The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-12
FORECASTI\ GSTORNS
ACCURACY ANT rlMElINeSS IN FORE
CASTING WEATHER.
;.sniaIkni,i- Success Ot the United states
Weather I:urrau In toretelIing Sudden
and Dangerous Changes In the Atunn-.
piisrc In various sections.

The signal achievement of the gov
eminent weather bureau in predicting
the disastrous tornadoes in Iowa n
hour. III advance of their awful vista
lions brought into new prominence the
remarkable accuracy with which in
these days of advanced science a weather
forecast can be made.
The prediction Of the Iowa tornado
offers IA noteworthy example Of the value
OF the government bureau and illus
trates the perfection Of the system it EN-
ploys. but the forecast in point of accu
racy is duplicated daily. 1t isn't every
day that "A tornado starts on a wild STAN
pede. but the weather harps are expected
to keep the cities and towns of the coun-
try posted in advance in regard to the
weather, The daily forecast has become
an all important element in all calcula.
tons. whether of pleasure or Of business,
and could no more be dispensed with
than the telegraph or any Of the other
agencies which have revolutioy1Ofl
affairs.
Several years ago a couple of young
army l~ieutenants who saw tornadOes in
every cloudcap kept the western farm
ers lodging in and out Of low ground
cellars until they became round Shout
1ered and neglected their crops, but the
young l~ieutenants' experience is now one
of the amusing traditions Of the office.
1t is told. too, possibly as a joke. Shat
the colored %janitor who had rheumatism
and looked upon his left leg as a reli.
able gauge did the prophesying business
when the lieutenants were invited I"
some swell function.
Things are run differently now, rs III.
reliability of the predictions and the
able administration of the bureau at
test. 1t is doubtful. moreove if any
country on the globe has IL better equip
ped service. This is due in some meas
ure To the opportunities of study offered
10y the diverse climatic peculiarities of
he United States. These peculiarities
make the work of weather prophesyin:
mere IA most difficult task. requiring III,
employment of men Of wide exrerienc.
and learning. II is 10y no means an M
common circumstance for the weather
bureau to chase half IA dozen different
varieties of storms over the country in IL
day 1t may be hailing in North Da-
kota. IA tornado may be making sad
havoc III the western farming belt, IA
windstorm may be bowling along the
Atlantlc coast. importing shipping, and
four or five thunderstorms may he
creating alarm III AS many different soc
tions.
With all these complications. Il short.
thickset Man, with gray eyebrows and
gray mus,athe. calmly looks over tile
maps which are made on the reports ri
every II of the government observers
throughout the country and figures out
Just the kind of weather that NAV he
expected IL every state and section
This short. thickset man, with gray
eyebrows and gray mustache. is til"
official who. on examining the maps or
the night of july 3. paused for il ma.
ment, and then, to the surprise of hi
assistants. murmured. This looks lik.
a tornado"
Major Dunwoody was the officer who
read the signs Alright. The government
observers al sioux City, Des Moines.
keokuk and Omaha had all reported
threatening atmospheric conditions. and
their reports when reduced to tracings
% the maps showed that the ENTER OF
the atmospheric disturbances was at
Cheyenne. with the winds racing FROM
all four points of the compass toward
the Wyoming capital. Major Dun
woody has had an intimate acquaint,
ance with storms for years, and this
tornado didn't fool him by pretending 70
rendezvous at Cheyenne. The major is
an old army officer, who understands ali
about flank movements, and he began To
figure ont where the main attack might
be expected.
forecastinH room at the weather bureau.
calculating on the tornado's probable
evolution. The major read the report Of
the storm sentinels at Sioux City and
Dies Moines over again and then drew "a
circle. with the center at Cheyenne and
the circumference toward the east.
touching Davenport. The majors ex-
perience taught him that the mos:
trouble might be expected in the south
east segment Of the circle, and before 8
o'clock that night all the observers who
turHihned tho alarming Reports were III
by wire to send out warnings to
cities and towns on the respective sec
tons. and orders were also given to EN-
ploy every means to inform the country
OK the impending peril.
Hours before the storm broke with it,
terrible fury express trains running
through the isolated communities had
carried the bureaus intelligence. and
those who lived far from the railroad
station were warned by whistles which
were blown according To an established
and we'll understood code.
How quickly all this WAS accomplished
illustrates the efficiency of the govern.
Ment system as directed by Chief Har-
rington. AT O'Clock on the night of th.
9Th the observ ations were made, aud All
hour later Major Dunwoody, with quick
Judgment based on long experience, had
located tine storm aud had sent oat u
forecast to the threatened community.
the dangers to be feared. How