The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-28
THE "EaUINoCTIAL."
Uphill Work of the Weather bureau
in Fighting the Old Notion.

Ph1ladelpnla Press
The United States Weather Bureau is
perfectly right from one point of view in
lighting the of the term 'equlnoctidi
storm" as applied to the coast hurricanes
which are regular features or the weather
of the Atlantic Coast States, and, being
often of tremendous energy, have naturally
made great impression on popular lHlae-
ination. What the bureau observers mean
is this-there is no casual relation between
the equinox itself and our autumn hurrl-
canes or northeasters. single Jay - 700
casual a condition in meterology to bring
about such tremendous results, ana hehce
the bureau has put the term equlnoctlai
in taboo, since to many IT mas gwen an
entirely erroneous and exaggerated IDEA OF
the possible effects of the astronomer re-
lations of the sun and earth on one day III
the year. While this is true 1t IS also true
that the popular use of the term, merely
viewed as a descriptive and convenient cpl
tibet applied 10 definite storms wnlcn Pc
culiarly mark the autumn season FOR their
own is quite allowable. More than TINS.
the usage is so fixed that is Is to be feared
the bureau will be forced 10 acconl CONT
itself to it and by explaining the real state
of affairs take away the talht OF error
which sticks to the term
In the same sense that one might speak
Of ''F,aster' weather or christmas wealth.
err "equinoctial storm should not give Or
Tense, for it must be remembered that me
season of the autumnal equinox range over
a period extending from August TO Octo-
Der and are confined to two regions OF me me
globe-West Indian. United States and the
Philippne-Japanese districts. In otnef
words the equinoctial storm Is unknown IN
the interior of the continent save IN SO Tar
as popular tradition of Eastern settlers mas
insisted in Identifying any heaVy transform
that may appear In September IN the NORM
west as the "equinoctiaL Man terr1nc
"equinoctial" which ravages the coast IN
August is not felt save within q narrow
strip from 100 to 200 miles from the COAST 1aS
Others that take what IS called the iano
route carry their influence over the Alie-
ghenies. The present one for instance, was
so far out at sea when its center was aDatt
Atlantic CITY that in consequence 1Uldur1-
phia got a mere fringe of It's ram ana CLOUDS
and winds. 1t is. however, interesting IN
that it's progress along our coast from the
Dist TO the 23d has given great encourage
ment to those who believe the equinox -
capable of anything in the way OF bad
The cause of these coast hurricanes
which originate in the eastern Atlantic
near Africa week or more before they
strike the West Indies Is due 10 the SHIFT
ing of all the trade winds ana upper cur
rents from the extreme north of their sum
mer extension TO the south, following tbs
sun. This results in giving September a
maximum Of these storms IN the West IN
dies and consequently the most probaoie
occasion for their appearance in the United
States. But they may occur any time nom
August to October and u Is q he,, pos1dUIe
ever it was not long before the inevitable
tendency Of the unscientifc human mind
to refer all events to convenient points m
stead Of specific dates had it's due erect.
When minute accuracy is not aimed az
holiday or a seasonable celepratloh -
rallying point for happenings within fort
night either way. Then. too, for Ameri-
cans the poets fancy fixed the equnocual
i'm literature by his
when descends on the Atlantic
The gigantic
storm winds of the equinox"
So about the equinox clustered all our
autumn storms. Later on grew up the idea
of casual relationship In fighting this the
bureau is having uphill work. but IL will
doubtless upset the cauSal idea in time,
though the picturesque use o. the Word
.eaulnoctiaF' has long lease of llfe.