The National tribune., 1894-07-19

Clear and Clear and Rain and
warmer. cooler warmer.
These kilograms would convey little i'm
preston of their real meaning to anyone not
acquainted with the key of the cipher but the
skilled translator reads them easily and quickly.
He knows at a glance, for example, that ATTAIN
tic Bowman Dew Bugaboo Carroll Nonfulfll,"
means:
Atlantic City. n. J.. at s a. m. has barometer
reading of 30.lS and temperature of 81 degrees;
n. +. wind cloudy weather, no precipitation during
past "a hours; wind velocity 10 miles an hour;
minimum temperature AZ degrees; relative humid
ity rs. and ten-tenths stratus clouds moving from
the east.
When all the kilograms from the stations
have been received, translated and drawn upon
the maps. the weather map as we receive it is
arranged and printed. In about two hours from
the time the first telegram comes into the
Bureau the completed map is issued.
1t presents an outline map of United States,
with the manifestations drawn upon it. Ar
rows indicate the direction of the wind, shaded
areas show where RAIN has fallen since the last
observation was taken, solid lines, called iso-
bars, are drawn through points having the
same barometric pressure, and dotted lines,
called isotherms, connect places having the same
Temperature Various other small signs and
written forecast for SO hours, show what the
weather has been and will be for day aud
half.
nc fOESCdcE 10 tue cd&0C bHdC We Ic6u Al buS
daily papers. 1t is gathered by means of the
observations and foretold by the prophets in
the Weather Bureau, the chief Of which is Prof
Harrington. Thus the map predicts the con-
dition of the weather in all parts of the United
States for the coming SO hours. Observations
are also taken at 8 o'clock in the evening and
telegraphed to Washington, and maps are
drawn, printed and circulated.
Two maps are sent to the Capitol. One is
placed in the Senate lobby, the other in the
House. They are also displayed in many Gus
tom Houses, Postofices, railroad stations and
other public buildings
Local weather service is now established in
,very part of the United States except Alaska.
Many of these services are supported by the
States; Others by societies. In Pennsylvania
the service is under the auspices of the Frank
lin Institute. Until very recently no official
predictions were issued except from the Central
Bureau at Washington. Now local forecasts are
made in a number of cities and the daily
weather-map is also published.
A chart showing the depth of snow, the inches
of ice in rivers, the direction of the wind, the
storm movement, etc. with special bulletins"
on one side. relating TO the condition of the
weather for the past seven days, is issued every
Tuesday during the Winter months by the
Washington Bureau. A monthly bulletin in
reference to the effect of tie weather upon the
crops is also printed in Washington, and during
weather-services of many States issue local crop
bulletins. These have large circulation among
the farmers aud other people interested in
agriculture.
In addition to the maps and forecasts pub.
lisbed in the daily papers, the Weather Bureau
stWashington aud special stations furnish FORE
casts OF tie weather 10 be announced to the
public by means Of flags and whistles. These
predictions are daily telegraphed TO a large
number Of Manifestations and to railroads.
Some Of the smaller towns receive them By tele-
phone from the State weather-service, and
there are few towns now where weather flags
are not shown.
There arc FIVE flags. each about six feet square
The plain white flag indicates clear or fair
weather; the blue flag indicates rain or snow /;
the white flag with black center indicates a
cold wave; the Gag with parallel bars of white
and blue indicates local rains, and the black
triangular fag always refers TO the temperature.
When placed above the fsir-Heather flag il in
oicates fair weather, warmer; when below this
flag 1t indicates fair weather, colder. Placed
above the blue flag, il indicates rain or snow
followed by warm weather; below it, the fore
east reads rain or snow, followed by colder
weather.