Abstract
IV. THE IMPERIAL STANDARD YARD THE immediate superintendence of the construction of the new standard yard was entrusted, in the first instance, to Mr. Baily, who conducted all the preliminary investigations and experiments. After his death in August 1844, it was undertaken by Mr. Sheepshanks, by whom and under whose direction by far the largest proportion of the actual operations was carried out, and all the comparing operations of the several standards of length made, up to the period of his death in August 1855. By this time the work was so far completed that not a single additional comparison of line measures was required. The detailed account of the construction of the new standard yard, and its verified copies, was then undertaken by the Astronomer Royal, with the aid of the documents left by Mr. Baily and Mr. Sheepshanks; and the winding-up of the work of the Commission, and the distribution of the scientifically verified copies of the standards also devolved upon the Astronomer Royal, as the chairman. The magnitude of the operations may be estimated from the fact of the number of micrometer readings for all the comparisons exceeding two hundred thousand; and amongst the operations it was found necessary to construct an entirely new system of thermometers. It should not be forgotten that the scientific gentlemen who bestowed so much of their valuable time, attention, and labour, during several years upon the experiments and observations for the important object of the restoration of the national standard of length, declined to accept any pecuniary remuneration.
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CHISHOLM, H. On the Science of Weighing and Measuring, and the Standards of Weight and Measure * . Nature 8, 367–370 (1873). https://doi.org/10.1038/008367a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/008367a0