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BEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY-LOG-BOOK, 1899. 



Jan. 1. — At 19 1 ' observer's lamp was blown out at the 

 thermometer box, and the reading of the tower ther- 

 mometer was taken instead of the usual reading outside 

 for that hour. 



Jan. 2. — Thick fog till 14 h , clear thereafter, but sky 

 cloudy or overcast. Part of solar halo and a " sun pillar " 

 seen at 15 1 ', also a glory. Cold band very strong. Ther- 

 mometer box changed after 16 h . Height not altered. 



Jan. 3. — Bright meteor seen about l h 2 m . Path from 

 moon in a S.S.W. direction. Glazed frost at 19 h . 



Jan. 5. — Fog and showers of snow till 18 h . Clear 

 and almost cloudless thereafter. St Elmo's Fire heard 

 at 12 h — heavy snow-hail falling at the time. Telephone 

 bell disturbed by lightning or earth currents at 2 h 55 m , 

 3 h 16 m , 6 h m , and 7 h l m . At 9 h 5 m the reports of blast- 

 ing on the Mallaig railway were heard. Thermometer 

 box changed after 19 h . Height not altered. 



Jan. 6. — Sky overcast with cir.-s., but summit clear 

 and air dry till 7 h . Fog thereafter — the upper clouds 

 gradually thickening and descending into stratus and fog. 

 Strong S.E. gale till noon. From 8 h till ll' 1 inclusive no 

 outside observation was made — the temperature readings 

 being taken from the tower thermometer. Snow was 

 apparently falling from 7 h 30 m , but owing to the gale and 

 snowdrift no raingauge observations could be made. 



Jan. 7. — Fog till 4 h and after 13 h . Fine and clear in 

 the interval ; but detached fog on lower hills. The cirrus 

 at 9 h was lying E. and W., with cross-bands lying at right 

 angles. At ll h the direction of motion was from the W. 

 Thermometer box changed at 5 h 12 m . Height not altered. 



Jan. 10. — Raven seen at 9 h . 



Jan. 11. — Fog till 23 b . Thereafter a wet mist, form- 

 iug glazed frost, came on. The temperature remained low, 

 being between 22° and 23° all afternoon. 



Jan. 13. — St Elmo's Fire seen at 19 h . Snow-hail 

 falling then. At noon very small fine snow was falling. 



Jan. 14. — At 5 h observer noted that the "fog feels 

 like mist " — the temperature at the time being 24° - 3. The 

 top joint of ladder-stand was found on surface a 1 : 17 h , 

 having snapped off at the bolt holes — probably in a strong 

 N. Hquall. 



Jim. 15. — Summit clear from 8' 1 till noon inclusive — 

 sky overcast with stratus and bits of fog low to westward. 

 At 5 h misty feel in air, temperature 22°'9. Thermometer 

 box changed at 8'' 30 m , and raised one step on stand. 

 Snow and fog changed after 20 1 ' to mist and drizzle, these 

 latter conditions obtaining on summit at 21 h , when snow 

 and sleet were falling at sea-level. St Elmo's Fire seen 

 very faintly on pencil tip at 23 1 ' — large soft flakes of 

 snow falling at time. 



Jan. 16.— Flashes of lightning seen at 2 1 ' 42 m , 5 h 25 m , 

 and 5 h 35 ,n . A very heavy shower of hail fell after the 



first flash, the hailstones being round and formed of ice 

 and snow. Rings on telephone bell at 3 h 48 m , 3 h 57 m , 

 and 17 h 31 m , and at above times when lightning was 

 seen. Glory seen at 16 h . 



Jan. 17. — Summit clear except for thin fog at times. 

 Sky covered with cir.-s. in evening, on which a lunar halo 

 was seen at 20 h and 21 h . 



Jan. 20. — Thermometer box changed at 15 h 15™. 

 Height not altered. 



Jan. 21. — Heavy snow and drift with strong S.E. 

 winds in early morning. The tower thermometer reading 

 was taken with a correction of + '3 at 4 h , as the observer 

 did not go to the thermometer box. 



Jan. 23. — Fog or overcast sky till 16 b . Cloudless 

 thereafter. Lunar coronse at 4 h . Thermometer box 

 changed at 13 u 10 m . Height not altered. 



Jan. 24. — Sky cloudless overhead after 5 h , except at 

 lG h , when there was a thin fog on summit. Air dry after 

 10 h , lowest humidity being 38 at 23 h . Fog on hills all 

 round most of the day. At 18 h sky quite cloudless down 

 to horizon. A lunar corona at 6 h , and a double fog-bow 

 seen at 15 h 20 m . 



Jan. 25. — Sky cloudless or nearly so all day. Fog on 

 hills to westward till 5 h , spreading round to S. and S.E., 

 and apparently passing over summit about 9 h ; the air 

 being saturated at that hour. With the exception of 9 h , 

 the air has been very dry all day, the humidity at 21 h 

 being 15. A strong S. to S.S.E. wind has been blowing 

 all day, and causing a good deal of surface drift. 

 Thick haze in valleys all day. 



Jan, 26. — Sky somewhat cloudy and thick haze in 

 valleys all day, but air remarkably dry. Strong winds 

 all day, veering from S. to S.W. in the afternoon. Lunar 

 halo seen at 23 h and midnight. 



Jan. 27. — Air very dry all day, the humidity ranging 

 from 37 to 10 per cent. A little cir. and cir.-s. on sky 

 all day, and a slight haze in valleys most of the day. 

 Light S.W. winds, veering to W. and N. in afternoon, 

 falling calm towards midnight. Lunar halo at 20 h and 

 21 h . 



Jan. 28. — Sky cloudy and at times overcast with cir. 

 and cir.-s. till 19 h , fog since. Air very clear in forenoon, 

 especially to westward, the Outer Hebrides being seen. 

 Humidity low till 18 h , ranging between 61 and 19 ; air 

 saturated since. No fog on hills till 16 h , when it began 

 to form to N.E., and spreading round to N. and E. 

 enveloped summit at 20 h . Calm or light N. winds all 

 day, becoming slightly gusty about midnight. Lunar halos 

 seen at l h , 2 h , and 6 h . 



Jan. 29 — Detached fog on hills round most of the day. 

 Thermometer box changed at 10 h 10 m . Height above 

 snow 45 inches. 



