The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-03


which brings whsather prorni-
IN nently to the public mind usu-
LII ally calls also for thought OF
tha weather man. who sits In
his Office surrounded On all sides By scien-
fiffc Instruments and calculates the live
long day. His life Is devoted to minute OBJ
servafion Of the sensitive metal creations
which record zach variation OF atmospheric
conditions. He gees In the needle which
sora tches It's z!g-zag conrse on the charts
warning sometimes OF impending storms.
or sometimes Of q facilitating hot spell. or
again Of . refreshing coolness. The farmer
who studies the reports sent out by the
bureau gains inestimahie advantage In the
caro- OF the crops and tho mariner. with
sea, often gains from these records and
professions an Inspiration which is the
salvation OF himself and his ship. The
time when people could say: '"Fhe
weather man says sunshine: let us take
our umbrellas" Is past. The establishment
OF stations in all parts OF the country and
the interchangins Of reports by telegraph
and mail has reduced weather prediction
10 scientific Certainty. A few years ago
IL would have seemed miraculous for a
man 10 announce hours in advance the APP
psoacn OF storm and its probable course
The Seattle weather office with It's COM
piets instrumental equipment and scieu-
tire direction, IL one OF the most respon-
elbie stations in the country. Observer O.
N salisbury has gained q high reputation
In the department. for capabiiity. He is
entirely wrapped up In his work and
N ksSn ahv
constantly developing science.
The last ten years have seen great
progress In the invention and application
or mechanical and electrical appliances for
making automatic and continuous records
81 meteorological conditions The eervIce
fafheted by the United States government
~ being constantly extended ana elsbo-
rated upon. Electricity in playing proml.
nei,t part In simplifying the work OF OBJ
servers.
The Observers Home.
On the roof OF the New York block IL a
"heiter looking like a windowiess dove
cote. II Is 4 cube OF about ono yard or
side. having sioping, double roof, closed
bottom and argle louvre sides. Within
his shelter Is the thefmograph which has
been recording ths protractea no, period
-
metric hnid Is alcohol. which is lnclosed
In peculiarly shaped and heymeticallv
seated buih, shown in the ACCOMMODATING
cut. The contraction and expansion of
this bulb. caused by changes OF tempera.
sure, is communicated BY the levers to the
recording pen. which holds enough Ink to
last for several days. The record cylinder
fevoives once week, and the sheets are
printed and ruled for record from Monday
10 Monday morning. TAis thermograph i
considered as a reliable instrument by ex-
perts. but for accuracy Il ia necessary To
carefully check thu reading hv daily
comparison with an accurately grad
nated mercuriaI drybulh Thermometer
ME hermograph Is exposed in the
instrument shelter "a nearly a. nos
etbie 10 the same conditions az the
mercural Thermometer Tile heat of the
sunshine on the side and the top OF the
shelter. "A we'll the .mpedinent Offered
by the slats to the free circulation of the
wind as also the sentences OF the natural
current Of air THAI flows through tend IN
give the thermogFsph a higher reading
thsn belongs 10 the free air nj the same
level outside
Reside The shelter stands an tntt resting
looking weather Nane. Attached 20 II is a
cup thermometer. The standard pattern
Of anemometer used by The weather bn-
reau has the registering aials mounted
concenirically. The outer dial h4a l1o ana
the inner dlal ga divisions The revolutions
made by che outer dial are recorded on
the inner one, the number OF revolutions
being shown by the number ot divisions
OF the scale cn the inner dial between the
zero Of thaa scale and the zero az the
outer one. In taking the reading of the
thermometer a. any tGme. the hundreds
ami tens Of miles are read fr0m the timer
scale and the mites and tenths OF mile.
are read from TIE outer one. TAX. from