The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-11-01
THE WEATHER BUREAU.

Four months ago Secretary ISusk o
the weather bureau under the shelter OF
his agricultural wing, and the alleged
humorists Of the daily press, as Frank
Pixley calls them, have been on the
broad grin ever since. But it takes COM
paratively little to excite their risible
muscles, and even they cannot deny
that, when Uncle Jerry adopted the
youngster, he meant to do we'll by him.
In spite of the lads changeable ways.
the secretary saw in him the possibilities
of a great and useful future, and to the
end that his abilities might b~edeveloped
to the utmost, the secretary of agricul-
ture placed him under the care Of Prof.
Mark W. Harrington, who had already
proved his skill in the difficult roles Of
wet and dry nurse for all kinds of
weather vagaries. Some touch OF self
ishness there may have been in Uncle
Jerry's action. To his own department
of the public service no more useful ally
could be imagined than a well-equipped
and intelligent administration of the
weather bureau. But the secretary was
shrewd enough to see that the possibili-
ties of advantage which it promised
were not limited to his W special de-
partment. On the farmers it could con
fer the valuable boon of prompt dissent
nation of weather forecasts throughout
the agricultural districts. Its useful
ness, however, need not halt there, and
Secretary Rusk was prompt with the
declaration that the work of the meteor
illogical department of this government
should cover a much wider field. 1t
might and should, he thought, include a
systematic investigation into the eli
matte conditions Of the different Sec
tions of the country, so that a set OF re-
liable data might be at hand for con-
slant use and reference.
Four months is not a long period of
time for work in a government office, but
Chief Harrington's report to the score
tary shows that a great deal has been
accomplished within that short space on
the lines already laid down. Since July
new weather services have been organ
ICED in a number of states and terrific
ries, Arizona, California, Florida, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
and Wyoming. In the same period a
hundred new voluntary stations have
been established and fitted up with the
necessary instruments at the expense of
the bureau. An equal number has been
equipped by private enterprise. Twelve
hundred weather signal stations was
the record at the end OF September, an
increase of about 100 per cent. in three
months. Voluntary observers number
about 1900, a growth of nearly 400 in
less than that time. At no distant date
it is hoped that the energy of the bu-
reau will cover the country with a net
work of voluntary stations, none more
than from twenty to thirty miles apart.
Among the results of the extension of
the observations of the bureau already
achieved, there Is a compilation of eli
matte data that brings into contrast,
curing tHe monLn OIL July OIL Inc present.
year, the conditions of parts of certain
southern European countries and those
Of portions of the United States. When
the famous Riviera is included in the
lists, it is certainly a surprise to learn
that there are parts of u own country
which in climatic conditions surpass
many of the health resorts towards
which American travellers have been
tiocking for a great many years. Work
such as this is not only useful; it is thor
oughly patriotic, and Uncle Jerry has the
thanks, in this respect at least, Of every
good American citizen. Helena should
invite him to The Broadwater.