The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-22
PLAIN MARCH WEATHER NOW
The EQUINoCTIAL STORM IDEA Is
LIKE THE GOOSE-BREAST
STORY.
Mr.. HARMON TELLS WHY IT WAS
NOT FAIR AND WARNER" AS
He PREDICTED.

Yesterday 5 transform, given energy by
good 150-horsepower wind that would
keep up with the overland mail train, was
the spring equinoctial storm. The sun
crossed the line. For some time now, if
the plane of the earth's orbit, and the
ecliptic and few other of those things,
work as they have done for several eons,
the refulgent orb of day will spend its time
north of the equator.
This thing of crossing the line has long
been celebrated by man in variety of
ways, and there has been for ages an abid-
ing belief that when the sun accomplished
the same feat twice q year nature cele-
brated it by getting up, all over the two
temperate zones, disturbances that have
been called equinoctial storms. The ''equi-
noctial fury" of March and September gales
has for centuries been celebrated by the
makers of the ballads and stories of the
sea. and the most enlightened, everyday
people have up to the present day made
sage observations about the to-be-expected-
ness of storms occurring about the 21st
day of March and September. In fact if
the storm comes two or three days before
or after that time the average weather.
wise man observes that that must be the
equinoctial storm and that it is little late
or early.
But in making up his reports and pre-
dictions yesterday Mr.. Harmon, the Off
cial weather man, didn't pay any more
attention to the astronomical happenings
than he did to the warnings of astrology
or the condition of the breastbones of
geese. According to Mr.. Harmon eaui-
noctial storms have been relegated to the
plane of scientific contempt occupied by
! the goose-breast and grounding stories.
He says that there is no such thing as an
equinoctial storm, and thus another idol is
shattered. He says that meteorologiStS do
not and never have recognized "equinoc-
tial" storms, but that the popular belief has
| led investigators to give some special atten-
ton to refuting the theory. Some time ago
| ii. A. HaZen, not the General HaZen who
was once at the head of the weather serv-
| ice, but a well-known professor connected
| with the service in Washington, wrote
paper giving the results of several years
observations of March and September
storms In various regions of the temperate
zone. He showed that during long series
of years the storms on the Goth, 21st and
22d OF those months were on the average,
of any other three-day period in those
months. He made a similar ten-day
showing for those months. Other scientific
articles of like tenor have appeared in the
meteorological journals. The scientific
dictum is that if it storms on or about the
21st of March or September it is because
there is Glow" getting in it's work in the
neighborhood.
81 don't know how the fiction of
equinoctial storms got into peoples heads"
said Mr.. Harmon "unless it was the result
of the ola idea of planetary influence on
the weather. coupled with a vague knowl
edge of the earth's shifting its axis in it's
relation to the sun. The months of March
and September are subject to frequent
changes of temperature in the tenn .
perate zones, and hence to frequent storms
because the degree of heat received from
the sun is undergoing its most marked
change. But storms are not to be antici-
pated on a special day, and the mere posi-
ton of the sun in relation to an imaginary
line has no effect on the weather.
SIN this region, as elsewhere, the rate of
storm movement in March is more rapid,
but still there are not SO many changes ON
the Pacific Coast as in the East"
The storm that stormed yesterday was
the same old storm, and it fooled Mr..
Harmon beautifully. He had predicted
fair weather for yesterday, and he had to
endure the chagrin of carrying an umbrella
from morning till night. But then it was
the first mistake he had made for some
time, and then weather prophet ought to
be let off in March because that month is
very frisky.
This storm came in from the ocean to
the Puget Sound region several days ago
It had to hustle to get the rain here on St.
Patrick day, but it succeeded. The area
of low barometer has stayed around Puget
Sound ever since, keeping San Francisco
at its southern edge. All this time
thigh has been occupying Southern Cali
fornia and crowding northward, Night
before last everything indicated that San
Francisco and vicinity would be captured
by the western end of the high yesterday
and hence enjoy nice weather, but during
the March night the brooding low chased
the high back a few miles south of the
Golden Gate and gave us rain all day long
To-day is apt to be showery but not as bad
as yesterday, Mr.. Harmon says.
The March weather this year was much
finer than usual up to the 18th inst Since
then it has been more like itself
Children Will Hear the Concert.