Philosophical Magazine Series 3

ISSN: 1941-5966 (Print) 1941-5974 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tphm14

XXXII. Meteorological observations during a

residence in Colombia between the years 1820 and
1830

Colonel Richard Wright

To cite this article: Colonel Richard Wright (1839) XXXII. Meteorological observations during
a residence in Colombia between the years 1820 and 1830, Philosophical Magazine Series 3,
14:88, 179-184, DOI: 10.1080/14786443908649704

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786443908649704

Published online: 01 Jun 2009.

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 [ 179 ]
X X X I I . Meteorological Observations during a Residence in
Colombia between the Years 1820 and 1830. By Colonel
RICHARD WRIGHT, Governor of the Province of Loxa,
Confidential Agent of the Republic of the Equator, dyc.3yc.
[-Continued from p. 104.]
On the Method of Measuring Heights by Boiling Water.
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I Tcation
will be observed in the following Journal, that the indi-
of heights is, in most eases, joined with that of boil-
ing water. The former is in fact a deduction fi'om the latter ;
I had but a confused idea of this method, till, upon my ar-
rival at Quito, I met with a pamphlet of the late D. Francisco
Jos6 Caldas (one of the most eminent victims sacrificed by
the barbarity of Murillo on taking possession of Bogot& in
1816) published in 1819 at Bonrdeaux, in which he details the
steps by which he arrived at a knowledge of this prineip!e,
and the experiments by which he confirmed it. In the year
1801, during a scientific excursion in the neighbourhood of
Popayan, he happened to break his thermometer; and in at-
tempting to mend it he was led to observe the variability of
the extremity of the scale corresponding to the heat of boiling
water. His reflections on this subject led him, after various
experiments, to the following conclusions : " The heat of boil-
ing water is in proportion to the atmospherieal pressure : the
atmospherieal pressure is in proportion to the height above
the level of the sea; the atmospherieal pressure follows the
same law as the risings of the barometer, or, properly speaking,
the barometer shows nothing more than the atmospherical
pressure. Boiling water therefore shows it in the same man-
ner as the barometer. It can consequently show the eleva-
tion of places in the same manner, and as exactly as this in-
strument2' JEnsayo de ttna memoria sobre un nuevo metodo
de medir !as montahas, etc. p. 10. His first experiment in
Popayan gave b. w. 75°'7 of Reaumur, the height of the ba-
rometer being 22 in. 11 1. To find then the variation eor-
responding to one inch of the barometer:
~8 in" --22 in" 111" -- 5°'1 or 61 lines.
80°--75°'7 = 4°'3. Then
611. : 40.3 :: 121. : 4,°'3 X 12
• = 0o'8.
61
Then reversing the process
4°'3 x 12
00'8 : 121' : : 4°'3 : 00.8 ~--- 64"5 = 5i'z~

N2
 180 t2ol. R. Wrighf s Meteorologieal Observations in Colombia.
Difference betwixt this result and that of the barometer 3,x
lines. Satisfied with this commencement, or dawning of a
new theory, he began a series of experiments in the moun-
tains near Popayan, taking this city as the centre of his la=
bours, and fixing the elevation of the barometer at 22 i" 111" 2,
and boiling water at 75°'65 of Reaumur.
At a spot named L a s Juntas I made my first observation.
T h e barometer stood at 21 i 91, or 141 lower than atPopayan ;
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the heat of boiling water was 7~°'5 Reaumur. T h e n

Height of the barometer in Popayan 22 i 11"2 B . W . 75°'65
at Las Juntas 21 9 ~ 74°'50

1 2'2 1°'15
1 2"2 = 14~'2 : 1°'15 : : 12112 x 1°'15 -- 0°'971 of Reaumur
14"2
for 121" of the barometer.
I ascended to Paisbamba, a small farm five leagues south
of Popayan. Barometer 20 i 91"1. B . W . 75°'5.
Barometer in Popayan 22 i 111"2 B . W . 75°'65
in Paisbamba 20 9 "1 B . W . 73 "50

Differences 2 2 "1 2 ° 15

2 2'1 = 261'1 : 2°'15: : 12 12 x 2"15 = 0o.988 of Reaumur,

26"1
for 12 lines of the barometer.
I ascended a hill E. of Paisbamba called Sombreros. Baro-
meter 19 i. 61"5. B . W . 72°'4.
Barometer in Popayan 22 i 111"20. B. W . 75°'65
on Sombreros 19 6 "05. B. W . 72 "40

