Idaho semi-weekly world., 1893-11-21
FORECASI'ING STORMS
ACCURACY AND TiMELlNESS IN FORE
CASTING WEATHER.

phere In Various Sections.
The signal achievement of the gov
ernment weather bureau in predicting
the disastrous tornadoes in Iowa "a
hours in advance of their awful vislta-
tions brought into new prominence the
remarkable accuracy with which In
these days of advanced science weather
forecast can be made.
The prediction of the Iowa tornado
offers 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 tornado starts on wild stam-
pede, but the weather sharps 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-
tions, whether Of pleasure or of business,
and could no more be dispensed with
than the telegraph or any of the other
agencies which have revolutionized
affairs.
Several years ago q couple of young
army lieutenants who saw tornadoes in
every cloudcap kept the western farm
ers lodging in and out of low ground
cellars until they became round shoul-
dered and neglected their crops, but the
young iieutenants' experience is now one
of the amusing traditions of the Office.
1t is told, too, possibly as joke, that
the colored janitor who had rheumatism
and looked upon his left leg as reli-
able gauge did the prophesying business
when the lieutenants were invited to
some swell function.
Things are run differently now, as the
reliability of the predictions and the
able administration of the bureau at
test. 1t is doubtful, moreover, if any
country on the globe has a better equip
ped service. This is due in some meas
ure to the opportunities Of study offered
by the diverse climatic peculiarities of
the United States. These peculiarities
make the work of weather prophesying
here most difficult task, requiring the
employment of men Of wide experience
and learning. 1t is by no means an un-
common circumstance for the weather
bureau to chase half dozen different |
varieties of storms over the country in
day. 1t may be hailing in North Da-
kota, tornado may be making sad |
havoc in the western farming belt, a
windstorm may be bowling along the
Atlantic coast, imperiling shipping, and
four or five thunderstorms may be
creating alarm in as many different sec
tions.
With all these complications, short,
thickset man, with gray eyebrows and
gray mustache, calmly looks over the
maps which are made on the reports of
every one of the government observers
throughout the country and figures out
just the kind of weather that NAV be
in every state and section.
Ihls short. thickset man, with gray
eyebrows and gray mustache, is the
official who, on examining the maps on
the night of July s, paused for a mo-
ment, and then, to the surprise of his
assistants, murmured, "This looks like
4 tornado"
Major Dunwoody was the officer who
read the signs Alright. The government
observers at Sioux City, Des Moines,
Aeokuk and Omaha had all reported
threatening atmospheric conditions, and
'nelr reports when reduced to tracinps
IN the maps showed that the center of
ne atmospheric disturbances was at
I.neyenne, with the winds racing from
VI four points of the compass toward
ne wyoming capital. Major Dun.
woody has had an intimate acouoint.
lnce with storms for years, and this
ornado didn't fool him by pretending to
at Cheyenne. The major is
N old army officer, who understands all
'oout nank movements, and he began to
lgure out where the main attack mipbt
10 expected. j.
lie was sitting on a high stool in tba :,
room at the weather bureau a
on the tornado's probable ;,
Voiutlon. The major read the report of y
10 storm sentinels at Sioux CITY and =
,es MONIES over again and then drew n -
lrcle' with the center at Cheyenne and :,
ne circumference toward the east :,
oucnins Davenport. The majors ex. y
erience taught him that the most a 9.
'ouole might be expected in the soutb. :"
as1 segment of the circle, and before =.
clock that night all the observers who a ::
lrhlshed the alarming reports were in. !. II
.ructed by wire to send out warninos 70 d.
Iles ana towns on the respective sec. ~ -
ons' ana orders were also given to EN-. y, =,
10y every means to inform the country o. ..
'SIricts OF the impending peril. ~ L,
hours before the storm broke with ;+o ai
rrioie fury express trains rpnninr q
trough the isolated communities hn5
lrrled the bureaus intelligence and al al
lose VINO lived far from the RAILROAD al al
a'lon were warned by whistles which so %
ere blown according to an established u
10 well understood code. nf
how quickly all this was accomn,i.hoa US
ustrates the efficiency of the gorann
emu m system as directed by Chief Har
J, hstoh' Atso'clock on the night of the
i lIe observations were made. and nm IN
ur later Major Dunwoody, with nnioi, tn
.p. based on long experience had an
'ateo the storm and had sent o,t In
las. IG,as1 70 the threatened community kn
'ilss OF the dangers to be feared How I'M
= aen greater might have been the d.m' go
y w property and how much preatar sy
no loss s. OF life but for the warnings, ' raj
~ 40 weather bureau did not Announce thi
r' 40 q tornado might be expected as of.
Ihaao predictions went ont of fano as
,rn;na soung ~ army lieutenants. The
at seas a. sent out. was to the effect wa
reatened re serede ae local thunderstorms wers or'