The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-06-21
FORECASTS WORTH MILLIONS.
Good that is Accomplished by the Proph,
cies of the Weather Bureau.

Uncle Sans prophets are not without
have to say about prospective rain or
shine is eagerly listened to by 10000, 900
of people every day. Of course, not be-
ing divinely inspired, their forecasts do
not always prove correct; but in great
majority of instances they are Endorsed
by subsequent events, and that they are
the means of saving immense sums of
money every year is beyond a doubt.
Bankers and brokers all over the coun-
try closely watch the weather predictions
Obviously, whatever affects crops, COM
merce or business in general affects them.
Commission merchants and shippers of
perishable produce find the forecasts of
great value. One of the largest beef
shipping concerns in the United States
has recently declared that the prophecies
give most important help in running
meat cars between cities, The cars are
regulated by the forecasts of temperature
1t is the same way with fruit. A car load
of fruit, even after it has started, may,
in case of a warning from the Weather
Bureau, be detained at some point ON the
way and thus escape extreme and trying
temperatures.
Besides thus regulating the tempera-
ture of freight cars, the forecasts are used
by railway companies for CONT olling the
temperature of passenger cars, especially
on through trains. Speaking on this
point not long ago railorad official
said: The predictions enable us to de-
termine the length of our trains, to ar
range for extra supplies of fuel, to take
ov1ti nnC tbn rAfn ,rrsr 1,,I 10
prevent the freezing of the water supply. t"
In like manner the prophecies are en-
ployed for maintaining equable and COM
Portable temperature in large office build
ings.
The Johns Hopkins Hospital in BaIti-
more covers perhaps as large an area heat
ed from a single furnace room as can be
found anywhere. The problem of heating
and ventilating so many wards and rooms
is far from being an easy one. Much is
at stake; indeed, sometimes the recovery
and life of the PATIENT depend upon the
preservation of proper temperature In
this instance the reports of the Weather
Bureau are most useful to the engineer
in charge, who makes them a basis for
his orders as to the amount of hot water
which will be needed to make the heat
ing of the wards absolutely uniform.
The Weather Bureau gave warning of
the fearful storm which caused such
great loss of life and property in Louis
vile on March 81, 1890. The calamity &C.
cured about 8. 30 p. M, and was over in
a few minutes. Shortly before the lorna
do there came heavy rain, followed by
hail storm, with lightning The storm
wiped out in few moments about five
churches, the Union Railway Depot, three
schools, thirty-two factories, 266 stores
and 532 residences within the city limits.
The loss of property was estimated at
over So, 000 900. Seventy-six people were
killed and over 200 injured
The famous sea island Storm of Au-
gust, 1898, fulfilled prediction of the
Weather Bureau. 1t caused the loss of
nearly 1900 lives. The impression made
upon the public mind by this catastrophe
was SO marked that the warnings issued
in the autumn of 1894 obtained more at
tention than usual Thus, in the case of
the tropical hurricane of September 1929,
1894, 1899 vessels, valued at ST., OOO, 600,
remained IN port In the hurricane of
October $40, 1894, the records show that
1916 vessels, valued at $19, 900, OOO,. needed
the warning. Within, then, a period of
a little more than two weeks the forecasts
were instrumental in saving from more
than likely disaster 205 vessels, valued at
1856, 600, 900. Thanks to these warnings.