20 



June .. 70.43 



64.13 



67.28 



90 



45 



704 



30.10 



40 



2 



8 



20 



July .. 77.87 



67.0 



72.435 



98 



49 



70 



08 



37 



2 



7 



22 



Aug. .. 74.74 



70.52 



72.63 



93 



53 



73 



29.90 



44 



4 



2 



25 



Sept. .68.24 



06.00 



67.12 



90 



41 



716 



95 



40 



4 



8 



18 



Oct. ...48.065 



48.645 



48.355 



76 



25 



753 



30.17 



30 



7 



8 



16 



Nov.... 44.1 



45.4 



44.75 



60 



20 



.7255 



22 



02 



4 



7 



19 



Dec. ...31.74 



1 



34.2 



32.97 



58 



16 



.669 



22 



05 



4 



4 

 83 



23 



Mean 





50.215 







29.6955 







48 



234 



1847. 



Jan. ... 



25.774 



26.29 



26.032 



54 



2 



29.65 



30.17 



28.90 



5 



7 



19 



Feb.... 



25.786 



27.678 



26.732 



45 



o 



594 



03 



86 



4 



9 



15 



March 



32.42 



32.48 



32.45 



54 



10 



69 



05 



29.15 



2 



3 



26 



April . . 



46.03 



43.2 



44.615 



77 



20 



657 



06 



18 



3 



6 



21 



May... 



59.54 



55.26 



57.4 



84 



34 



665 



00 



20 



2 



7 



22 



June .. 



07.16 



61.4 



04.28 



90 



41 



649 



29.96 



10 



o 



9 



18 



July... 



78.6 



71.6 



75.1 



96 



46 



752 



98 



50 



1 



5 



25 



Aug. .. 



71.19 



66.13 



08.66 



88 



48 



75 



30.02 



42 



2 



7 



22 



Sept... 



60.06 



58.56 



59.62 



86 



39 



694 



04 



37 



5 



Id 



15 



Oct. ... 



47.9 



48.03 



47.965 



72 



24 



707 



34 



07 



4 



7 



20 



Nov.... 



41.77 



41.93 



41.85 



71 



11 



695 



19 



30 



5 



8 



17 



Dec. ... 



32.7 



33.8 



33.25 



58 



10 



667 

 "29761] 



02 



28.97 



5 



41 



11 



89 



15 



Mean 







48.163 







235 



1848. 



Jan 



30.90 



30.4 



SO. 65 



60 



-1 



29.685 



30.22 



29.05 



4 



7 



20 



Feb.... 



29.62 



30 2 



29.91 



55 



5 



594 



07 



00 



1 



5 



23 



March. 



32.55 



32-45 



32.5 



72 



6 



642 



29.95 



19 



4 



6 



21 



April. . 



46.2 



45-9 



46.05 



84 



26 



777 



30.09 



38 



2 



5 



23 



May... 



61.42 



58-16 



39.79 



91 



35 



566 



29.87 



27 



3 



7 



21 



June. . 



70.83 



68-2 



69.52 



100 



42 



615 



95 



28 



1 



7 



22 



July... 



70.32 



688 



09.61 



94 



51 



628 



80 



23 



1 



9 



21 



Aug... 



73.58 



72516 



73.048 



96 



53 



7065 



88 



33 



2 



5 



24 



Sept... 



58.9 



573 



58.1 



80 



33 



623 



93 



28.99 



4 



8 



18 



Oct. ... 



51.096 



50-77 



50.933 



78 



32 



677 



30.13 



29.22 



3 



6 



22 



Nov.... 



37.2 



37' 13 



37.166 



51 



25 



694 



09 



28.90 



5 



6 



19 



Dec- 



34.41 



3413 



34.27 

 497295 



60 



13 



649 



12 



29.05 



5 

 35 



9 

 80 



17 



Mean 











29.663 







251 



