The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1911. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 144, 10 August 1911, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1911. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE.

The Christchurch “Press” considers that the question that is sometimes asked as to what is the use of the Government Meteorological Dcpartincn: is answered )>y the Rev. I). C. Bates’ interesting statement, made a day or so ago, regarding the reihiy kaoiy I igii barometer. On Monday ' hast it uas higher than it has over '.keen mnecAugust, 1908, and he issues s. naming that when it falls, as it probably will do in a day or two, the -elixi.-g of tl.ro extraordinary atmospheric pressure will make the conditions .n mines dangerous, especially, one gathers, in mines that are at all “gassy. ’ IP indicating .the necessity for miners t( take greater precautions than usual the Government Meteorologist may lathe means of averting disaster. Mi Bales also suggests that the coming fall in the barometer, after so great a. rise, may he accompanised by ther mal and volcanic activity, and consequently by earthquakes. Ngauruhoc it appears, breaks into eruption aftcmarked atmospheric changes, and will lie worth watching this week, ;is witthe hot apings at Rotorua and Han-mc-r, in case any unusual activity i; noticeable. Mr Bates’ theory, as lu explains it, seems quite feasible, and it is -supported to some extent by oh serrations, but be says candidly thal it is not accepted by European mo toorologists. Nervous people ma;-, take comfort from learning that ver varying results have been obtaincc by scientists who have ascertained the state of the barometer on thoccurrence of earthquakes. Some o' the groat earthquakes of history hav: taken place with a very low baromc tcrical reading, whereas in Japan, om of the most “carthquaky” com;trie;; the evidence one way or the other i. absolutely inconclusive. The gene ral opinion appears to bo that th, pressure of the atmosphere has lilt!* to do with causing earthquakes.