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who were warned, as I found an efficient smoke consuming
apparatus fixed to each furnace. In other instances I discovered
furnaces without any smoke consuming apparatus whatever,
aud ordered notices to be served requiring the owners of
the furnaces to affix proper doors to each, which was done, and
the nuisances abated.
The self-recording gas pressure guage has worked satisfactorily
during the year, and has shown that the pressure
maintained by the Gas Companies was much in excess of that
required by Act of Parliament. This must have entailed an
excessive consumption of gas in houses abutting on main thoroughfares,
unless great care were used for regulating the supply of gas
by a stop cock near the meter, which is frequently neglected.
The burners employed should be of a proper make, and either be
replaced by new or carefully cleansed from time to time.
The meteorology of the year was remarkable, as a most
unusual period of cold weather was experienced in January,
attended with dense fogs, and total absence of sunshine on
several consecutive days. A very heavy snow storm also
occurred on the 18th of January, blocking up most of the
railway lines out of London, as well as a large number in
different parts of the country. On the last day of May a
short period of unusual heat set in, and another for a longer
period in July. In January the very low temperature of 12.4
degrees Fahr. was recorded on the 17th at my house in the
Richmond Poad, 14.2 degrees on the 16th, 14.6 degrees on the
15th, and 15.6 degrees on the 21st. At Blaokheath 9.2 degrees
was registered on the 21st; and 11.8 degrees at Camden Square
on the 17th, whilst in many parts of the North and in Scotland
a temperature several degrees below zero was registered. The
mean temperature for the week ending January 8th was nearly
a degree above the average, whilst for the week ending the 15th
it was minus 10.0 degrees, for the following week it was no less
than 15.5 degrees below the average, and for the week ending
January 29th the mean temperature was minus 7.4 degrees.