The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-04-08
'MIDAIR EXPERIMENTS.
Investigation of Storms and
Their Causes and Nature.
WORK OF THE WEATHER BUREAU.

Observations Made Dy Means OF Kites sent
Up From Sixteen Stations and Manip-
ulated by Experts -MeteorOlogists All
Over the World Interested.
WASHINGTON. March 2s.-TSpeoial. j
One of the most interesting meteorological
experiments ever made Is now being pre-
pared for by Professor Willis Moore, the
energetic head of the United States wealth
or bureau. Up to this time all observa-
tions concerning storms and their causes
and nature have been made practically at
the level of the earth. But in this way
only the lower edge of the storm area is
observed. We are able to ascertain only
part of the phenomena. Mr. Moore now
proposes to measure the temperature,
pressure and movements of the air at vari-
Gus elevations from the earth, on a sys-
tematic plan, covering sufficient area and
period of time to permit the most impor-
tant deductions therefrom to be derived.
These observations will be made by
means of kites sent up in the air from Is
kite observing stations. These stations
will be located at the four corners of a REQ
tangular area about 1000 miles long and
to the Rocky mountains, and from the
northern lakes near to the gulf of Mexico.
Other stations will be placed at regular in
tervals between the corners. At each sta
ton there will be an outfit Of kites with
which self registering instruments may be
sent to various attitudes at fixed times of
the day, and it is believed observations
will be secured from heights of 1000, 5000
and perhaps 1000 feet All these observa-
tions will be taken simultaneously, and
they will therefore, when interpreted, give
as information concerning the nature and
progress of storms which we do not now
possess.
Meteorologists Interested.
Meteorologists all over the world are
watching the result of these experiments
with keen interest. They are admitted to
constitute the most important effort to add
to mans knowledge of the atmosphere and
its laws made in many years. Of course
Professor Moore's purpose is to improve
the science of weather forecasting. With
the means now available this science has
progressed about as far as possible. Moth
ing more can be accomplished till the up.
per strata of air are brought within the
knowledge of the forecaster.
How important these forthcoming expert
ments are likely to be may be judged from
the fact that by the use of kites it has al
ready been determined that at a consider
able altitude, say 5000 or 5000 feet, the
air shows little changes of temperature,
even while cold waves are moving to and
fro with great extremes of temperature
little nearer the earth. Substantially it
has been discovered to be true that at great
attitudes, just as at great depths in the
ocean, the temperatures never change.
These facts show US how thin layer of
atmospheric air it is which surrounds our
earth and which is affected by causes
springing from the earth.
1t is hoped that by an elaboration of the
system of kite observation it will be pos
sible to throw light upon the cause of the
origin of storms. Scientific men have long
agreed as to the nature of storms. They
are simply whirling eddies of atmospheric
movement. But they have not agreed as
to the cause thereof or as to the laws gov
erning storm movements. Changes of TEN.
perature over a given area, caused by ra-
diation of heat from the earth or sun or
contributing causes, are believed to be re-
sponsible for winds. But this theory is not
well settled and is open to question in the
case of great storms. Granted that storms
are whirling columns of air-they may be
only 100 miles or they may be 1000 or
even 1900 miles in diameter-all that we
are able to observe of them is their lower
edge, where they come in contact with the
earth.
Where is the vertical center of such a
storm? At what elevation above the earth's
surface does it show it's greatest intensity?
As far as kite experiments have SO far been
able to throw light upon this problem the
center of greatest storm energy Is 5000 or
1000 feet above the surface of the earth.
But whether the axis of rotation upward
and downward from this center is vertical
or slanting as compared with the level OF
the earth we do not know. When We as
certain this, as we hope to do by the kite
observing stations, we may develop an en-
tirely new principle concerning the direc-
ton taken by any given storm, SO that the
science of forecasting the weather will be
made infinitely more exact and useful
than it is at the present time.
Professor Moore's Methods.
Professor Moore is going at this impor.
tant work in the right spirit and method.
He is now engaged in training staff OF
men for manipulation of the kites and the
instruments. About 65 men will be need
ed in all for the 16 kite stations. 1t is de-
sirable that all the work be done by care
full, conscientious men, for it is quite with
In the range of the possible that important
discoveries may be made if the work is
thoroughly done. The 16 stations which
are soon to be set in operation will be con-
tinued only d few months. Then the OBJ
servations taken by them will be submit
ted to the scientists of the bureau for elab-
Grafton and Interpretation. If it appear
that the result is sufficiently valuable to
warrant an extension of the service, con-
gress will be asked for the necessary funds.
Congress is utilitarian in its views. 1t
cares nothing for pure science. but wants
results which will be of practical benefit
to the agriculture, the shipping and the
other Industries of the people. Interesting
and important as these experiments are
sure to be to all lovers of science and
knowledge, congress looks only to perfec-
ton Of the science of forecasting the wealth
er, that farmers and others may derive ad-
vantage therefrom. If Professor Moore
shall be able to go before a committee OF
congress and show that by the expenditure
of few thousand dollars year millions
may be saved to farmers and to the ship
ping interests, congress will gladly appro-
pirate the money. But If he Is able to
show only that important principles In at