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Weights and Measures: Measure

Decimal value Fractions of a foot in feet. in inches. .01041 .25 .02083 .3333 .03125 .4166 .04166 .5 .05208 .5833 7 .0625 .6666 8 .07291 .75 9 .0833 1 .8333 10 .1666 2 .9166 11 Nautical Measure. - In addition to the above a distinct table of measurements is used by geographers and mariners as follows: 6 feet......1 fathom. 110 fathoms, or 660 feet...1 furlong. 120 fathoms...... 6086.7 feet.. .1 cable's length. 1 nautical mile. 1 league. 3 nautical miles.. 20 lea., or 60 naut. miles. 1 degree. 360 degrees....

The earth's circumference = 24,855 miles' nearly.

The nautical mile is also called the geographical mile or for brevity the knot. It is 795 feet longer than the common mile.

Cloth Measure. - Another mode of measurement formerly much used by merchants on the continent of Europe and in colonial times in this country is as follows: 2½ inches.. 4 nails... 4 quarters......... 1 aunze....... 1 nail. 1 quarter of a yd. 1 yard. 1½ yard.

Foreign Cloth Measure 24 quarters..... 3 quarters.. 5 quarters 6 41 quarters... .1 ell Hamburg. .1 ell Flemish. 1 ell English. 1 ell French. 1 ell Scotch.

An Amsterdam ell is equal to 26.796 inches.

A Trieste ell is equal to 25.284 inches.

A Brabant ell is equal to 27.116 inches.

In measuring cloth, ribbon, etc., the width is not considered, and the yard is now usually divided into halves, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths. In the United States custom house the yard is divided into tenths and hundredths.

Scales for Linear Measure. - The many occasions that a standard of linear measure is required suggest the utility of having always at hand a scale from which a yardstick or other measure can be constructed.

Carpenters, mechanics, and farmers frequently make it a practice to carry a jointed yardstick in the pocket. It is convenient to glue a yard measure on the edge of a carpenter's bench or a sewing table, or to indicate the division into inches or fractions of an inch by means of small brass brads driven in flush with the surface and rubbed to a polish with emery paper. Sailors not infrequently tattoo a yard measure on the outer side of the left arm beginning at the point of the little finger, the subdivisions being pricked into the skin in India ink.

This device will be found useful to farmers, mechanics, and others.

Builders, paper hangers, and others, engaged in the building trades, find a narrow steel measure, a rod or more in length, winding up in a suitable circular case by means of a spring or crank, a very convenient contrivance.