WEIGHTS AND MEASURES OF THE UNITED STATES. STANDARD UNITS. Standard of Length. The actual standard of length of Jae United States, is a brass scale of eighty-two inches In length, prepared for the survey of the coast of the United States, by Troughton, of London, and now in the possession of the United States Treasury Department, and deposited at the office of Weights and Measures. The yard measure is between the twenty-seventh and the sixty-third inches of the scale. The temperature at which this scale was designed to be standard, and at which it is so used in conducting the operations of the United States Coast Survey, is 62° Fahrenheit. Late comparisons show that on the United States standard scale at 62° Fahrenheit, the yard is in excess of the British standard by 0.00087 inch. According to a report made as Chairman of the Committee of Weights and Measures, by Professor A. D. Bache, late Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey, in 1860, before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, "the standard temperature of the United States yard has never been authoritatively here fixed." The unit of length-the yard-is derived from ancient arbitrary standards in England. Its thirty-sixth partthe inch-is said to be contained 39.13929 times in the length of the pendulum that, in a vacuum and at the level of mid-tide, under the latitude of London, vibrates seconds of mean time. bushel, of 8 imperial gallons, contains 2218.192 cubie inches. Its dimensions are 19.5 inches outside diameter, 8.5 inside diameter, 18.25 depth, and 6 inches height of cone for heaped measure; the contents of the heaped bushel being 2815.488 cubic inches. The United States standard gallon is to the imperial standard gallon, nearly, as to 5 to 6; the United States standard bushel is to the imperial standard bushel, nearly, as 32 to 33. METRIC SYSTEM. Metric System of Weights and Measures Permissible.— By an Act of Congress approved in July, 1866 (ante, Part III, p. 31), the use of the weights and measures of the metric system is made permissible; and contracts are declared not to be invalid because the weights and and measures of that system. measures expressed or referred to therein are weights The following tables of equivalents are also therein recognized in the construction of contracts and in all legal proceedings. MEASURES OF LENGTH. 0.001 meter - 1 millimeter 1 meter 10 meters 100 meters 1,000 meters Comparison of the Common with the Metric Standards of Length.-According to Hassler, the meter contains 39.38091714 of the inch divisions of the Troughton scale at 32° Fahrenheit; and, consequently, making due allowance for the expansion by heat of the metal scale, 39.36850154 of these inch-divisions, when the bar is at 62° Fahrenheit. The number of imperial inches in the meter, according to Kater, and adopted in the late Act 10,000 meters of Parliament, which rendered the use of the metric system permissible in Great Britain, is 39.37079. The number of United States inches in the meter, according to the Act of Congress of 1866, authorizing the use of the metric system of weights and measures in the United States, is 39.37. = 1 hectometer -1 kilometer 0.0394 inches. 0.3937 inches. 3.937 inches. 39.37 inches. 393.7 inches. 3281' feet. 3280 feet. 0.62136 miles. 32808 feet. 6.2137 miles. 1 myriameter MEASURES OF SURFACE. 1 square meter -1 centare 100 square meters 1 are 10,000 square metres 1 hectare 1550 square inches -119.6 square yards. 2.471 acres. MEASURES OF VOLUME. 1 cubic centimeter 1 milliliter 10 cubic centimeters 1 centiliter Standard of Weight.-The weights of the United States are designed to be identical with those of England. The standard of weight is the troy pound, copied in 1827, by Captain Kater, from the imperial troy pound of England, for the use of the mint of the United States, and there deposited. This pound is standard when in air in which the mercury stands at 30 inches in a barometer, and at 62 degrees in the Fahrenheit thermometer. The pound troy is assumed to contain 5760 grains; the 10 cubic decimeters = 1 dekaliter commercial or avoirdupois pound, contains 7000 of these grains. Standards of Volume.