The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-16
THAT POLAR FLAG.

a Germ an Editor Gives Reasons for Losing
Confidence in the Signal Service.
Translated from the indianapolis German Tele-
graph.
time, such an inexhaustible fund of jests. good
and bad, as that polar flag on the signal station
in its frequent appear ance and reappearance.
When hoisted, it is to warn US that cold
from anywhere-most frequently from the
Northwest-is approaching toward our good city,
and that. consequently, with regard to dress and
travelling projects, we should ia Ike suitable
measures for protection. But how often
has that omnous piece of bunting deceived u.s.
One might suppose that it could not be very diff
fcult TO calculate air currents and storm centers
on the vast plain of middle Indiana. extending
westward to tho Mississippi aud
eastward to the spurs of the Alleghe-
MES. but experience has laughs either
that this is not SO. that the arithmeticians
deficient in their science; for in q majority
of cases their account turned out to be wrong,
sometimes even predicting quite the contrary of
the weather we had and this for weeks where
by many projects of travel and business
checked or frustrated At least three times in
the course of last winter fall of the thermome-
ter of between 20 and % degrees in one night
predicted, while in reality it was not half
as bad; and about the beginning of the cold
season the delusive hosting of the polar flag
several occasions induced porkmen to
commence killing hogs, which they had
better postponed while. They and
the public generally have by degrees, come to
the conclusion that the little streamer is either
q thing without meaning or. at best not half
as reliable as a weather indicator as the stings
of corns and govt, or the cleaning efforts of the
domest tie cat which latter. it must be admitted.
has reached the summit of positive knowledge
in his studies of atmosp heric and meteorological
phenomena. And when. last Tuesday. the polar
flag appeared again. our wives and daughters
ran in great haste to the milliner's to buy new
spring hats or have their old ones newly
trimmed, being convinced that spring was now
advancing In rapid strides. Wednesday. under
the eyes of the polar flag was a warm, pleasant
day. indeed, and there would certainly have
been great throng In those stores, had not
the Indications ina the News
predicted warmer weather for Thurs
day, which everybody INTERPRETED ior
the reverse that actually presented itself. But
who can count all the strange and eomical mis-
takes occasioned by this confoundspg signal and
those erroneous indicAtionsf We know of an
editor lave, know him Intimately who, some
months ago, on the strength OF the afternoon
the mercury, wrote very deeply scientific
editorial on the 0ccenfricities of the American
climate and their probable influence upon the
character OF people pointing to the aford-
said fall SIS phenomenon in evidence. Butt
happened, that while the scientific article was
printed, there was no fall whatever OF
the mercury. but great fall next morning in
the good bumor of the editor who, we are sorry
to say. became quite profane in his comments
on that ac--d flag. imagining the merriment
must have produced when compared WIN tue
actual state of the weather. But IN this con-
neefion we consider ourself in duty bound TO
state that our distinguished fellow-citizen, Mr.
Wappenhans. the able superintendent OF the In
diananolis signal station, is not 10 blame. as ne
ceiges from Headquarters az Washington, whers
our country's weather is computed. Mr. Wap-
penhang 10 such quiet placid, even
tempered gentleman that probably he