The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-08-27
How the Weather is FOretOld.

1t is a mystery to many readers Of the
d ally press who note the general correctness
of the predictions Of "old probabilities, on
what the weather representations are bas-
ed, and for their information we would state
that the weather Office in Washington, which
has been in operation about FIVE years, is in
telegraph communication with weather sta
tions all over the country, and late at night
the probabilities are decided upon according
to the reports and calculations, and sent out
by telegraph to all newspapers, so that on
the morning of the day the people can see
approximately what kind of weather they are
going to have. The fact that in the United
States, in the north temperate zone, storms
almost invariably travel from west to east
makes it possible, with proper telegraphic
notice, to give warning to places lying in
their tracks.
Hence if storm is noticed crossing the
Rocky mountains or developing on the west
ern plains and its course known by tele-
graphic dispatch, it becomes a comparative
ly easy matter to notify, in advance, places
threatened. To accomplish this Of course it
becomes necessary to establish a large num-
Der Of stations to cover as wide an area of
country as possible, and to connect them all
by telegraph with the central Office, where
the results of observations taken at the same
moment of absolute time in each Of the sta
tions could be Immediately collated, the re-
suits worked out and the consequent "prob-
abilities" arrived at.
These probabilities are calculated for fif-
teen departments or geographical districts,
known as the North Atlantic States Middle
Atlantic States, South Atlantic States, East
Gulf States, West Gulf States Lower Lakes,
Upper Lakes, Northwestern States, South
western States, Pacific States, Ohio River
Valley, Upper Mississippi Valley and the
Extreme Northwest.
| There are now l02 stations in the United
States. There are ais o II stations in Canada
under the control Of Prof. G. T. Kingston,
director of magnetic observatory at Toronto,
and stations in the West Indies in charge
of volunteer observers, with all of which
telegraphic reports are unchanged, making
l24 stations in all, extending clear across the
continent, and from ST. Paul's Island, Alaska,
to San Diego in Southern California on the
Pacific, and from Sidney, Cape Breton ISL
and, at the northeastern extremity of Nova
Scotia to the West Indies. The West India
stations are found to be particularly valua-
Bile in winter, as a large proportion of the
most violent winter storms originate there.
In the United States there are stations in
all principle cities. On the Pacific coas
there are three, viz: at Portland, Oregon
and san Francisco and San Diego, Cal
Besides these are stations at st. PauPs ant
st. Mitchell's Islands, Alaska. These, how
ever, are not in telegraphic communication
with the central Office. The Gulf and At
lantc coasts, and the northern boundary
formed by the st. Lawrence river and th
great lakes, have q continuous chain of sta
tiOns-forty -four in number-where observa
tions.are made and cautionary signals are dis
played. Cautionary signals are also display
ed at the life saving stations on the New
jersey and North Carolina coasts, which ar
reached by telegraph.
The instruments used consist of the baron
eter, for measuring the pressure of the at
mosphere; the common thermometer an
the self-resisting maximum and minimum
thermometers; the hygrometer, for deter
: mining the relative humidity of the atmo'
r phere the thermometer, for measuring tn
force of the wind; the wind vane, for detel
y mining the direction of the wind; the raj
guage, for measuring the rain fall and
o clock.
t The observers who hold the rank Of Sc
: geants ia the army are paid but a small sa
ary, and the assistants still less.