-The standard of liquid measure is the gallon; of dry measure, the bushel. The former is almost exactly equivalent to a cylinder 7 inches in internal diameter, and 6 inches in height; the latter to a cylinder of 18.5 inches internal diameter, and 8 inches in height, and when heaped the cone must not be less than 6 inches high, containing for a true cone, 2747.715 cubic inches. The gallon, if filled with distilled water at the temperature of its maximum density (say 39.83° Fahrenheit, as determined by Mr. Hassler), contains, according to the official report, at that temperature, if weighed in air in which the barometer is 30 inches at 62° Fahrenheit, 58,372.2 standard grains (8.3389 pounds avoirdupois). The bushel is a measure containing 543,391.89 standard grains (77.6274 pounds avoirdupois) of distilled water at the temperature of maximum density, and barometer at 30 inches at 62° Fahrenheit. According to Mr. Hassler's comparisons, the weight of a cubic foot of water at its maximum density, the barometer being 30 inches at 62° Fahrenheit, is 998.068 ounces avoirdupois; the weight of a cubic inch of such water being 252.6937 grains. The United States gallon is thus the old wine gallon of 231 inches, nearly; and the United States bushel, the Winchester bushel of 2150.42 cubic inches, nearly. The British standard measure of volume, by Act of 1824, is the imperial gallon, containing, when weighed in air, both air and water being at the temperature of 62° Fahrenheit, and the barometer at 30 inches, 10 pounds avoi dupois The cubic inch of distilled water (temperature 629, barometer 30 inches), is declared to contain 252.458 grains; hence the imperial standard ga lon contains 277.274 cubic inches. The imperial 0.1 cubic decimeter - 1 deciliter 0.1 cubic meter 1 hectoliter 0.001 liter. 0.01 liter. 0.1 liter. 1 liter. 10 liters. 100 liters. 1 cubic meter - 1 kiloliter, or stere➡ 1000 liters. 0.0154 grain avdp. 0.1543 grain avdp. 1.5432 grains avdp. 15,432 grains avdp. 0.3527 ounce avdp. 3.5274 ounces avdp. 2.2046 lbs. avdp. 22.046 fbs avdp. 220 46 lbs. avdp. 2204.6 lbs. avdp. Metric Standards to be furnished each State.-By a joint Congressional resolution of the same date, the Secretary of the Treasury was "authorized and directed" to furnish to each State, "one set of the standard weights and measures of the metric system." Metric Postal Balances to be furnished certain Postoffices. By another act of the same date, the PostmasterGeneral was "authorized and directed to furnish to the post-offices exchanging mails with foreign countries, and to such other officers as he shall think expedient, postal balances denominated in grammes of the metric system; and until otherwise provided by law, one half ounce avoirdupois shall be deemed and taken for postal purposes as the equivalent of fifteen grammes of the metric weights, and so adopted in progression; and the rates of postage shall be applied accordingly." Later in It will be seen on reference to the tables above given, that one-half ounce avoirdupois is actually equal to about 14.176 grammes instead of fifteen grammes. Length of the Meter.-The meter was designed to be the ten-millionth part (1000000) of the earth's meridian passing through Dunkirk and Formentera. vestigations, however, based on additional measures of meridional arcs in other parts of the world, have shown that the meter sensibly exceeds such ten-millionth part of the quadrant-the excess being equal (as is stated by Sir John Herschel) to about one part in 6400. 16 drams WEIGHTS IN COMMON USE. 16 ounces. 28 lbs. 4 grs. 20 cwt.. 100 tbs. 175 troy lbs. 1 fb. troy 144 pounds avoirdupois. 5760 grains. 7000 grains. 1 lb. avdp. This weight is applied to all coarse articles, such as hay, meat, fish, potash, groceries, hemp, flax, butter, cheese, &c., and all metals, except gold and silver. Gross weight is the weight of goods with the boxes, casks, or bags which contain them. Net weight is the weight of the goods only. Formerly the usual custom was to allow 112 pounds for a hundredweight, and 28 pounds for a quarter; but this practice has very nearly passed away. In buying and selling all articles of commerce estimated by weight, the laws of most of the States, as well as general usage, call 100 pounds a hundred weight, and 25 pounds a quarter. The custom-house, however, continues the old usage. Troy Weight 1728 cubic inches. 27 cubic feet. Cubic Measure. 1 cubic foot. 1 cubic yard. 1 ton, or load. 1 ton of shipping. 1 foot of wood, or a cord foot. 1 cord. 1 pennyweight, dwt. 1 ounce, oz. 1 pound, lb. 42 gallons Gold, silver, and jewels are weighed by this weight. This weight is used by apothecaries and physicians in * Sir John Herschel has called attention to the remarkable fact, not generally known, that the earth's polar semi-axis contains almost precisely 1001 millions of English quarter inches: and recommends the augmentation of the existing English measures of length by their one thousandth aliquot part; the augmented measures to be designated "geometrical measures." Thus augmer ted, a cubic double foot (or a cube, the sides of which are each twenty-four geometrical" inches), will contain almost exactly 1000 half pounds avoirdupois (more exactly 1000.131), of distilled water at its temperature of maximum density; and a square the side of which measures 10,000 of the new (or geometrical) quarter-inches, will contain almost precisely one acre (more exactly 0.9984 acre). These close approximations to integral ratios, show that the familiar units of measure and weight may be very nearly preserved in a decimal system based upon a natural unit. 11⁄2 tierce, or 63 gal. hogshead, or 84 gal. 13 puncheon, or 126 gal. 2 pipes 231 cubic inches 1 nail, na. 1 ell English. 