The record-union., 1899-04-13
DOCTOR MANSIONS LECTURE.
AN ABLE ADDRESS ON SEASONS
AND RAINFALLs.
sHighs" and sLows" Explained,
With Many Sidelights ON
Forestry and Crops.

DIR. Marsden Manson of the State Bu-
reau of Highways delivered highly
interesting and valuable lecture at the
Crocker Art Gallery last night, his sub
ject was: THE Importance of Study
of Rainfall and it was profuse.y Illus
trated by photo-opicon slides.
The speaker was introduced in a brief
address by Mayor Land, whose enter
prise was responsible for the lecture
The Mayor stated that DR.. Mansonl was
regarded as one of the greatest scien-
fists in the country, and as such entitled
to be heard. He believed in the i'm
portance of studying the subject.
DR.. Manson thanked the Mayor for
his complimentary words, and forth
with began his discourse. To say that
it was am eloquent and fascinating adj
dress would be as misleading as to call
a problem in algebra poem; but DR..
Manson at once showed that he knew
what he was talking about, and he ex-
planned many of the phenomena of
storms in a clear, simple way, outlin-
ing the great Importance OF exact
knowledge and careful study of data
pertaining to meteorology.
.The weather is great study" he
say that meteorological matters are of
primary Importance ito students, farm
ers and engineers. Primarily, the farm
er depends on seasonable rains, and all
of us depend upon the farmer; but we
cannot profit much by our studies until
we get accurate figures on the rainfall
When We have these, we can make es-
Inmates about the storage of water, its
11ca tn =, tfr,y
poses. The question of the distribution
of the rainfall is of the most vital i'm
portance, and it suggests other prob
lens. Whence come the winds, the
rains? And why do the wind forces
and the storms make one section and
ruin another?
The problems of the weather seem
abstruce, and I admit the difficulties,
the unsolved problems and the great
Importance of the subject; but the
great, broad principles are simple aud
readily understood, and of practical i'm
portance."
The speaker then said he believed it
possible, by a more careful study of
conditions, to determine the general
probabilities of a. given season, and to
say to the farmer, "It is almost GER
y y
or very dry one"
DR.. Manson then explained the COM
ing of a typical storm in his section
First there will be a breeze from the
southeast. becoming stronger and
stronger. After the lapse of some little
time it rains, and the wind finally shifts
to the south, then to the southwest,
then to the west, after which it clears.
q J,
was caused by something, as I shall
explain"
The speaker then hkened the passing
of a low Cmeaning low baromatric
pressure of the afr), to a moving fire
place in room, drawing in the air so
as to cause a current. SAT your chin
ney the pressure of the barometer is
light, and the draft (or wind) rushes
TO the place were the air is lightest.
Now If your chimney is to the north of
your room the wind or draft it causes
will flow to it, and If you move it TO
the eastern part of the room the breeze
will shift, ever blowing toward it; SO,
when we behold the winds shift as the
weather clears. we know that an area
of low pressure has moved from the
northwestern coast of America to the
north; then to the east; going across
the continent"
1t was shown that during a charac-
teristic storm the barometer at Juan de
Fuca will be about % inches, and 80
inches at some such point as Los An
geles. That means an atmospheric
pressure of million tons to the square
inch, and it gives you an idea how
great the pressure exerted is during
the passing of low through the coun-
try"
1t was shown that the effective lows
Chose that give California rain) pass
from 4S to 90 degrees north latitude.
and If they come closer to US they give
us more rain; If they go too far north,
we have dry year. 1t was also dem
onstrated that the continual passing of
lows" along the latitude named has
washed away billions of tons of soil,
which has caused an upheaval (probably
by removal Of pressure) hence the lat
itude Of frequent lows" is the source
of the great rivers of the world.
The speaker had sections from gigan-
tic Sequoda trees that were growing in
the year $40, and an examination OF
their annular rings showed more than
]. 200 years of good rainfall, which fact
would seem to dispel the fear of per-
petual drouths.
"All our coast weather conditions"
<AA The woman who is |