The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-07
THE CODE OF FLAGS
Reading w Gather Bull
letins Made
Easy.
THE VARIOUS SIGNS.
Watch the State Mutual
Flagstaff for the Daily
Predictions.
THE VARIOUS SIGNS.

There are but comparatively few peo-
nle who understand much about the
workings of the weather signal sys-
TEN, now employed by the government
in forecasting what the probable at
mospherfc conditions will be for the
next twenty-four hours.
In a general way it is understood
that there is a code of flags which mean
when displayed certain conditions
which are foretold through an elabor-
ate system under the charge Of the de-
partment of agriculture. Further than
that but little is known.
The local weather bureau is under the
direction of R. r. Knowles, a senior at
the czech" He keeps a strict out
look of every phase Of the weather
taking his observations every day
These are sent to Boston in duplicate
copies, one being kept there and the
others mailed to the department. OBJ
server Knowles has many things TO look
after. In his daily report every eohul,
ton of the atmosphere must pc noteu
| for "a hours, which means that to him
phets" scattered throughout the coun-
try, there is no rest In the sense that
one can feel that the days work IS done
OF course Mr.. Knowles does not lay
awake all night to see if there Is
something up in the heavens, but he
keeps one eye open. If the day is falr
| it must be noted; If rainy, CLOUDY, WIN
dy. the directions of the air disturb
ance being noted under that head, there
there is q thunder shower the obserY-
err has to describe 1t, whether any da-
mage was done, the extent, etc. The
amount of precipitation is noted IN
each case. by d rain guage, furnished
by the governments This measurer is
located on the top of the Mutual build
ing, where Mr.. Knowles makes his OBJ
servation.
There is placed pole from which the
flag indicating the nature of the wealth
er for the next "a hours is flung to the
breeze a little before neon every day
in the year It sometimes happens that
the weather does not require ehange
of the flag for some days. This has
been the case lately when the white
flag on the Mutual building has been
flying for many days.
1t is no doubt true that but few tlke
the trouble to glance each day at noon
are. If they did, it might be the means
of saving trouble and much time, for
as a usual thing, the flag, whatever
may be its shape or distinguishing col
or, tells the truth and can be relied
upon.
Mr.. Knowles uses the inland signal
system, which consists Of five flags.
They are called in the code the white
flag" the ''blue flag" the white and
h, tn ali ,rrf q
and finally the white flag with black
square in the centre
Now these flags are with one excep-
ton six feet square, and they can be
easily seen from any quarter of The
city, even without telescope. Nothing
else could be expected when one r4al-
ICES that the Flagstaff is nearly $50 feet
from the street. There is no trouble
about a breeze up there, and conse
quently the flag never hugs the pole.
No. l, the white flag. indicates clear
or fair weather, such as we have been
having for the past 10 days. No 2. the
blue flag, indicates rain or snow. Nc. 3,
white and blue flag. parallel bars OF
white and blue) indicates that Local
rains or showers will occur. and that
| the rainfall viii not be general
The black triangular flag known in
the code as No. 4, is different II. shape
from the others. 1t is four feet at the
base and six feet in length. This al
ways refers to the temperature When
placed below Nos. 1, or 3. it indicates
colder weather. On the other hand.
when not displayed, the Indications are
that the temperature viii remain STA
tionary, or that the change in temporal
ture will not vary more than six de-
grees from the temperature of the same
hour Of the preceding. day from June
to September, 10 degrees from Decem-
Der to March, and not more than eight
degrees for the remaining months of
the year.
But No. flag is the one most to be
dreaded, and when that is seen flying,
the knowing ones make proper prePar-
atoms. The flag indicates the approach