The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-03
NEW PROBABILITIES.
He Succeeds the Old Weather
Sharp on This Coast.
Lieutenant John P. Finley Tells What the
Yineyardists ard Others Need in the
Way CT PrognOstica

Since the change made in the Signal Ser
vice Corps, whereby Lieutenant John +.
Finley was put in charge of the Pacific
Coast weather service, there have been
many surmises as to whether he would
institute new order of things and make
any changes among the stations.
Though the number of men this could
affect is small, the public in general has
been taking more interest lately than it has
for wears, and Immediately commenced
questioning when it was announced that
change at the head Office had been made.
Lieutenant Finley was transferred from
the New England Division of the Signal
Service Corps. The headquarters of this
division is at Boston, where Lieutenant
Finley has resided several years while en-
gged in his representations.
NEW HEADQUARTERS.
\ visit to the new headquarters of the
, Signal Service Corps, Rooms 527 and 439
,<Shelan Block, found nearly every corner
filed with tones of writings on currents,
dissertations on winds and other volumes
piled up without design or order among the
charts, maps and instruments of ali sorts
that 20 to make up a fully equipped Office.
they had been piled in the corners Of the
room awaiting the arrival of book cases
aud storage boxes. Several of these books
are the product of Lieutenant Finleys pen,
and the instruments are of his invention.
DO you intend, Lieutenant, to make
m7uy changes 2
NO, not many. There will be no changes
at the various stations in this division
among the men, but there will be a general
Improvement and extension of the work
now in hand. We have here a vast amount
OF data, gathered by volunteers aud agents
Of the corps, and my first work will be 10
reduce these data TO something ike system.
Then we can proceed to study the phenOm-
eua of nature, She is always all right;
only you must understand her"
PREDICTIONS NEEDED.
Il have just returned" continued the
Lieutenant, from trip into the San
Joaquin Valley, over the mountains into
southern Nevada and again into Southern
California. Inc OBJECT OF my trip was TO
find out what was needed by the inhabit-
ants of that region from us, SO that we
would know what to look out for. found
that we must pay special attention to fore
casting rains and frosts. About rains, the
yineyardist and farmer asks three queS-
lions. When will the first rain of the sea-
son occur? How long will it continue?
L VIII it be heavy or light? The whole thing
= centers for them on the first rain. As to
fr0sts they want to know when and what
kind Will occur, whether black or white.
Black frost is the worst kind and results
when the temperature is below SO Fahren-
Leit Greeting point and, at the same time,
above the dew point, which varies with the
degree of humidity. When there is not
much humidity and the temperature can
fail below freezing-point without freezing
the little dew there may be in the air, the
Juice of the plants and vines will freeze
and, on the appearance Of the next days
sun, Will turn black. In that way black
frost gets its name. Otherwise it is mis-
homer. The white frost is the result of the
freezing Of the dew and can only happen
when there is a good deal of it in the air.
THIS frost Is seldom Injurious to plant life
DREADED BLACK FROST.
Since 1t is the black frost the planters
dread most, it is that which will receive
special attention. When we send out
bulletin that frost is likely to happen the
wise vineyardist or planter will build
smudge fires so that the smoke rising
viii keep the days heat from radiatng 1t
VIII act ike a cloud, but better, being
closer.
Right here 1 want to say that the public
press IS the best means Of announcing to
the people what the weather will be and it
should aid US IN our Work. l have an order
here to discontinue the weather indications
during August and l am told that one of
the city papers has stopped publishing
them. Now, that is not right. The weather
goes on Just the same, whether we are
rr0hting by the time to study into her phe-
nUmena or not. | have seen enough TO
know that on account of there being two
seasons - wet and dry season - it
VIII be necessary, Tor this bureau
to be maintained on this coast
At time will it ever be
advisable to transfer the work to Washing
ton to be done there. 1t is a peculiar eli
Mdle, anu us IeSullS dltCI uOL only TIE
States west Of tie Rocky Mountains, but
those East and Europe. All storms go east
from west, and, though you do not have Sc
we're ones here, stIll the conditione are made
here and should be studied thoroughly. 1t
remains to a great extent with the press as
TO the success of our work and the welfare
Of our people"
INTENSE HEAT AT THE EAST.
what is the cause Of the intensely hot
season back East this year?"
II IS no hotter there now than it has
been any other year. 1t is wetter. People
lose sight of that fact. 1t is humidity that
makes the Leat Of the East so unbearable.
The body fairly suifocates with the stream
u perspratou, not one-half of which is
the result Of the heat of the body, but Of
the humidity of tile atmosphere. Ninety
degrees here would not seem so hot; but
there it is terrible, and 100 degrees kills if
person be exposed.
The cause Of all that heat is the gulf
and the gulf stream, which, while it makes
the air humid, also makes the East habita-
bic. Without it no one could live there.
TIE winters would freeze 20 death; the
summers would burn TO a crisp"