The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-11-19
WEATHER MEN IN 174z.
How franklin and Jefferson Co-Op.
Grated I'm Taking OBJ
servations.


OF the barometer, viz, in 1174, Benia.
MIN Franklin, patriot, statesman. dip
iomat and scientist, OWNED that Ger.
tain storms had rotary motion and
that they progressed in northeast
erly direction. 1t was prophetic that
these ideas should have come to him
long before anyone had ever seen
charts showing observations stimuli
taneously taken at many stations.
But. although his ideas in this respect
were more important than his act of
drawing the lightning from the clouds
and Identifying it with the electricity
OF the laboratory, yet his contempt
raries thought little of his philosophy
OF storms; and it was soon forgotten.
1t will be interesting to learn how he
reached his conclusion as to the CIV.
cionic or eddylike structure of storms,
Franklin had arranged with CO.
worker at Boston to take observations
OF lunar eclipse at the same time
that he himself was taking readings Of
1t at Philadelphia. Early on the even
ing OF the eclipse an unusually severe
northeast wind and rainstorm set in
at Philadelphia, and Franklin was I'M
abie to secure any observations. He
reasoned that as the wind blew fiercely
from the northeast the storm was of
course coming from that direction.
and that Boston must have experienced |
Its ravages before Philadelphia. Re-
ports indicated that the storm was
widespread. What was the surprise
OF Franklin, when, after the slow pass
age OF the mail by coach, he heard
from his friend in Boston that the
night OF the eclipse had been clear and
favorable for observations, but that a
terrihc northeast wind and rainstorm
began early the following morning.
He then sent out inquiries to surround
Ing stage stations, and found that at
nil places southwest of PHILADELPHIA
the storm had begun earlier. and that
The greater the distance the earlier
Inc beginning. rs compared with it's
ADVENT in Philadelphia. Northeast Of
Philadelphia the time of the beginning
u the storm had been later than at
hat city, the storm not reaching Bos-
'on until ~ hours after its commence
nent at Philadelphia.
considering these facts line of
nductive reasoning brought Franklin
o the conclusion that the wind always
'iows toward the center of the storm: :
nat the northeast hurricane which
'ostcn and Philadelphia had expert.
need was caused by the suction eyer {
ised by the advancing storm eddy
rom the southwest, which drew tbs !
If rapidly from Boston toward Phila-
eiphia, while the source of the at. b
center of the storm eddy Y
was yet thousand miles 10 the =
outhwest OF the latter place; that the Il
eiocity OF the northeast wind in F
reased as the center of the storm eddy C
lvanced nearer and nearer from the
'uthwest, until the wind reached th.
,nditions of hurricane; that the VI
ind between Boston and Philadelphia b
lifted and came from the southwest =;
ter the center of the storm eddy had OF
used over this region, and that the la
rec OF the wind gradually decreased
the center Of attraction passed far
er and farther away to the north. be
st. a
another man whose name is dear to S% g.
e heart OF every patriotic American "
nducted, In conjunction with his
lend, James Madison (afterward gi,
snop), series of weather OBSERVE ga
ms, which were begun in 1771 and d ia
ntinued during the stirring times II
the revolution. This was the sage
Monticello, Thomas Jefferson. Mad.
n was near the sea. at the colonial t t;a
pital, Williamsburg. Va; Jefferson hi
$ Mt Monticello. 100 miles west all
ey took simultaneous observation. a
several years, until the British ran.
'ked Madison's house and carried on I
barometer.
lad the telegraph been in existence
ferson and Madison would dcuht. a
have conceived the idea of a ma, Spa
nal weather seryice.-Forum. cas-!
-, cay
ureeniand potatoes never grow Sta
10 4