Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-06-27
How The Weather Is FOretOld.

OF cold and heat, wet and dry, dlvl-
ding up the kinds of weather quite
impartialIy, If not always correctly.
But the almanac, good as it was
now and then, and the weather wise
farmers, correct as sometimes they
might have been, were not always
able to impart exact information to
the country: and they have been
thrown quite into the shade of late,
by one who is popularity known under
the somewhat disrespectful title of
"Old Prob" or ~Old Probabilities. ~
He has become the "Herald OF the
Weather" to the sailor, near the rocky,
dangerous coasts, to the farmer,
watching his crops, and waiting for
good days to store them; to the trav-
eler, anxious to pursue his journey
under fair skies: and to the girls and
boys who want to know, before they
start to the woods for picnic, what
are the probabilities" as to rain
Every one who reads the daily
paper is familiar with the Weather
Record" issued from the @War De-
partment, Office Of the Chief Signal
Officer" at Washington. These re-
ports give, first, a general statement
of what the weather has been, for the
past twenty-four hours, all over the
country, from Maine to California,
and from the Lakes to the South At
lantic States; and then the "Proba-
bilities," or Indications" for the
next twenty-four hours, over this
same broad territory. The annual
reports Of the Chief Signal Officer
show that In only comparatively few
instances do these daily predictions
fail to fulfiillment.
The reason these prophecies are so
true is a simple and yet a wonderful
one. The weather itself tells the OBJ
server what it Is going to do, some
time In advance, and the telegraph
sends the news all over the country,
from the central signal Office at
Washington.
We shall see, presently, how the
weather interprets itself to "Old
Probabilities" Although 1t has
proved such fruitful subject OF dis
course In all ages, yet I am afraid
manypeople whopass remarks uponit,
do not really think what the weather
is made of. Let US examine its diff
ferent elements.
The atmosphere has weight, just as
water or auy other fluid, although it
SCENE to be perfectly bodiless. We
must comprehend that the transpar-
ent, invisible air is pressing inward
toward the center OF the earth. This
pressure varies according to the
state OF the weather, and the changes
are indicated by an instrument call
ed barometer Generally speaking,
the falling Of the mercury in the tube
Of the barometer indicates rain, and
Its rise heralds clear weather. Some
times the rise Is followed by cold
winds, frost and ice. What these
changes really indicate, however, can
be determined only by comparing the
barometric changes, at certain hours
In number Of places very far apart.
This is done by the Signal Service.
Observations are made at about one
hundred and forty stations. in differ
ent portions Of the country, at given
hours. and the results are telegraph
ed at once to Washington, where our
faithful weather clerk" receives
them, reasoning out from them the
probabilities" which he publishes
three times in every twenty-four
hours.
But the atmosphere varies not only
In weight, but also In temperature.
The thermometer tells us OF such
changes.
Besides this, the air contains a
great amount of moisture, and it
shows as much variation in this char
acteristic as In the others. For the
purpose OF making known the chan
ges In the moisture OF the atmos-
phere, an instrument has been inven-
ted called a "web-bulb" thermometer.
I've are tn us enabled to ascertain
the weight or pressure, the tempera-
ture, and the wetness OF the dir, and
now 1t only remains for US to meas
ure the force, and point out the direc-
ton, OF the wind. This Is done by
the familiar weathsr-vane and the
thermometer Is and instrument which
indicates the velocity Of the wind.
It Is by a right understanding OF
all these instruments that the signal
service officer Is enabled to tell what
the weat her says OF itself; for they
are the pens with which the weather
writes out the facts from which the
officer makes up his reports for the
benefit OF all concerned. Thus, how
ever wildly and blindly the storm
may seem to come, 1t sends messen
gers telling just where 1t arose. what
course 1t will take, and how far 4
will extend. But it tells its secrets
!. to those only who pay strict atten
tion.-James III. Flint, 81. Nichola.
for july.
Friends. a.f
People who have warm friends ar