The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-24
AIR, HEAT, WIND, RAIN.
Prof. w. L, Moore Lectures on Fore
casting Of Storms.

casting of Storms.
Prof. Willis L. Moore, Chief of the
Weather Bureau, lectured last night
to more than 200 persons, who were
eager to learn the secret of knowing
when to leave umbrellas and mackin'
toshes at home, and when to take them.
The lecture was delivered at the First
Congressional Church, Tenth and G..
Streets, and at it's conclusion a very
large number of those who had been
instructed and entertained, shook hands
with Prof. Moore and thanked him for
the treat ne had given them. Among
other things, Professor Moore said:
"While the practical application o:
meteorological science to the making
of weather forecasts will never reach
that degree of accuracy attained by
theoretical astronomy in predicting
the date Of an eclipse or the return OF
a comet, ~meteorOlogy has made, dur
ing the Last century, such substantial
progress as seriously to engage the at
tention Of thoughtful man and Gauge
him to make special efforts proftabIy
to apply the knowledge gained to the
commerce and industry Of the world
Comparing meteorology with astron
omy, we may say that it passed
through the Chaldear and PGolemaic
periods with the invention Of the ba
r0meter and therm0mater early In the
Seventeenth century that it reached
the Cepernician stage with the discov
cry of the rotary and progressive mo
Gions OF storms, and that il now awaits
the genius of a K pier or the magic in
tuition of a Newton to unravel the
mysteries that still b, fiji the student.
But it is doubtful whether any other
branch of science, unless it be that OF
electricity, has shown more wonderful
progress during the past quarter cen
tury.
TELEGRAPH GREAT SERVICE
"While man but a few years ago,
with his limited range of vision, thought
that chaos reigned supreme, he is now
able by the aid OF daily meteorological
observations and the wonderful tele-
graph 'ining cities by an electri
cal touch to trace out the harmonious
operations of many physical laws that
previously we're unknown.
"As to the genesis Of weather fore
casting. it must be said that to the i'm
mortal franklin belongs the credit of
diviniDg that storms have q rotary
motion, and that they progress in an
easterly direction. In 1855 Prof. Joseph
Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution,
collected by telegraph observations
from q number of stations and dis
played large map showing the meteor,
illogical conditions ct these points, but
the breaking out of the civil war caused
him to suspend these reports. If there
were no other achievements to the cred
it Of this grand institution, the work
OF Prof. Henry, in connection with
practical meteorology, is sufficient to
command the admiration of all those
who love knowledge because of the
benefits it ~confers upon man.
PROT. Buys Ballot, of Utrecht, in
duced Holland to establish a weather
service, with t~elegraphic reports and
forecasts, in 1850; England followed
in 1851, and France began in 1863. The
United States was the fourth govern
ment to establish q permanent weather
service, although its scientists were the
pioneers in discovering the progressive
character of storms and in demon,
strating the practicability of weather
services. In 1869 Prof. Cleveland Able
published q weather bulletin and fore
cast at Cincinnati"
After referring to other scientists
and their meteorological work, Prof
Moore continued:
A SAMPLE OF FORECAsTING.
This morning at 8 o'clock, Wash
ington time, which, by the way, is
o'clock at Chicago, 6 o'clock at Den
YER, and 5 o'clock at San Francisco.
the observers at about Is stations
scattered throughout the United States
were taking their observations, and