, 1888-11-22
THE WEATHER.
How the Public Is Informed
About 1t i'm Advance.
The Benefits ana Advantages of
the Signal Service.
Something About the Men who Are On
Intimate Terms with the Mighty
Elements and Storms.

Auc WCabucI utuu bdU III his IdlT yes"
terday near cheerful fire. He was gloat.
ing over the fact that cold, shivering
humanity was at his mercy and gleefully
rubbing his hands
How long are you going to keep this
brand on tap" he was asked.
"For few days only. Then we'll let
you down little easier. Dom get alarmed
and think about freezing to death because
it isn't blowing soft zephyrs with steam
heat attachments all the time. The winter
isn't over yet" and he smiled significantly
and diabolicaly.
The weather tiend is otherwise known as
Sergeant Charles Stewart. and unlike the
weather he furnishes, always cheerful. He
is more than polite, He is courteous, and
when the reporter asked him a few ques-
tions about the manner of conducting a
weather bureau, he readily complied
MIR. Stewart said; III take three obser.
vations daily, two of which are telegraph
ed to Washington and San Francisco.
From all the reports received, the indica-
tion officer at each of those points makes
his predictions of what the weather will
be for the next twenty-four hours. This
task requires man thoroughly posted in
such matters, and he must arrange his
predictions sometimes within few min
utes after the reports are received He
must think quickly and act promptly.
These
INDICATIONS ARE PREPARED
at l A. M. daily for the twenty.four hours
commencing at A. NJ, and are furnished
by the Signal Service for the benefit of the
general public and those industries de-
pendent to a greater or less extent upon the
conditions of the weather."
The weather indications are telegraphed
daily to a large number of signal service
stations. to railroads, ETC., in various Sec
tions of the country, and are published in
nearly all the daily papers, The indica-
tions are also communicated to the public
by means of flags or signals which are
displayed in prominent places. In this
city the signals are displayed on Cannon's
block, and may be easily understood by
anyone taking the trouble to read the con.
tents of the circular furnished by the chief
signal officer for the purpose.
The flags employed IL communicating
signals are four in number. No. is a
white flag and indicates fair weather. No.
is blue flag and indicates rain or snow.
No. 3, black triangular flag, tempera-
ture signal, and No. is white flag with
a black square in the center, and indicates
q cold wave.
The interpretations of the displays is as
follows: No. j, alone, indicates fair
weather, stationary temperature; No. 2,
alene, indicates rain or snow, stationary
temperature; No. /, with No. 3 below it,
indicates fair weather, colder; No. 2, with
No. 3 above 1t, indicates warmer weather,
rain or snow; No. l, with No. A below it,
indicates fair weather. cold wave; No. 3,
with Nos. and 2 below it, indicates
warmer, fair weather, followed by rain or
snow
HOW THE SERVICE WAS ESTABLISHED.
Mr.. Stewart stated that comparison of
the climate Of this locality with that of
other localities in the same degree of lati-
tude is very favorable, especially the alb
sence of prostration from heat here, while
at the same degree of temperature in the
east, prostration and death are frequent
Every summer brings reports of deaths by
| the score in eastern cities, at temp era
ture of ninety degrees in the shade, while
here with the temperature at 100 or even
higher, people work under the rays of the
sun without thought of prostration from
sunstroke, while death from the efec Is
of heat is not heard Of This popularity
of our climate Mr.. Stewart attributes to
the low humidity or dryness of the air.
From history OF the signal service,
published by General w. B. Hazen in 1884,
it is learned that the meteorological di-
vision of the United States signal service
was established in 1860. The progress of
modern inquiry into the changes taking
place in the weather, and especially into
the phenomena of storms, had for many
years previous strengthened the conviction
that they are not capricious, but follow
certain laws. To provide, therefore, for tax
ing meteorological observations. with aview
to "giving notice by telegraph and signals
of the approach and force of storms" was
the end originally contemplated by the
joint resolution of congress, which passed
February 4. 1870, authorizing the secre-
tary of war to carry this scheme into
effect. The organization of meteor
illogical bureau adequate to the investi-
cation of storms, and to their pre-an-
nouncement along the northern lakes and
the seacoast, was under the auspices
of the war department, immedi-
atelv intrusted to the chief
signal officer of the army and the division
thus created in his Office was designated
as the division Of kilograms and Re-
ports for the Benefit OF Commerce. This
was the first legislation of the United
States government inaugurating national
weather service.
ADVANTAGES OF WEATHER BUREAU.
BY acts of congress in 1928 the service
was largely extended. In addition to the
regular military observers. there was
transferred to the sienal service in 1874
the entire body of Smithsonian weather
observers in all parts of the United
States. This voluntary force of civilians
continues to contribute its scientific labors
to the signal service. There are altogether
about 400 voluntary observers connected
with the service, and the number is con.
stantly increasing.
The weather predictions of the service
| l.. AS not ,al, a..
merce and agriculture, as the
forecast Of approaching storms as
disseminated by the associated
press and other channels has been the