MAY, 190% MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
NOTES AND EXTRACTS.
235
COLD WEATHElR IN THE ARUTIC AND TEMPERATE
ZONE.
The records received early in 1903 from the Rlondike region
showed that an unusually long cold spell was prevailing in
that region accompanied by calm air and at the beginning
clear weather gradually changing to a dense cold fog. This
was apparently the edge of an unusually extensive area of
cold air in northern America. From this region there has
been a shady flow of north winds and dry cold air up to the
middle of May. As an inevitable result, immense quantities
of icebergs, floes, and field ice have drifted clown from Davis
Straits and extensive ice fields have been passing out of the
Gulf of St. Lawrence. A correspondent of the London Post
states that the British Meteorological Office has for a year
past been investigating the variations in the temperature of
the surface water of the Btlantic, and that '' about the middle
of December, a singular change of temperature was detected
near the fiftieth parallel of latitude, between longitudes 20'
and 40" west where instead of a water temperature of 50' or
60" the thermometer dropped below 40'. and even 32' F.
over regions of deep water." He actcls that i t is a cluestion
whether '' similar abnormal fluctuations of water temperature
in this region are a sort of measure of the character of the
coming ice drift from the Arctic down to Nemfouncllancl."
METEOROLOGY AT THE NEXT MEETING OF TXE
FRENCH ASSOCIATION.
In connection with the approaching meeting of the French
Association for the Advancement of Science, to be held at
Angers on the 4th of August, 1903, the president of the mete-
orological section, Mr. B. Brunhes, Director of the Meteoro-
logical Observatory of the Puy cle Dome, Clermont-Ferrand,
France, makes the following announcement :
Called to preside over Section VI1 of the Congress, I have tlie honor to
beg you to kindly lend your cooperat,ion to the work of t,his section, either
by assisting at the Congress in person, or, if that is not possible, by a t
least sending a communication on some subject bearing on the meteornl-
ogy and physics of the globe.
Full liberty is given you in the choice of your subject, provided that
it relates to the science of t,he atmosphere and to terrestrial physics in
their most general acceptation. Memoirs relative to seismic phenomena,
terrestrial magnetism, and atmospheric elect,ricity will be especially
acceptable. In order to conform to traditional usage, I take the liberty of placing
before you two propositions in meteorology, on which it would be especi-
ally interesting to receive reports and possibly to publish them.
1. Forecasting of storms by a process based upon the use of radio t~on-
ductors. [i. e. Natural signals caught by the apparatus used in wireless
telegraphy.-ED. ]
2. Origin, directiun of rotation, method of propagation and destructive
effects of aerial cyclones in t,he temperate regions and of vortices in cur-
rents of water. Recent important works have directed attention to the analogies and
differences betweeu the vortex motions produced in air and in water, on
the one hand and on the other hand to the damage caused by running
water, and to the various possible explanations of the want of syniniet,ry
observed in its act,ion upon the opposite banks of the rivers of our
regions. Every accurat,e and well niacle personal observation relating
to these subjects would be most valuable, however brief it might be, or
however insignificant it might appear to the author.
If the communications presentell are of sufficient importance to render
the discussion so interesting as to attract the attention of persons be- longing to other sections of the Congress. I will arrange with the presi-
dents of these sections, notably of the section of pure physics and that
of geography, to form joint sessions of the sections interested.
Therefore, whether you desire to devote your contribution to t,he study
of either of the two subjects mentioned, or to treat of a different subject,
I will be very grateful if you will communicate to me immediately, or. if
it be possible, within a nionth or six weeks, the title of the papers that
you propose to submit to the Congress in order that they may be in-
cluded in the first provisional program of the business of the session,
which will be published shortly.
NOT A TORNADO ON MAY 26.
Under date of May 27, 1903, Mr. George M. Chappel, Local
Forecast Official, Des Moines, Iowa, writes as follows:
Referring to articles in this morning's Register and Leader relative to the storm which passed over this city on May 26, I have to say that the
statements are overdrawn-that is, in regard to the characterof the storm.