Differences 3 5 "15. 3 "25

12 × 50"25
411"15 : S°'25 : : -- 0"947 for 12 lines barometer.
41"15
I ascended the hill of Tambores : b a r o m e t e r l 8 i 111.6. B.
W . 71°.75.
Barometer in Popayan 22 i 1 lb2. B . W . 75°.65
on T a m b o r e s I8 11 "6. B . W . 71 "75

Differences 3 11 "6 3 "90

471"6 : S°'9: : 12 12 x 3"9 -- 0'983 for 121 barometer.
47"6
9°
Proof that above ~ - of Reaumur is the true exponent of
one inch of the barometer.
 On the method of measuring Heights by Boiling Water, 181
I then proceeded to take the observations of Las Juntas
and Sombreros, and calculating tile exponent anew.
B. in Las Juntas 21 9 B . W . 74"60
in Sombreros 19 6'05 72'40

Differences 2 2"95 2"2

12 x 2"2
26'95 : 2°'2: : 12 - - - - - 0°'979 Reaumur for 12 lines of
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26 "95
the barometer.
B. in Paisbamba 20 9"1. B . W . 73°'50
in Tambores 18 11"6. 71 "75

Differences 1 9"5 1°'75

12 × 1°'7
1"9'5 = 211"5 : 1°'75 : : 12 - 0°'976 of Reaumur
21"5
for 12 lines of barometer.
T h e mean of the six quotients is 0"974j which may be as-
sumed as the exact exponent of 12 lines of the barometer.
Given then the heat of boiling water in an9 place todfnd the
corresponding elevation of the barometer, and consequentl9 its
heig,St above the sea.
As 0 ° ' 9 7 4 : 1 2 lines, so is the difference of the heat of
B . W . T o ascertain at Popayan the number of inches, lines,
&e. of the barometer. Ex. in Tambores, B. W . 71°'15, to
find the corresponding height of the barometer.
B. W . in Popayan 7.5°'65
in Tambores 71 "75

3 "90
3"9 x 1 2
0'97¢ : 12 : : - - -- 481"05 ---- 4"0'05.
974
As Tambores is above Popayan, deduct this quantity from
the height of the barometer "in that city.
Bar. in Popayan 22 11"20
Deduct 4 00'05

Remain 18 11"15 ht. of bar. in Tambores,

Barometrical height observed 18 11"60
Do. by calculation of B . W . 18 11'15

Difference 45
a result as exact as can be desired.
U p o n this principle I calculated the elevation of the fol-
lowing 11 places :
 182 Col. R. Wright's Meteorological Observations in Colombia.
Popayan, Poblason,
Juntas, Buenavista~
Paisbamba, Hevrad ura,
Sombreros, Pasta,
Tambores, Quito.
Estrellas,
Memoria, 3yc. p. 13, et seq.
Working upon the foregoing principle, Caldas adapted to
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his thermometer a barometrical scale. The product of 0°'974,

of Reaumur by 19 is 18"506, or, in round numbers 18"5, i. e.
18°'5 of Reaumur correspond to 19 inches of the barometer.
Then measuring 18"5 from the summit, or 80 ° of Reaumur's
scale, he transferred it to the opposite side of the thermome-
ter, dividing it into 19 equal parts, or inches of the barome-
ter, subdividing these by a nonius into 24, each = half a line
of the barometer. In this manner the elevation of the ther-
mometer by boiling water indicates the corresponding eleva-
tion of the barometer under the same atmospheric pressure.
Caldas observes that Humboldt, to whom he had communi-
cated these ideas, when they met in Popayan, objected the
variability of the heat of boiling water under the same atmo-"
spherical pre~ure ; to which he replies : " Long practice has
taught me its invariability in this respect, using the requisite
precautions in making the experiment: otherwise, how could
there be equal thermometers ? Is not the invariability of the
heat of boiling water under the pressure of 28 inches the found-
ation of the superior term of all thermometrical scales ? It
is true that boiling water does not immediately acquire its ex-
treme heat, but pushing the operation to its maximum its heat
is always the same." p. 24.
Caldas did not consider an invariable exponent possible,
on account of the variability of atmospheric pressure. The
want, however, of a barometer induced me to make some ex-
periments to this effect, by way of rendering this method of
measuring elevations still more simple, and of more general
use. Is the variability of atmospheric pressure such as to
make any important difference in these calculations ? Does
not water boil constantly at 212 ° at the level of the sea? At
Quito I found the same result as Caldas had several years
before; and several times the same result in this and other
parts of the Andes. The difference, then, is scarcely percep-
tible in the thermometer, and consequently unimportant in
the results of a calculation founded on the heat of boiling
water. The thermometer besides, immersed in boiling water,
is less liable to a variety of atmospheric influences to which
the mercury of the barometer is necessarily subject. Hence
 On the method of measuring Heights by Boiling Water. 183
the great differences in different barometrical measurements
of the same elevations, and the differences observed betwixt
different thermometers exposed to the air in the same place,
which I have observed on comparing three together to
amount often to 1~°, and never to less than lo
I took the following method to obtain an exponent of the
value in feet of each degree of the diminished temperature o f
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boiling water.
T h e elevation of Quito is, according to Boussingault,
9524; and water boils at 196°'25; 212°--196°'25 = 15°'5.
9 5 2 4 - - 1 5 " 7 5 = 6 0 4 ft. 6 in. nearly. Neglecting the fraction as
unimportant, I assumed 604 feet for the value of the degree~
and began my observation on the conical hill of Javirac,
which backs the city, and is calculated at 729 feet in height.
W a t e r boiled here by two thermometers at 195 °, T h e n
196°'25-e- 195 = 1"25, difference of boiling water between
the hill and the city; and 1"25 x 604 = 755 feet; difference
26 feet. I next ascended the volcano of Pichincha, and found
at the foot of the crater B. ~,V. 186 °. 212°--186 ° = 2 6 ° x 6 0 4
= 15' 730 feet; and adding 246 feet, the difference between
this point and the summit, reckoned at 15"976. There could
be little error in the calculation. I next applied this formula
to the heights of several places calculated by Humboldt, and
where the heat of boiling water had been ascertained by
Caldas.
Thus Bogota, height according to Humboldt 8694 ft.
B. W . according to Caldas 197°'6 ......... 8712

Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Popayan, according to Humboldt ............ 5823
B. W. 202°'21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922

Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Pasto, according to Humboldt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8572
B. W . 197°'6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8712

140 ft.
T h e differences here are in four points ~7 feet, 18, 99~
140. W i t h respect to the hill of Javirac, commonly called
El Panecillo, I suppose the measurement to have been made
by the Academicians. But their calculations generally differ
from those of Humboldt, as in the case of Quito; the former
giving 9371 feet, the latter 9537; Pichincha 15,606 feet,
Humboldt 15,976 ; Chimborazo 20,583, Humboldt 21,414.
But even a difference of sites is sufficient to account for the
27 feet on ground so unequal as that of Quito. T h e 1s feet
 184 Mr. T. Webster on the Colour of Steam.
in the height of Bogot£ is so trifling a difference, that it rather
proves the exactness of my calculation. In Popayan we have
99 feet; yet the different barometrical measurements of that
city daffier still more widely. Caldas observes, p. 31, " T h e
Baron de Humboldt's barometer stood in Popayan at ~3 3"4,
mine at 22 11-2, m~d Bouguer's at 22 10"7." T h e most accu-
rate measurements of the peak of Teneriflb, selecting 4 out of
14, leave a difference of 71 French toises, or, rejecting the
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barometric measurements of Borda, of 18 toises.--Humboldt,

Pers. Nar.-v. l, p. 160, 170. Saussure is said to havefound
water boil at 187 ° on the summit of Mont Blanc, being, ae-
eordlng to Humboldt, 15,660. It is 90 feet only below the
point on Piehineha, where I found it to boil at 186 °. T h e
elevations nearly equal the difference cannot amount to a de-
gree ; and I consider the error less likely to be on my side,
because I was aware of the probable cause of error, and had
to deduce the height fi'om the accuracy of the observation.
H u m b o l d t in the same manner suspects the accuracy of La-
mouroux's observation on the peak of Teneriffe.--P. Nar. vol.
i . p . 159.
I-To be continued.]

X X X I I I . A Letter to Professor _~brbes on his communication

on the colour of Steam in the Philosophical Magazine of _Feb.
1839. !39 Tuo~ias WEBSTER, M.A., Sec. Inst. C. tL ~
MY DEAR SIR,
ALLOW me to address to you, through the medium of the
Philosophical Magazine, a few remarks on your most va-
luable observations on theeolour of steam.
T h e conclusion to which you have been led, that the colours
of steam by transmitted lightare due to a particular stage of the
condensing process, appears to me likely to furnish informa-
tion on points with which we are at present totally unac-
quainted, and particularly with respect to the constitution of
steam, and the conversion of sensible into latent caloric, when
steam suddenly expands. W e know that the hand may be
held in high pressure steam issuing fi'om an orifice, and that
highly elastic steam allowed to expand into a partial vacuum
will instantly resume its original or liquid form, which phm-
nomena are perfectly consistent with the general law of the
absorption of heat on the dilatation of bodies ; but of the law
of the diminution of temperature consequent on this absorp-
tion we are totally ignorant. I f the sum of the latent and
sensible heat be constant for steam of all elasticities, this con-
* Communicated by the Author.