The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-01-01

Vepnor, the Canadian weather prophet, has
recently been receiving good deal Of credit
lor having predicted the heavy snow storm,
which lately visited tse middle Atlantic
states and which WIS particularly severe in
this locality, La addition to this, para
graph HIS boeu eoiag the rounds Of tho press
asserting that the signal Office was exercised
about Vo1nor's success, end was byno means
pleased, because tho CGnsdiaa could predict
storms months in advance, while It's forecast.
ings were only fer twen.y-iour hours, and
then not always correct A Post reporter
called last evening upon Prof ssor Cleveland
Abbo, who is on tho scientific stff Of tho
Weather Buresu, EBd ono Of th0 most pr1mi
nent moteoroogists in The country, to loarn
how Professor Vonpor's prophecies were 70.
gArdod by the aigusl service.
81 was little amused last Tuesday mora.
ing" thid Prof Able, ito hear ever 80
many people romSrk, n3 they made the best
Of their way through tho heavy snow, that
N0nnor wsa, indeed, wonderful man. Yet
BIZ did not, Es | understand it, predict this
storm in the flighioit. He rrophesicd, ighe
said anything at ell, q heavy sRoW storm on
or about the 22l of December Cor Tho d.
mini0n Of Canada and the New ENGLAND
states The snow, ~ everybody remembers,
was to b. eleven foot deep. Our weather
map will show you just how near Nenu6r
came TO his predictions, Tho storm cid moi
extend further west than Columbus, nor fur
thor north than PHILADELPHIA. He was just
about 500 miles away tom his mark"
THAT is, il he prophesicd for tbs northern
part ofthe United States aud Ctrala"
1--WE have always understood said Pro.
lessor Able "thtt his predictions include the
st. Lawrence valley and possibly the LGl5o
Dat rio region. lihe predicts for the whole
North American continent il ould be child
ith and foolith to pay any confederation to
his statements, Ua would DO like man |
know in 81. Louis. Every once in a while
this gentlemen would rush iute the papers
with prediction Of m earthquake or some
other terrible event, on certain data. After
ward he wsuld como cut in y caro-, claiming
that bis prediction Was verified blcause there
happened TO DO IA earthquake in Australia
or the Southern Pacific Islands on tho day he
named.
alas the weather bureau paid any official
attenh on 10 Mr.. VeEnor's prognostics.
tions %
40 test tho accuracy of his work wO have
occasionally compared his predictions, IS
published in the newspapers, Which accounts
of courle, contain Geographic and typo
graphical errors, for which Vennor is not
responsible, with the real facts We find
that one qualter of his predictions are vori
fed, If they are intended for the ST, Law
renee valley. If they are meant for this 10.
cAlity, as those who would give him credit
for predicting the recent storm hero must
believe, thon not ten per cent. Of lis proph.
ecies como true. In view Of his continued
failures, one or two brilliant successes would
not justify us in adopting his system Of fore
tellin, the weather"
"Upon what are his methods for AZ
nounoing the weather bAstd!"
"He keeps his system secret 10 himself.
There are, however, few ways in which II
comparatively truthful guess can DO made at
the weather months ahead. The hrst is by
observing tho average weather daring each
month for long period. II we 1nd thSl icr
several months the sySrsge has been wet or
cold II may be predicted that during the i'm
mediate succeeding months the weather will
be the rsvsrse, that 10, dry or warm. Then
we can get AT the matter in another WAY,
When January, February and March HAYS
certain characteristics the latter part of the
yer, Qctlbsr, November and December will
have corresponding CHARACTERISTICS Thus tbs
weather may DO forttold, in general sense
some months ahead. But no uau In
the world has ever devised plan which will
ferstell special storms on certain aays, OF
which will afford genuine prsaiction FOR :
long period in advance. We are sometimes
asked to give the weather several DAYS in ad-
Vance in the case Of feliivA! ocesiiehs, Nv
der favorable conditions we can do this. with
very good chance of successful prediction
For instance, the chances are that the las
few days Of August will DO clear because
the records show that this is tho case fy,
times to one. This, Of course, relates 70 =
particular LEGALITY, and can not be made |,
cover the whole country. Isupposs all Mr.
venners predictions are made by thss,
methods"
"Did no state where these recent storm
would come frem"
"Nc; he never does. As matter o
fact, however, 1t began as moderate storm
in the Gulf of Mexico, and grew more in
tsnss as il passed nofthwsrd along the AT
lantic coast. II brought rain on the Nortl
Carolina coast, snow in the middle states
and then passed away to the northwestward
following tho path OF avery large percent
age OF storms. Itpassed oil by Newfound
land, probably touching Iceland and eausirt