Measuring glasses, for rain gauge evaporator

Add to album

These are the measuring glasses used to gauge the amount of moisture which had evaporated from the gimballed evaporator rain gauge, designed by W. G. Black (died 1909). This example is of a type used on the 'Scotia' during the Scottish National Antarctic expedition of 1902-4.

The evaporator (not shown here) is filled with between one and two inches of water, covered by a louvre to keep out rain and birds, but free to allow diffusion of water vapour and wind. The amount of water within is measured each day, in these glass measures, and compared with the contents of a rain gauge of similar diameter (not shown here). The temperature of the surrounding water and air is also taken.

Surgeon Major William Galt Black studied at the University of Edinburgh before joining the Army medical service. His frequent voyages all over the Empire turned his attention to meteorology, particularly to making observations at sea, for which he improved a number of specialised instruments. Some of these were used on the 'Scotia' expedition.

Record details

To search on related items, click any underlined text below.

• Online ID: 000-180-001-179-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  T.1910.78
• Date: Around 1900
  
• Material: Glass
  Specimen / meteorological instrument / rain gauge / case / box /
  
• Dimensions: 6.00" D
  
• What: Specimen / meteorological instrument / rain gauge / case / box /
  
• Subject: 10. METEOROLOGY (Departmental Classification)
  
• Who:
• Where:
• Event:
• Description: One of a group of meteorological instruments - a rain gauge supported on a pivot, for marine use, in a case and outside box, with two measuring glasses in a separate box
  
• References:
  • For Black, see his obituary in the Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 36 (1910), p 254 
  • For the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, see R.N. Rudmose-Brown et al., The Voyage of the 'Scotia': being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration in Antarctic Seas. Edinburgh: 1906 
  • W.G. Black, On a floating rain gauge and evaporator' Transactions of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts 13 (1894), pp 216-8 
• Translations:
• Related Records: