The Indianapolis journal., 1888-07-22

PUSSY WEATHER MAN.
General Greedy. Chief of the Signal Service
Bureau. is talking too much aud to little pur-
poss. His appointment to his present position
was generally approved as a deserved recogni-
tion of his gallantry. and a reward for his
sufferings in the arctic exploring expedition.
Besides. it was supposed that he possessed the
requisite executive ability and other qualifca-
tions for the Office. He has not yet verified
this opinion. The signal service, instead of
being improved, has deteriorated. This is
doubtless dae, in part, to sympathy with the
general deterioration of the civil service under
the present administration, but there is rea-
son to believe it is partly due to General
Greelys lack of fitness for the position
of chief. He is fussy and meddlesome in
his methods. and seems to lack executive
ability. He has come pretty near making
himself ridiculous by talking about the
weather. and attempting to make predictions
which no scientist or meteorologist would
think of making Early last spring he entered
in competition for prize offered by Detroit
paper to the person who would name the three
hottest days of the summer. Only cranks
pretend to foretell the weather months in ad-
vance. General Greedy attempted to do this
naming three days in July which happened
to be exceptionally cool. Now, he has been
talking again. He is reported as saying that
the published statements regarding coming
excessively hot wave within few days are wide
of the mark. There will be no protracted
heated spell during the month of July, he
SAYS. for the reason that the existing condi-
tions are such that they cannot generate
hot wave. The late cold weather was directly
traceable to the storms that have recently
passed over the country from northwest to
southeast, and drawn the cold air from Mani
toba and scattered it over the eastern portion
Of the United States Heated terms are
caused, according to General Greedy, by the
earth throwing off the heat of the suns rays
accumulating during a long dry spell. He
says the recent severe-rain storm throughout
the country, during which in some places
three inches of rain fell in less
than twenty-four hours, has so moist
ened the earth that it is impos-
sible for it to become heated sufficiently
to cause spell of excessively hot weather,
such as was experienced in 1857 and other
years. The storms Of wind accompanying
the rain have SO cooled the atmosphere and
scattered the cold of the Northwest over the
States that it is almost impossible that any
unusual heat should occur at present. Con-
sinued warm breezes from the south are a
great aid in bringing on hot weather, and
there have been none of these. Taking all
things into consideration, the heavy rains
and the northern breezes, General Greedy says
he feels absolutely safe in predicting that
there will be no excessive heat during the
month of July. There may be very warm
| days occasionally, but no protracted hot wave.
| All this sounds too much like the talk Of a
pIoAeeeionai "cotuer propnes, Wno to sn1at-
tering of science adds large amount of as
sumption and disposition to make little
knowledge appear very impressive. There
are meteorologists of far greater learning in
the science and far more experience than
General Greedy who would not think of az
tempting to diagnose weather symptoms as
he does. And as for predicting the weather
with any degree of accuracy month or a
week in advance, neither he nor anybody else
can do it. The Signal Service Office can and
does furnish tolsrably reliable predictions Of
the weather twenty-f our or forty-eight hours
in advance, but the really experienced and
competent men of the service would hardly
attempt more than that. General Greedy had
better let the future take care of itself, talk
less, and devote himself to improving the
| signal service.