It wa.s nothing inore than a thunder sqiiall. t.he wintl at,taining a velocity
of 38 miles per hour from the northwest.. Personal examinatinn by Mr.
J. R. Sage and myself shows that there is positively no indication of any
of the characteristics of a tornado. The section of the city where most
of the daniaga was done is known as South Des Muines, being on the south
side of the Rapcoon and Des Moines rivers. There is a high bluff about
1500 to 2000 feet south of the river, which runs parallel with the river
east and west. The wind, coming from the northwest, was deflected by
this I~luff, and t.he small, light structures near the base of the hill were
demolished. There was no damage clone to any substantial, well con-
strnct,t.d builclings, except having some window glass broken.
EXHIBITION OF METEOROLOGICAL APPAFLATUS AT
SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND.
Mr. TV. N. Sham, Director of the Meteorological Office,
London, annoiinces that-
In connection with the meeticg of the International Meteorological
Committc,e a t Southport during the session of the Britizli Association in
Srptrmher nest, it is propo:,erl to iiiake arrangements for an exhibition
of mt.trorciloRica1 appliances and other olljwts of meteorological interest.
Upon the initiative of the Meteorological Council, with the cooperation
o f the Royal IIIeteoiological Society and the S(vtti:,h Meteorological So-
ciety, wliu ha\ e appoiutetl reyiresentative members, a committee has been
formed to carry out this iiropnsal.
I n order to divide the work of collection and organization, it is pro-
pnwd t o group tlie rsliiliits into four classes. Thow who are willing to
coopriatr are rrqur<trd to cl)rnmunicate a t once with the gentlemen
iianietl IJtllow, v ho ha\ e kindly undertaken to receive, on hehalf of the
conmiittee, intiiiiatinns anal suggehtions a:, to object> of meteorological
iutcrwt prol~jsrd for es1iil)ition:
A. lI\Irteorological Statistics, Dr. H. R. Mill, 68 Camden Square, London,
B. Weather Trlrgraphy, bfr. W. N. Rhaw, 63 Victoria street, London,
)h+aric, Physics, Capt. Wilbon Barker, H. 11. S. Worcesfer, Green-
N W.
SW.
hithr, Kent.
Including (a) Metrorological photography.
(b) Inrtruniruts and instruinental records.
(c) High-level stations, balloons, and kites; observa-
tions and records.
(d ) Experimental illuhtmtions.
D. The relatiam of Meteorology to other branches of Pliysics, Mr. A. R.
Hiiikb, The Oliservatory, Cambridge, England.
INTERNATIONAL AERIAL RESEARCH.
According to Nature, May 28,1003, "international scientific
balloon ascents were made on the morning of March 6 ; some
of the balloons were manned and others eiluippecl with recorcl-
ing instruments only, while rtt some stations kites were used.
We cluote only the preliminary results of the registering bal-
loons, as these attained the greatest altitudes. At Trappes,
near Paris, a temperature of 4 9 .8 ' C. was registered at 10,000
meters; the reading a t starting was 9.6', and an inversion of
0.3' occurred at 750 meters. The balloon rose to 15,700 meters,
but as readings at higher altitudes than those quoted are siis-
pectecl of being vitiated by radiation, they are scrupulously
rejected. At Strasburg the temperature at starting was G.3',
and tlie following readings were recorded: -59.1" a t 15,600
meters; -54.0' a t 10,301) meters; -51.5' a t 12,200 meters.
A second balloon on March G recorded -62.1' at 15,830 me-
ters; -51.2' a t 10.200 meters, and 4 8 .2 ' a t 11,300 meters.
A t Berlin the following temperatures mere recorded: -57.0' at
10,400 meters; -51.0" at 12,000 meters; at starting 4.4'. The
type of weather was cyclonic over the British Ides and west of
Scandinavia, and anticyclonic over southwest France and east-
ern Russia."