Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10
Some Instructive Lessons on the
Daily Weather Map.
lS07HERMS, BoBARS and SYMBOLS
Easy to Understand When You
Follow These Directions.
WEATHER B UREAU WORK

The policy of the Department of Agri-
culture Is to place before the people of
the United States as mucn useful scientific
information as is possible. This knowi-
edge really belongs to the people, inasmuch
as they sustain the necessary expense of
collecting the observations upon which the
scientists make their Investigations. When
valuable results are acquired 1t is proper
that the distribution of the same, in as
simple language as is consistent with the
subject, be made one of the primary duties
of the service.
The assistant secretary of the Depart
mcnt of Agriculture, DR.. Charles w. Dab
ney, jr., is especially in charge of this
popular distribution of scientific knowl-
eoge. and has enjoined upon all bureaus
of the department the duty of co-operat-
ing in this direction.
] here are few branches of the service
from which a ready response can be more
properly expected than the weather bu
reau that has charge Of the collection and
dissemination ,of all proper information
regarding the ever changing weather con-
ditions, SO directly, affecting the comfort
and health of all the people The chief
of the weather bureau. Professor Willis
L. Moore. has accordingly directed the
preparation of series of articles for the
press that will be Suitable for the purpose
thus Indicated. /
Pleased with the Press.
1t should be- said in this connection that
the officials of the bureau have been greatly
pleased with the very important co-opera-
ton that the press is giving to the bu-
reau in the distribution of weather in
formation in this. ard other communities.
While it is possible for the government
to publish a comparatively small number
of thGyh pii aaf her ma a a n
ma to distribute these by messenger or
by mail, it IS nevertheless clear that re-
| lance will more be placed upon the daily
press for this purpose. Since a practical
way has been found to make such clear.
handsome reproductions of the large map
the necessity for the government map is
somewhat modified, because the general
points of the current weather conditions
are displayed sufficiently well for all COM
mon purposes on the smaller scale. OF
course the advantage is all with the pa
pers in reaching larger numbers of people
Reports are constantly coming to the
bureau of an increasing interest in the
daily weather map on the part of many
persons WHO have been attracted by the
press reproductions, and very often these
are accompanied by the expression of the
wish that they could understand the mean
ing of the lines little better. The pro-
portion of readers who do perceive the way
that the lines show the temperature and
pressure of the air, they change from
| map to map in their location, is already
great, and yet it is thought that with a
little care and effort nearly every one who
can read may also comprehend the daily
map, at least approximately.
The Difficulty Soon Wears OF.
It is like learning a new language. and
at first costs some labor, but when once
the symbols understood there is pleas
ure in reading the same that compensates
for the intellectual work expended. This
first article, How to Read the Weather
Map" is therefore addressed to those who
have not quite mastered the symbols and
the lines on the map, and to those who
have not yet attempted to look into 1t at
all. If some one in each family will
take the trouble to follow the directions
that are given herewith it will not be
long before every member of it can take
an interest in this branch of the govern
ment service.
1t is well known that the forecasters of
the weather bureau often make mistakes
in their efforts to interpret the probable
changes in these lines for a day or two
ahead, and that in consequence they are
subject to criticism by the public for their
failures. On comparing the criticisms on
the work of the bureau from different For
tons of the country, 1t is seen that the
people who best understand the difficulties
of the art of forecasting are most just in
their criticisms and that generally the press
has been fair in its statements. This is no
! doubt in q measure due to the advantage
| that the reporters of the press have, in
their frequent visits to the central and
| local offices of the weather bureau, by
which they are more in touch with the de-
| tails Of the work itself. In the same way
| the more fam liar the people of any locality
are with the way of making the forecasts
| the more considerare they are of failures
| to reach perfection. The weather bureau,
| therefore, wishes every to know as
much as possible about this subject, and
| only regrets the criticisms that arise from
| impatience and partial knowledge. Meteor
c,sfSy "a &c in
| in its elementary stages of growth, and
| there is much to be discovered about the
| laws controlling the atmosphere. The Won
| der is that SO imperfect a science can have
already contributed so much to the benefit
! and protection of our people. 1t is to be
| hoped that maps Of artistic merit may be-
come regular features Of the journalism of
the large cities of the United tates.
| Intcre sting Scope of the Articles.
| The series of articles contemplated in
cludes besides the preliminary introdCc-
| ton, enc for each month of the year, CIV
| ing the meteorological normal conditions
and also the prevailing features of the
| storm tracks characteristic of the month,
besides such remarks will direct atten-
| ton to the main types of weather to be
| exnected during the month A summary
of the probable causes of the origin OF
| storms NAV also be attempted in conclusion
| The first thing to understand Is how to
| draw in the lines, that appear on the map
| The weather bureau receives about 1is
observations, am. and pm. daily, from
| different points IN the country, taken all
| at the same moment of time for a given
man. For the am. map they are tele-
| eraphed in and received at Washington he
| tween S:45 and $50 am. These are entered
| on charts the ferecaster reads the mean
| ing. and the forecasts are out by 1890 OF
| IL o'clock. On the map accompanying this
| article only twenty-five CT these places
| are laid down, SO as TO avoid crowding or
| the reduced scale.
Explanations Worth Considering.
For Illustrating the mode of drawing the
lines, the Washington map of Thursday
August l, 1895, S am, u selected. Against