The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-16
FoRMArIoN OF THE STORM.
The SIgnaI-service-P Predictions Man Gives
the Philosophy of It.

The Signal NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Man Gives
the Philosophy OF It.
Washington Special
Prof. Able, the predictions man of the Signal
Service, said to-day: THE conditions during
this storm were peculiar On Friday we could
see the formation of two lows or storms-o-e
on the northern lakes and one in Georgia-with
winds coming from the west. No one could tell
which of those two centerB would reach this
portion Of the country first, out from the direc-
ton of the wind at the time no one could reason
ably have supposed that the southern storm,
which was the smaller, would amount to the
terrific disturbance into which it developed
The cause of the dir1c1lty was the abundance of
air pouring in from the sea.
But | should explain about the formation of
storms. center such this is usually caused
by moist air meeting with obstruction, thus
forming clouds, which in turn produce rain or
snow. An ocean current is always moist. and
when 1t strikes the shore and nigh land Il sweeps
up into the highest regions and gives clouds:
Winds pour in toward storm center from all
sides in the line of tangent, and the clouds
formed hang over the low In the present case
the rapidity with which the storm moved to the
north productive of unusual results. A vast
body of air swept down from the northwest,
and, although cold contained amount of
moisture sufficient to increase the fury of the
storm. You see," the Professor continued,
pointing to the map, "the storm 10 probably
still raging with great fury off sne coast of New
England. The ocean currents are driving in at
coming with their quota of moisture. and the
storm seems have gradually increased it
went along the coast After passing Philadel-
phia it began to move more slowly. and during
the past twenty -four hours it has remained al
most stationary. This fact is. perhaps, the
most abnormal feature of the storm.
Although We have not received any reports
since Sunday from any Of Ire stations north of
ittsburg. and none from other places time,
yet have not failed &c make full predictions
at any time We Obliged by the rules of the
service to make three predictions every twenty
four hours and we have managed to do this
throughout the present dearih OF data We
were ena bed TO do it by maps made up
from Fridays and Saturdays reports, which
showed us the general state of things through
out the country. So managed 20 make with
our knowledge of what had happened, calcula-
ton to what would happen.
1T was large risk to take but am sure that
we have not failed in our predictions. While
we did not foresee the intensity of this blizzard,
we gave warning of the storm in the South
The element that fooled US was ocean winds.
about which we never have any warning.
''The ony other time that can remember the
service to have been so crippled as To its re-
ports" said the Professor, was in 1872. but
even then, with nearly every source of commune
cation cut off, we did not fail to cover all of the
ground.
'.We have heard nothing from the South, but
we know tbat there must nave been very heavy
frosts in northern Florida and Georgia, which
have done great damage to the crops. Our dis
patches come in in cipher. and our observers are
allowed by the rules OF the service to send
more than the bare data of their observations.
We used to permit and ask them to send in other
information, but that has now been stopped in
the interest of economy, l presume. antici-
pate that the northwest winds will continue to
come down upon US for some time yer following
up the end of the storm. and we cannot ex-
pect much warmer weather for twenty-four
hours at least 1t may be slightly warmer in
the morning. The lowest temperature recorded
here last night was 1872"