Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-05
Gold North Winds Follow a Sudden
Change of Storm Center.
ACTIVITY At TEE WEATHER BUREAU.
interesting and instructive Lesson
Showing Its Value.
D I S ~ S 7 E r w r. MN 6 S

pOuteu pretty girl clad IN ante dSter
finery. as she drew her skirts up around
her dainty feet and peered out from an F
street shop door at the falling rain. Here
l am with not even parasoi ana all on
account of that mean old weather bureau
saying it would be clear and cooler today.
Clear, indeed, My hat will be ruined"
Here she shook her shiny head in de-
tcrmined way and declared that weather
bureau reports We're never right, anyhow,
and people were crazy to believe anything
in them, and said whole lot of other cruel
things such as woman is calculated 10
say when, dressed in her best, she is caught
away from home without an umbrella.
The trouble with the maiden was that
like many other people she regarded the
weather bureau only as an atmospheric ar
bitter for her own particular interests.
The Real Picture Drawn.
Such persons would have learned valu-
able lesson had they accompanied The star
reporter to the weather bureau this MORN
ing and seen the vast mocha nism Of the de-
partment being operated by keen and Wig
orous intelligence in behalf of the work of
saving countless thousands of dollars to the
citizens of the country. The present storm
and the unusual charges in the temperature
occasioned in part by its erratic course was
of disaster in its train by. the shrewd OBJ
servers of things meteorological, and they
began measures at once to warn those who
might be overtaken by the elements in
order that protection might be applied.
1t was a busy scene, therefore, In the
fo1 ecast room at the weather bureau at 10
o'clock this morning. The teli-tale tele-
graph had announced that the storm which
haG hung central all day yesterday over
Mississippi hai suddenly changed It's CEN
ter this morning TO North Carolina, leaving
vast vacuum iiy-t nG the winds in coiu
storage up north 10 come down south. The
weai her bJreaG the, mometer here and else
where quickly added the news that the
invitation had been accepted. Almost
simultaneously VITA The recorded change Ct
the storm center the wind gauge went
pointing to the north. and as the keen
winds began to blow the mercury began
to sink.
Dropped Ter Degrees I'm Two Hours.
Look al that" said Forecaster Williams
to The Star man. as he pointed at the
cylindrical RECORDED of the movements of
the mercury on the weather bureau roof
See. The mercury stood at 40 at o'clock
this morning; now al II O'Clock it is down
skimming the edge of 30
The alert eyes of Major Dunwoody We're
studying 9 map full of mysterious lines
waving here and there. and Mr.. Morrow
was writing sentence after sentence CT the
result of the observations taken every
where in the country at O'Clock this
morning.
Warming nnd What 1t Means.
Forecaster Williams turned from the re-
porter a moment to read telegram pre-
pared by an energetic assistant. 1t read
as follows:
'.Frosts are probable Wednesday MORN
iEg throughout the middle Atlantic states
and Tennessee. and in the interior of the
south Atlantic states and the interior OF
the east gulf states.
Where is that to be sent?' inquired the
reporter who heard it read.
Mr.. Williams pointed to map with num-
eruus peg holes inserted at various cities
and towns throughout the country, and
showed a string drawn from point on the
Atlantic coast. running west therefrom
along line south of Savannah and Mont
gomery, Ala, as far west as Memphis,
turning q peg at that point and thence
running enthusiastically across the couh-
try to New York city.
Interest of Southern Growers.
1.-THE telegram will be sent to all stations
in that territory he remarked. You will
see that it comprises what may be called
the spring garden of the United States
The Strawberries are approaching ripeness
in the Carolinas, and you know what an
important crop that is now, especially
along the coast of North Carolina. The
early vegetables are well advanced. This
frost warning Will save countless thou
sands of dollars to the growers, because 1t
will give them chance today to cover up
their berries and vegetables and save them
from the frost.
You can have no idea of the Importance
attached to the weather bureau by these
growers" continued Mr.. Williams. '"rhey
regard our reports as being as valuable and
necessary to them as their seeds and labor.
When there is a threatening condition of
weather at such an important period to
them as the present they crowd the sta
tions in their vicinity for informant ton, and
many kilograms are sent by those at dis
lance not only to stations, but to the bu-
reau."
Fears for the Fruit Crop.
ssWill the storm be disastrous?" inquired
the reporter
'"The results of 1t, ] fear, in increasing
cold will be very hurtful to the fruit Of
early blooming varieties replied MIR. Will
Jams. Peaches, apricots and pears. I'm
afraid. will suffer severely. s.erday
morning the thermometer marked below
freezing point, blu. it was dry cold and did
not affect buds. A freeze when vegetation
Is wet, however, Is killing, because the
moisture has entered the buds, got on the
inside, and wheE it freezes there it kills
A moment, please"
Mr.. Williams took another telegraph
blank from an assistant and proceeded to
the bureau. There he called up the bureau
o. navigation and sent the following mes
sage:
storm Central this morning on the North
Carolina coast. 1t will probably move
northeast during the day, causing eaSterly
gales and snow on the middle Atlantic and
Newfoundland coast this afternoon and to-
night. Southerly~gaies are probable south
o. Hatteras.''
You see We keep the navy posted also, -
he remarked. 1.-THE information l tele-
phcned will permit disposition of our
boats in accordance with the prudence
sucn probable disturbances will dictate"
Isn't the present sudden fall in tenn
perature at this time somewhat remarka-
ble?"
no. not exactly remarkable, but such
changes are not customary. Occasionally,
however, sudden drops occur in April. A
further fall may be regarded as nearly
certain. At Parkersburg, W.. Va, this
morning at O'clock the mercury marked
twenty-five degrees
Alarming Reports.
Farmers coming into Washington this
morning from nearby points and travellers
from upper Maryland and Virginia sections
hot he rIr } 4. a