The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-08-11
WEATHER CHANGES


Mayor Grub and at once. interested tia!
official inthe matter that brought himito
this city, which, as was stated inyester.
days paper, was 10 arrange for the dis.
playing Of signal tlsgs that should indicate
the probable weather conditions for tie
benefit ofthepnblic. Mayor Gfubb heart.
lily approved Of the scheme and promised
to bring thematter before Council at once
and urge the purchase OF the flags. and fur.
ther, to show that he was In earnest about
the matter, sent on an order for the flags.
In case Council should not endorse his
views, which in this case 1t should most
certainly do, he will assume the response
biiity Of displaying them daily himself
and pay for them out Of hiso pocket.
May or Grubb's idea is to erect q twenty.
FIVE foot aag:pole on the Washington Hall
tower; the flags from there could be seen
by q larger number Of people than at any
other point unless 1t he on one OF the hills
surrounding the city, andto place them
there would not be at all practicable.
There Is more travel at the corner OF
Market and Twelfth streets than at any
other point inthe city, and the flags from
a staff on the tower could be seen daily by
fully one. half Iof the residents OF the city.
Y Mrs. Heiskell was sent out by the Signal
Service several weeks ago to visit all points
where there was q Baltimore & Ohio teles
graph office, the Government having per-
fected arIangementg with that telegraph
company for transmitting directions for
displaying the flags at all points where
they are used. II only to an in
sutiiciency OF appropriations that has pre-
vented the Signal office from furnishing
the flags as well 90 the reports.
& There are three hIgs in this system 10
indicate the. temperature that may be ex.
y. q, ed, and three to indicate tho kind OF
weather that old Probsn hos laid out for
the day. All Of the flsgs AFRO white, six
feet square in size those indicating the
temperature have red symbols in the cen-
tire, and those for the weather have blue
symbcls. A large red sun in the centre
indicates higher temperature or warmer
weather, red crescent lower temperature
or cooler weather, and red star stations
airy temperature. A blue sun in the CEN
ire indicates general rain Tor snow, a blue
crescent clear or fair westher, aud q star
local rain Tor SNOWY. Two flags are
always hoisted, and the reports will be
sent out so es not 10 be mlsunde rstood,
for Instance Ike this, /" Hoist red sun, blue
star meaning look out for local rains and
warmer weather.
There is in addition another flag known
as the cold wave signal-a white flag six
a. Az I, t1oNl, ona+ar twn faat
square, which is displayed in advance OF
the csld wave and lowered when the
wave artiyet. During the season Of yege.
tation the signal Is only ordered hoisted
when che temperst IiTe 10 expected TO. fall
tot point Indicating frost. BY. the gener.
alitefm gcold wave is to be understood
a sudden and decided fall In temperature,
as when II falls from fifteen to thirty de-
grees or more, within very short time.
This Is very important sigAal, as on
many ppcasioas the uilexpe cted arrival OF
these sudden changes In temperature has
proved very disastrous TO the interests Of
persons engaged in agriculture and stock
farming, shippers Of perishable goods,
manufacturers, railroads and merchants,
and the purpose Ia sending ont warnings
is that al may be enabled to take the
precautions necessary to protect them
selves hy being informed of thee waves,
which the Service is a6ielto predict with
great accuracy.
"A full set Of flags costs but q az. and
the Council ought not to hesitate about
purchasing them. They are being pur-
chased everywhere else.
If Ia ',1Sapnoa1 6x, ft1a aatvtns 40 mo Z n a
special study Of the conditions along the
Baltimore & Ohio road % ii lAae Of the
Clover 1ake' and Ohio Valley as
shown by the indications sent out three
times a day, the one sent out at ] A. NJ. be-
Ing published In this paper every morn,
ing. Along the Baltimore q Ohio there
would be The ..mountain,' !, Valley and
s.plainn conditions. Wheeling would
probably receive VALLEY orders,
Statistics show that the Service 70 correct
in it's genera. predictions IS times out OF
100. AT Cumberland where they havejustl
introduced the flag system gentleman
who had watched the predictions told Mr..
Heiskell that the percent was sl this in
a maiptaineeus region like Cumberland
shows a really wonderful accuracy. This
will be still further increased when the
Service makes Its special study Of the con-
ditions along the B. 4 o.
The flag signals are intended to replace
the Farmers Bulletins that The Service
have been senling out for q long time past.
They had to be sent by mail and could
only reach 3 limited namhef et places in
time tobe posted, and where they arc
received they are very seldom properly
posted 1.-THE same bulletin often remaining
In the case for days and thereby mislead-
ing the public, which in turn abused the
service. BY the flag system every town
along the line Of Telegraph can be reached
and smaller towing can be posted by tele-
phone by the larger ones.