The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-09

across our continent with lacrs=s,,. q
and heavy precipitation. ana ,r,,A.SS iesce
days pass beyond our ue,eoynlass.as inv
izon al the Atlantic Seaboard o,s, aoe-
heard froaa three days later !. 9 -
ravsgers Of Northern Earope, seaa
Tne great anU-cyclones. or n,..
sure eddieS. which constitute ths ap.
can co-a waves. drift into our fsr,s.ss
from the Canadian Northwest nr,-s.s
ana are S'o8Iei under rapidly ch.,~1
conditions during So0e miles - ssas
course. The high-pvess,,ra .sss,, eaer
the conyec tiouaI pTlnciule= q, ~. -. tn "a
reversed, may ne said not To ,iaps,s s s0e
the land u stS birth for the en,, = a-s sp0a
for a strong vertical and ami.
motion AZ the center is continual,v 49, ~
ing down the cold air from ah,r~
the cold wave Il must be coneasss :. "a
the loss Of heat by radiation IN ny sn.S
less sky IS much greater than fh.s ss saa.
by compression. Or Csc il mus, N
sumed that the atmosphere nass.- -
such intense cold az the el4yafior -
which the air Is drawn that. no,...sa
standing The heat gained by comnr...''0
in Its descent. II - stln far helnv "a
normal temperature AZ the surface A. .a' s
eSrth. as
The West Indian hurricanes. always ),
mr.
most violent a. al American storr~s !.
trude themselves into the domain - =. ~
United States weather map AT The 49,
| of their parabolc course, at ahau, 49,
tude thirty. They have for vear. 80
nished 81 fruitful theme for the tha,.s..
% the invest gator.
For twenty-Seven years the fn-era...-
OF the weather bureau have STUDIED 49,
inception development and Progresses. =
these different classes CT atmospheric A.
turbances. From a knowledge perSansw.
gained by many years service az an -
fetal forecaster, do not hesita,. "a ~
press the opinion that we long s,ss.
reached the highest degree OF accuracy !.
the making OF forecasts possible to - a..
tanned with surface readings /, i. ns,-
ent that Wa are extremely ignorant a
the mechanics Of the storm. OF the an.
erations of those vast YET sahtle forrre
in free air which give inception Ia ~.
disturbance and which supply the e..r,.
necessary 70 continue the same.
Having long realized this determines
at once. ON coming 10 the control At tn
United States weather bureau. 10 svx.
tematically attack the problem OF upae..
air exploration, with the hope ultima,e,y
of being able to construct daily synop
tic weather chart from simultaneous
readings taken in free air at an a,titrSa
of not less than one mile above the earth.
as il appeared to me that previous plso,
for investigating the upper air by meaas
of free and uncomfortable balloons. ~
observers in balloons. or by independent,
kite stations were of little value In get.
ting the information absolutely necessary
TO improve our methods for forecass,ne
Simultaneous observations at a uniformly
high level from many kite stations was
the plan | inaugurated for the proseea-
ton Of this important investigation. Prot
Marvin was assigned TO the difficult task
of devising appliances and making inssru-
ments, and / am pleased TO say that ~
have improved on kite-fiying TO such an
extent that apparatus Is now easily sent
up 10 a height of one mile in only a mad
crate wind We have made an automatic
instrument that. while weighing less thaa
two pounds, will record temperasare
pressure. humidity and wind velocity
BEFORE next spring We expect TO have not
less than twenty stations placed between
the Rocky mountains and the Atlanta
ocean. taking daily readings at an ele.
1ation CT one mile or more.
We shall then construct a chart from
the high-level readings obtained at these
twenty stations and study the same n
connection with the surface chart made
at the same moment. Being thus able 10
map out not only the ."rtical gradients
OF temperature. humid. pressure and
wind velocity. but the horizontal distri-
| button of these forces on two levels. II
is hoped TO better understand the devsl-
opment of storms and cold waves and
eventually improve the forecasts Of Their
future course, extent and rate OF move.
ment.
In exceptional cases we have flown the
kites to a height of nearly two miles.
From daily readings at only one kite sta.
ton. at Washington. ID. c.. We have de-
rived Information as TO the direction and
force of the wind above the one-mls
level. which has greatly assisted Us II
estimating the future direction OF storm
center when our surface chart gave but
negative indications. 1t will he fascin-
ating study TO note the progress CT cod
waves at this high level and to determine
II the changes in temperature do not nfH
begin above. The readings at Washingtoa
indicate that cantending equatorial ana
polar winds may be more potent In she
formation of storm eddies than neatea
and ascending conventional currents.
/ am anxious 10 know the difference
temperature between the surface ana tbs
upper stratum in the four quadranis
the cyclone and in the four quadrants o.
tine anti-cyclone, especially when Hs
storm and cold wave conditions are III
tense. AT an elevation of five miles pW
little effect remains of diurnal tempefa
ture variation. At this altitude the a.
mosphere is free from the disturbing "
tuence OF immediate surface radiaiieA
and consequently there Is but little cnahe