The San Francisco call., 1899-03-16

~ H. WILSON, local forecast Off
cfal, is disgusted at the pranks the
1T weather has been playing on him
He has a particular grievance
against the present storm, and although
he rejoices with everybody else over the
timely downfall, he can't help feeling
that it played him shabby trick in
sneaking in upon him without an in
stant's warning, thereby destroying the
last vestige of his reputation as a weather
prognosticator.
He says it's a mighty low-down storm
that will trail onto a northwest wind with
frost on the side and jump in from the
ocean without hitting the coast some
where TO the north of US first. That may
be Boreas' idea of humor, he says, but
Boreas has no business monkeying with
frivolities.
''It may be all very funny this throw
ing an honest conscientious citizen down
who is doing the best he can TO bring OH
weather conditions to suit the tndtca-
tions, but blame me If l can see what S
going to become of me If the rain and
frost and wind don't pay any more at
tention TO the probabilities than they
have in the past. It's all right
enough for the rain to hold off when L
predict that it will arrive on certain
date; that has been the case so fire.
ouently ever since the Government took
a
that the people have got so they expect it
and sort of regard 1t as all right and
part of our business. But here comes
this rain that everybody has been hoping
for and praying for, jam up against a pc
riod of northwest wind and frost, without
ever shaking a bush or blowing norm
to indicate its arrival 1t just let me size
I'D the indications and send out my pre-
dictions, with the result that Tuesday
morning folks got up and read in their
papers at the breakfast-table that they
were going to have another day at least
of that bitter northwester with more
frost at night and looked out OF their
windows at the rain slanting down on q
southeast wind, with the temperature 10
degrees higher. Such dOings make me
languid and have got to stop. l want II
distinctly understood that m not doing
this forecasting for hygienic benefit TO
myself, and if this drooling California
weather doesn't stop trifling with me / m
CITY, where weather sharp would have
a cinch-hot weather and mosquitoes four
months in the year and snowballs ana
Armours canned beef the other eight
. months
But notwithstanding Mr.. Wilson 8
9aint ne Is as v hf spy over g the me 1esSga sta
and sloshes around on top of the Mills
building watching the rain gauge, the
wind gauge and the other contrivanceS
up there as contentedly as spoonbill on
the Alameda flats.
The precipitation has been general from
the Oregon line to +he Tehachapi, and
although the full force of the storm has
not yet reached the latter region it
probably will by to-day. and cross the
range and visit the extreme southern part
of the State as. well. No rain whatever
has fallen at Los Angeles, San Diego and
that section, but there is every indication
that it will receive as thorough a drench-
ing as the northern part has. The south
ern coastline has Jared better so far than
the interior for while 20 of an inch had
fallen at San Luis Obispo from yesterday
morning TO p. m, and Santa Barbara
had received a good wetting, only .U of
an inch had fallen at Fresno.
The storm is now central off the Califor-
MIA coast while the pressure has fallen
throughout the State. Oregon and Wash
ington So far the rainfall has been the
heaviest in the lower Sacramento and San
Joaquin valleys and the bay counties
Snow has fallen in the mountains as far
south as Fresno County, the fall along
the line of the Central Pacific having been
extremely heavy so far At Blue Canyon
it measured 30 inches for twenty-four
hours and at other points ii was almost as
heavy. 1t Is still showing and packing
down which inSures an abundance of
water for mining and irrigation purposes.
While the frosts of Saturday, Sunday
and Monday nights undoubtedly did some
damage both TO fruit and grain, it is COM
paratfvely insignificant in view of the rain
which followed so closely and brought
succor to the bulk of the crops. A week
ago nothing but the most dismal forebod-
ings were heard; to-day 1t would be diff
cult to find a malcontent in the entire
State Fears(flave been dispelled and only
the most optimistic predictions for the
year can be heard.
CaIffOrriauS NAV we'll rejoice.