1 ell French. 1 ell Scotch. selling cloth rib Wine, spirits, cider, vinegar, oil, honey, &c, are measured and sold by this measure. In London the gill in usually called a quartern; but in the North of England it is a noggin, and a half pint is termed a gill. Ale and Beer Measure. 2 cooms 5 quarters 2 weys 44 1 gallon, gal. 1 chaldron, ch. 1 coom. 1 quarter. 1 wey. 1 last. A gallon, dry measure, contains 268 4-5 cubic inches. This measure applies to all goods that are not liquid and are sold by measure, as corn, fruit, salt, coal, &c. Shipping Admeasurement. REGISTER TON.-For Register Tonnage, or for measurement of the entire internal capacity of a vessel: 100 cubic feet- 1 register ton. This number is arbitrarily assumed to facilitate computation. SHIPPING TON.-For the measurement of cargo: 1 U. S. shipping ton. 31.16 imperial bushels. 32.143 U. S. bushels. 40 cubic feet. 1 British shipping ton. 2150.42 cubic inches. A shipping ton (U. S.) of 40 cubic feet equals three and nine-tenths (3.895) English quarters of 8 imperial (or 84 U.S.) bushels each. A shipping ton (British) of 42 cubic feet, equals four and one-tenth (4.09) English quarters. A shipping ton of 41 (or more exactly 40.9776) cubic feet, would equal exactly four English quarters; i. e., 32 imperial bushels, or 33 United States bushels. WHEAT A STANDARD OF VOLUME AND WEIGHT.Wheat is a standard alike for the volume and weight of cargoes. When in bulk on board ship, this commodity occupies about fifteen per cent. less space than when filled into measures of capacity in the customary way. So compressed, a ton of 2240 pounds occupies about 40 cubic feet. MEASUREMENT CARGO.-The capacity of a vessel for cargo, on voyages of average length, is usually estimated at from 20 to 25 per cent less than her Register Tonnage, or entire internal capacity. This net space, in cubic feet, divided by 40, gives, in shipping tons of 40 cubic feet each, her "Measurement Cargo," so called, or her net carrying capacity, in shipping tons. Her measurement cargo is, therefore, from 1 to 2 times the number of register tons, of 100 cubic feet each, in her Register Tonnage. DEAD WEIGHT CARGO.-The "Dead Weight Cargo" of a vessel, or the net weight in tons, of the cargo which the vessel can safely carry on voyages of average length, is approximately ascertained by dividing the entire internal capacity of the vessel in cubic feet by 63, and deducting from the gross result one-fourteenth (or about 7 per cent.) for the weights of water, provisions, crew, and their luggage. The number of tons weight In this net result is, therefore, about 1 times the Re gister Tonnage, or number o: tons of volume in the entire internal capacity of the vessel. LOAD DISPLACEMENT.-The "Load Displacement" of a vessel, or the entire weight of the vessel, cargo, &c. when fully equipped and ready for sea, may be ascer tained by dividing the number of cubic feet of sea-water displaced by the vessel by 35, the number of cubic feet, occupied by a ton (2240 pounds) of sea-water. RELATIVE BUOYANCY OF IRON AND WOODEN HULLS. In case of vessels of wooden hulls, whether sailing or steam, about 60 per cent. of the "load displacement" is for cargo, and 33 per cent. for the hull, the remaining 7 per cent. being for the weights of water, provisions crew, &c. In case of iron hulls, if of sailing vessels, the weight allowed for cargo is about 68 per cent, of the displacement, if of steam, 65 per cent The weight of cargo which can be carried is therefore relatively greater with iron hulls than with wooden; 13 per cent. greater if of sailing vessels, 9 per cent, if of steam. NEW MODE OF ADMEASUREMENT OF VESSELS.The new "mode" for the admeasurement of vessels in use in the United States, since the Act of Congress of May, 1864, is very accurate; prior to that date, the sys tem was rude, and, in its results, inaccurate. The new system differs somewhat from the British system (adopted by Act of Parliament in 1854), chiefly as ap plied to steamers. In the British measurement of steamers, deductions are made for the space occupied by engines, boilers, and coal; no such deductions being made for United States steamers under the United States law. Under the new United States method, the Register Tonnage of double-decked and three-decked vessels is somewhat augmented, of clipper and half clipper vessels diminished, of single-decked sailing vessels, canal boats, and freight barges on the Western riv. ers diminished, and of river and lake steamers largely increased. Measuring Distances. 1 link 1 pole. 1 furlong. 1 minute. 1 day. 1 fortnight. 1 month. 1 Julian year. 1 year. 1 prime minute. 1 sign, s. the whole great circlo of the degrees-inc. Used in measuring latitude and longitude, &c. |