Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-21
THE WEATHER AND BATTLEs.
Absurd Meteorological Ideas.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
Prior to the obtaining Of facts IL il not sur
prising that all manner Of absurd views should
be held in regard to a subject. Indeed it is not
surprising that even many valuable facts should
be narshaled on the side of error. Prior to
the establishment Of our admirable weather
service we had no definite knowledge of the
forces that produce and regulate the move
ments and conditions of our atmosphere. Now
| we have these movements laid before us on the
same general principle that we have the to-
pogrsphy of thelglobe laid before Us in our
biographies.
Prior to the development of that branch Of
knowledge known as geography all manner of
absurd views were held as to the condition of
the earth's surface. The facts obtained by dis
covery put an end to all controversy which
these facts make plain.
Now that we have extended the same princi-
pie to the atmosphere, and have mapped that,
and that daily the facts are spread before us, it
would seem wise on the part of the intelligent
people of the world at least, to heed these fact
to master them, and to become wise in re-
gard to our atmosphere as the ordinary school
boy is of the geography of the earth's surface.
Yet, strange to say, the world pays
little heed to this information. Information
that it would seem should have been earnestly
sought for is quite neglected. The result Of
tinue to spread before u.s. in the public print,
notions in regard to the weather that in the
line of geography would be in keeping with
things prior to the fifteenth century. Our
weather map was established in 1870. Allowing
five years for it to get on good basis, we may
count from at least 1875. or sixteen years, to
obtain valuable information in regard to our
atmosphere. The map reveals to us the two
grand factors, singh and slow (barometer),
and all the causes that produce them, and their
rpNA1 a%y --RA L.
world. At certain times it is clear and cold.
An extended and positive "high" reveals the
cause At other times it is relatively warm
for this season. north "low" shows the
cause Then there is the tornado or cyclone,
the blizzard the general storm and the fair
weather. No matter what the condition, the
map reveals it, and even indicates it in advance.
The cause Of rain or snow is the gathering of
the clouds which bear the material to be pre-
cipitated in the form of snow or rain, accord
position of 'high" and ''low." The sun fur
nishes the heat for evaporation, and the con-
centration of the heat produces the factor
low, which. in turn, produces the winds that
watt these clouds onward over hundreds Of
miles OF territory to some common center,
where the precipitation takes place. Without
this arrangement there would be no precipita-
ton, and even with the heat to evaporate, there
would be no centerlng OF clouds, forming what
we term the ''storm, without this agent 'low."
And yet intelligent men, even at this day, when
these all-important facts are known to US, are
the while and repeatedly coming to the front
with some absurd plan embracing
BALLOONS, ELECTRICITY AND ARTILLERY
to cause rain at any time and place. They cite
facts that during great battles precipitation has
taken place. They might also have cited many
other facts. They might have cited the fact
that the full moon has shed its weird light over
many battle field, but that would be no evil
dence that the battle caused the moon to be
full. There never was a better illustration of
the absurd statement OF post hoe, ergo, proctor
hoe than this During battle we are liable to
have any meteorological condition. The
greater portion of the time, when battles are in
order, Is the warmer months OF the year,
when there is prevalence of the north
lows" and the north flows" produce the
summer locals To claim that
rain can be produced without regard to the
juxtapOsition of '.high" and slow is as absurd
as to claim that something can be made ont of
nothing. With an extended high" over the
country. say LOCO miles in diameter, with an
intensity OF 30.7 degrees pressure. all the artil-
}ery and electricity which could be brought to
bear would not even create "sign," but let
north low come on and the precipitation
would take place, if all electricity and artillery
were housed. And particularly must it be
borne in mind that the cause OF the summer
'local' is not in the immediate neighborhood
where the local takes place, but hundreds of
miles to the north of it.
When we can obtain some power that will
rival the sun and can move it about the coun-
try as we now move a train of cars, We possibly
might hope to create force that will evapOrate
the water in our oceans, lakes and rivers-form
it into clouds and watt them on to some desig-
mated spot. Until we can do this we had better
save our money and not expose our ignorance
Of natural laws. Jpn.