Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-16
ESPECIAL rEIEeRAM TO rHE pIspArcH.1

BOSTON, June r5.-There are 40 odd
persons in Southeastern Massachusetts who
pay little attention to the reports sent out
by the Government Weather Bureau. Blue
Hill is the Mecca of the weather faith, and
each day they turn their eyes toward the
tower on the summit to ascertain what
nature has prepared for them in the way of
rain, sunshine, wind or calm. Their confidence
in the prophesies huttering from the signal
pole on the top of this mountain is rarely
misplaced. They have found that the men
who live on that elevated tower are on
more friendly terms with the tickle goddess
of the wind and storm than are Govern
ment weather prophets, and it is the pre-
vaIling belief that such favoritism will
| bring forth more accurate statements in re-
gard to the weather.
This observatory on the top of Great Blue
Hill, as it is sometimes called, is quite an
interesting institution. 1t is perfect in all
its details and is supplied with all the ap-
paratus necessary to spy out the secret plans
| of the elements. The good work accom-
plished in that tower which notifies thou
sands of persons of impending storm or
bright promises of sunshine and which is
superior IN point of accuracy to the vast
Government service, is the result of young
mans hobby.
That man is Abbott Lawrence Roteh.
His home is in Boston, on Commonwealth
avenue, and his wealth and social standing
place his family among the first in the city.
He has for an assistant a young man, H.
Helm Clayton, who is equally enthusiastic
in the work. All the expense of building
and fitting out the observatory-and it ag-
gregated many thousand dollars-was borne
by Mr.. Rotch, and the current expenses,
which amount to 5000 each year, are
also paid by him. This enterprise was the
first of its kind in the United States.
Mr.. Rotch, ever since his boyhood days,
has been deeply interested in meteorology.
In the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology he was looked upon by his class
mates as mild sort of weather crank. He
made many interesting discoveries that were
given to the public through the columns of
the scientific journals. He graduated in
1884, and then devoted his entire time to
the study of his favorite science. Great
Blue hill is the highest point Of land on the
Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, and
was selected as the best place for making
the investigations determined upon.
Mr.. Rotch sought the cooperation Of the
Government Signal Service Bureau, but the
chief signal officer wanted to- take the en-
tire charge of the place, and that scheme
was dropped. Such an arrangement would
have conficted with the policy outlined by
Mr.. Roteh.
A BUREAU OF HIMSELF.
Then he determined to take charge Of the
work himself, and make all the observa-t
tions with such aid as an assistant could
render. He built the observatory on the
top OF hill that had once been given over
to rattlesnakes, and in less than three
years he had become such a dan
gerous rival that the Govern
ment was forced to recognize
his work. In the building, which was
strongly built to withstand the high winds
that sweep over the summit of the hill, all
the instruments known to scientists by
which sunshine, wind and rain can be
measured and analyzed are collected, and
then Mr.. Rotch and his assistant kept their
weather eyes open for anything unusual in
the atmosphere.
1t was not their intention TO run a rival
establishment to the Government Weather
Bureau. Theirs was based upon entirely
different principles. The Government
weather prophet merely took the weather as
it came, asking no questions, and dispensed
it with more or less accuracy throughout the
country Mr.. Rotch went further than that.
He first accepted what dame nature sent
him, and then sought to know the why and
wherefore of such weather. 1t was his de-
sire to become so familiar with all the
smaller "details that go to make up a storm
or a cold or warm wave that in the future
greater accuracy could be secured in weather
predictions.
A DELICATE MACHINE.
They have q wind gauge that marks upon
a chart the direction and the velocity and
the character of the wind. Each moment in
the "a hours is marked accurately. Another
instrument is nicely adjusted that not only
is the total rainfall recorded, but the guam
tity OF rain that falls at any one moment
is shown. A barometer is also provided,
with pen and ink, and every change in the
atmospheric pressure is recorded with
greater accuracy than human fingers could
secure. The changes in the temperature are
faithfully announced by series of ther-
mometers.
In order to see what relation sunshine
bears to showers, sunglass is so arranged
as to record every moment of sunshine dur
ing the day. The observer at the close Of
each day is able to tell Just the moments
when the SUE was obscured bV clouds, and
when its rays again reached the earth.
The clouds are not neglected. By means
of minor, properly adjusted, the speed of
the clouds of the several strata is aseertained,
and any changes in the direction of the wind
at the several atmospheric levels are taken
into account. The predictions thus made
are the result of local observations as above
described, combined with the observations
sent out from the signal station in this city.
The weather map, which is issued daily by
the Boston Office, is sent to the Blue Hill
Observatory, and the predictions made from
there are largely based upon its record.