The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-15
IT'S A GENUINE CHINOOK
1t Is Clearing the Snow From
.~ the Ranges.
THE CAUSE OF THE WIND
Observer Herzog Explodes the Japan
Current Theory and Gives a Ra-
tional Explanation OF the
Phenomenon.

Great Falls, Feb. 1.-THE fine wealth
er continues and the snow is fast dis
appearing. Old-timers claim that the
genuine chinook, but whether it is or
not, the average man is content with it
and only hopes it will last a week or
two. 1t is warm and mild, but there is
no wind blowing as there was at the
start and that is the reason that it is
not classed with the genuine chinook
which is supposed to howl "a hours in
the day.
By the way. this recalls the fact that
the ordinary school text books are be-
hind the times in their explanation of
the chinook wind. 1t is strange that
the text books are SO often incorrect
but that is a fact For many years the
history used in Montana schools iocat-
ed the Custer massacre down in Wyom-
ing, and it was not until Colonel Sand
ers made a vigorous kick on the sub
ject and the legisla ture threatened to
throw that particular history out OF the
schools that the error was corrected.
The school geography now used states
that Montana has short periods of ex-
tremely cold weather, but they are
quickly disSipated by the chinook wind
from the great Pacific ocean stream,
the Japanese current, which is analogous
ITO the gulf stream of the atlantic"
This was all right 10 or a dozen years
ago, but since that time half a dozen
theories have been advanced for the
chinook and one final solution adopted
by the government bureau of agricul
ture. 1t is odd that an exploded theory,
a theory which is made absurd by one
glance at the map should continue to
be taught to the children of Montana
and corrected only by the newspapers.
The accepted theory of the chinook
wind has appeared before in this col
umn, but under the circumstances is
possibly permissible another time. 1t
was formulated several years ago by
G. L. Herzog. voluntary weather OBJ
server in this city for many years, and
a gentleman who not only took great
interest in meteorological matters but
possessed an original mind which prov
ed of vast service to the bureau at diff
ferent times and added much of value
to its statistics He is now located in
Butte. The idea of a wind, which, gath
ering warmth and moisture somewhere
near the gulf of California, swept up
over the country toward the northeast.
dropping it's moisture on the western
slopes of three mountain ranges, but
maintaining it's heat, lodged and twist
ed and bounded over innumerable
mountains, finally to appear as a special
providence for Montana, appeared non
sensical to Mr.. Herzog. 1t was not a
fallacy difficult of explosion. He first
ascertained that the wind exhibited it
self locally. While its direction was al
ways from the southwest, it might APP
pear in Great Falls to-day and yet no
point to the southwest of this city
might feel It's warmth for two weeks
either side of this particular date. That
disposed of the gulf of California
hypothesis. The next thing was to in
vestigate the wind itself and discover
some reasonable solution from dta SO
gained.
To this end Mr.. Herzog invented a
simple machine. 1t was hardly more
than tin box with a hinged bottom.
This arrangement. placed on top of the
Blackberry building, at once disclosed
the fact that preceding and during a
chinook there was perpendicular
movement of the air. The hinged bot
tom of the box was forced downward
during the continuance Of the chinook
and was forced upward when the CHI
nook ceased and a cold wave succeeded.
These were the fundamental data on
which Mr.. HerZog built his theory.
Without following all of the steps of
the process, it is sufficient to say that
the observer formulated the theory that
a chinook is formed whenever a low
cyclonc center moves eastward over
Northern Montana while a high pres
sure area exists in Western W yoming
and Southern Idaho. The movement
creates a vacuum; the air from the
ranges and therefore from a greater al
titude rolls down to supply its place; a
current of air ascends at the same
time; the ascending air expands: the
descending air contracts. dynamic heat
Is the result of the mutual pressure and
the current of air SO heated becomes
the familiar chinook wind. The theory
was carefully worked out by Mr.. Her.
zog and with all the necessary data was
forwarded to the department at Wash
ington. There it was carefully reviewed
and discussed by men all over the
country and finally the theory was ac-
cepted as the correct one. In the course
Of many years 1T will doubtless appear
in the text books. In the meantime
teachers should instruct their pupils on
ments Of the books.
1t may be added that a wind of SINH
lar nature exists in Switzerland and is
commonly called the Foehns, while the
Fonda of the Argentine republic Is still
another example.