An account of the bequest of George James Symons, F.R.S., to the Royal Meteorological Society / by William Marriott.

  • Marriott, William, 1848-1916.
Date:
[1901]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An account of the bequest of George James Symons, F.R.S., to the Royal Meteorological Society / by William Marriott. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    17/22 (page 255)
    paper, which was printed for circulation among observers, was the outcome of a letter to the The Times, and is probably the first printed paper by Mr. Symons. It seems therefore desirable to reproduce the article in extenso. The Table on p. 257 is very characteristic of Mr. Symons, as before he had a barograph he would, during the time of any great depression, “ sit up ” (to use his own expression) with his barometer and take fre- quent readings throughout the night. He once supplied me with a copy of barometrical readings which he had taken every 15 minutes from 11.15 p.m. to 7 a.m. (See Quarterly Journal, Vol. I. pp. 201-2). The pressure at this station having in the early morning of December 2G been reduced to a very low point, I inserted a brief note in The Times, calling attention to the fact, and intimating that I should be happy to exchange readings with observers. [These readings are given at the end of this article.—W. M.]. The replies to this note were so numerous, and in some cases so-complete,, that I felt it my duty to compare and discuss them to the best of my ability. I believe the accompanying Observations and Curves will render the principal features of the depression tolerably evident, especially if the relative position of the Stations be fully realised. Conscious that there are many others far better qualified for this investigation than myself, I will merely add that I shall be most happy to supply with a duplicate of the Observations (some hundreds) any one who will undertake to analyse them more fully. The scales, etc. of the curves are marked upon them; they are simply graphic representations of the readings, with one exception, viz. in the large tracings, the Camden Town Observations are entered three hours earlier than they were actually made. This has been done in order that the angles of depression and elevation may be compared more readily than if the effect of easterly position had not been eliminated. The column headed “Amount of Depression” is the difference between the Minimum reading and that at 9 a.m. on the 23rd, when the Pressure would appear to have been nearly identical throughout the country. I have adopted this mode in order to get rid of any errors attaching to the Barometer ; the difficulty arising from the instrument not being closely watched (whereby the true minimum is lost) does not seem so easily obviated. In conclusion, I have only to thank my friends for their ready contribution of Observations, and to express an earnest wish for suggestions of improvement in, and friendly criticism upon, the mode of treatment. G. J. SYMONS. Camden Town, February 1860.