The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-01-13
THE WEATHER PROPHETS.
THE UNITED STATES steEAL SER
VICE AND ITS WORK.
Where Stor Ais Are Brcwed and what
Their Track-WhY Wind blows
and RAin Falls


Where Stor lrs Are Brcwed and what
Their Track-WhY Wind Blows
and Rain Falls.
u was TO protect the shipping of lake
atid ocean that the weather bureau was
brought into existence by General Al |
bert j. Never in 1870. From the
twenty stations of 1870 have gtoTn 49O.
The sphere of usefulness of the service
has developed with the number of sta
tions. Beside warning shipping OF the
approach Of storms, farmers and shippers
Of fruits have been saved thousands of
dollars by being notified of coming rain
or frost or the approach of a cold wave.
1t was formerly the custom to mail re-
ports and predictions from stations 10
country post Offices that could be reached
the same day the reports and predictions
we're made, and there to display them
The daily newspapers are devoting so
much space and attention every day to
matters meteorological that the rural bull
letins were discontinued in July. Bull
etins are now displayed in every COM
mercial organizations rooms, and are
furnished all daily newspapers, while
from each signal station signals forecast
ing the weather for the succeeding TWEEN
ty-four hours are displayed from 1880
A. NJ.
A square blue spot on red back
ground is a cautionary signal against
storm. A round blue spot on white
background bespeaks rain or snow;
square blue spot on white background
means that cold wave is approaching;
a blue crescent on white background
+ indicates clear or fair weather, and blue
cross on a white background calls for
local rain or snow. The round red spot
on a white background means high tenn
perature, the red crescent lower temper
ature, and the red star stationary tenn
perature. Since General w. B. Hazen
took charge of the service on the death
of General Meyer in 1880, reorganization
has been going forward and the scope of
the service has been widened. The Fort
Meyer (Va school, where the observers
are given six or eight months training
in meteorology and army signaling, has
been put on a thorough footing. Stu
dents are admitted only after passing a
successful competitive examination. They
go out as assistants to observers. Then
if they develop capability they are ad-
vonced when opportunity affords.
There are three observations made at
all signal stations daily and telegraphed
to Washington, where the predictions
are made up that are promulgated to the
entire country. When severe storm Is
raging special observations are taken,
and the information thus obtained is
furnished by telegraph to stations in ad-
vance of the storm and likely to be
visited by it.
The regular observations are taken at
IA. NJ. 2 p. NJ, and II p. NJ, seventy
fifth meridian time. Half an hour later
they are forwarded. The operators on
all the telegraph sections into which the
stations are grouped sit at their desks
all other business is taken off the line,
and the operator farthest from Washing
ton begins sending his report. All the
other operators on the line take 1t. The
next one sends; all the Others take that.
When Washington has sent its report al
the operators in the section have com
plete reports of observations at every
station in their telegraph section. Time
is saved in this manner, and still further
cut down by a cypher system, one wore
of which often means whole paragraph
The observations result in obtaining tn,
pressure of the atmosphere as shown b.
a barometer adjusted to a common stan
dard; the temperature by tho thermome
ter; the atmosphere's humidity by tn
hygrometer; the winds direction anC
!, velocity by combination of windmill
and weather vane that automatically re
cords its findings on a paper driven by
, clockwork; the rainfall as measured in
vessel on the roof, which has a surface
, equal TO one square foot and prepare
tion against evaporation; the velocity
, character and direction of clouds.
, The usual birthplaces of storms are
, the Gulf of Mexico, the West Indies
, and Manitoba. Their courses are di
rected somewhat eastward. This is ac
, counted for by the fact that the eartl
revolves in that direction. Those ema
, mating from Manitoba travel southeas
{ over the great lakes and pass off to SCI
by wav of the Gulf of st. Lawrence
! Those coming from the Gulf of Mexico
. generally cyclones, pass up the Missls
; sippi valley and out over Lakes Fri
and Ontario. They also go east owe
9 the Gull of st. Lawrence. The Yves
{ Indian tornadoes travel northwest unit
they strike the South Atlantic coast
e where they curve to the east, and, fo
d lowing the coast line up the gulf stream
: finally strike the track of the Manitob
! and Gulf of Mexico zephyrs. New
{ foundland's favored people sometime
( get storms from all three of these hatch
y mos at about the same time. The
\ never complain up there of not gettin
g enough weather for their money. Tn
|. West India storms are the most robu'
J. of all.
9 The supposition as TO the cause {
storms is that, for some unknown res
son, certain parts of the country al
heated to a greater temperature tina
others. Heavy evaporation is caused
and the atmosphere is laden with wat'
carried up by the hot air, which
lighter than the air around it. The hC
air passing upward creates vacuum
~ 81 la