Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-12
NO EQUINOCTIAL STORM.
The Weather Map as an Interpreter Of
Nature.

To the Editor Of TIE EVENING STAR:
In former communications TO The STAR I
have taken the ground that there is no ''equi-
noctial," and now repeat the same. II there
was any peculiar effect following what is
termed the .sssun crossing the line," it would
seem that such a storm would be general and
take place every time the sun is in this relation
to the earth. 1t is a queer kind of a cause that
will have one effect at one time and quite a
different effect at another time, and be merely
local and not general
The simple solution of all these old weather.
wise sayings lies in the fact that they were
invented before the age of enlightenment on
this subject 1t is simply a matter of history,
in all departments, that prior to having exact
knowledge OF q subject men will invent some
solution of the question which seems in accord
ance with their present limited knowledge. It
Is TACT beyond dispute, that prior to having
the weather map we knew nothing of value
about our atmospheric movements With the
map came Hood of light on the great subject
which the world never dreamed of.
AN INTERPRETERS OF NATURE.
am no apologist for the signal Office; am
not one of the corps, but am student of their
map. The map is q wonderful interpreter of
nature, and if the intelligent people of the
world would learn to read it we would have no
M ore silly talk about moon influence, equinoc-
tial storms and the like.
The atmosphere of the globe is divided into
two grand factors known as "high" and
low. These travel over the surface of the
earth and produce their effect new thigh"
and new low appear every four or five
Gays somewhere in the west and travel, on gen.
eral lines, toward the east As often before
stated. there are four general points where the
lows enter the territory of the United States
IN IN the extreme northwest and southwest,
through Texas from Mexico, and occasionally
from the West Indies and along our Florida
coast. There is nothing regular about these
centers or their movements. If there were
meteorology would be simple matter of arith-
metic.
AND HEREIN LIES THE DIFFICULTY.
For the past two weeks or more we have had
considerable "high" in the northeast section of
the country, giving, in the Atlantic states, much
of what may be termed ''dry northeastern"
So long as this .'high" occupied this northeast
section no low" could ADVANCE from the south
west or from the south toward it. But by the
9Th that "high" had moved sufficiently out of
the way to permit the ''low'' from the south to
advance; so suddenly itmakes its appearance off
Hatteras. The movement from the 10th to the
llth was very little, probably not more than 80
miles. An average speed for ''low" is 300 to
400 miles a day: not infrequently it travels 800
or 900 miles. At times it even SURPRISES this
and makes a record of 1000 and 1,50O miles in
twenty-four hours. When we come to have
stations on every 80 miles square all over the
world we may be better able to get at this
question of speed, but until then. at least, we
must be satisfied to base our indications on a
fair average-say 800 miles in twenty-four
hours.
If this ''low" had travelled 200 miles from the
10th to the 18th the influence of the storm
would have passed beyond the center Of Wash
lngton by the 18th; but We see it did not.
FAIR STATEMENT
and one that all reasonable men, it would seem,
should be willing to accept, is, if on a certain
day statement OF the weather is made, in ac-
cordance with the indications then existing,
and contrary effect follows. if the map for
the succeeding day shows good reason for the
different condition, then there was no mistake
Before we charge the signal Office with failure
let US be able to read the map and to see
wherein lies the cause of the non-fulillment of
the indications 1t is no more than fair that
the person giving the indications should stand
or fall by this. The map for the succeeding
day Will either support or condemn people who
know nothing OF the map. of the peculiar forces
at work, whereby our atmosphere is changed
from one condition to another-know not
enough OF the subject to be fair judges.
Let all intelligent people study the map, and
they then will be able to find fault with reason
and moreover will save themselves the chagrin
OF making fools of themselves generally on this
interesting subject IPN.