The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-25
Many People interested
In Forecaster's
Work.
REMARKABLE CODE SYSTEM.
n AnaIysi, Of a Cipher Report by
Telegraph - Observers Are Ex.
pert in Reading the Signs.


interest, not only TO amateur me-
- teorologists, but 10 the general
nub,Ic as we'll. OF course. the average
rsrson cares more about forecasts than
H does about the map proper, but at the
eame time the number OF those who daily
CONSULT the weather map is large IN New
York city the weather bureau Is on the
sop floor OF the American Surety building,
ara the active work OF forecasting and
ne preparation OF the weather map are
carried on In these rooms, while the OBJ
seryations are made on the roof.
The local forecast Official ard his as
sietants reach the office early IN the morn
fus. for the forecasts are issued about 10
M and maps are issued to the public
about II o'clock. and a vast amount Of
pre,iminary work must be done. In addi-
fion 10 the local observations taken by
means Of self recording Instruments. tele-
sraphic messages are received showing
ne observations taken at s o'clock a. IN.
IN ssvsnty-six stations OF the United
gtntes: observations from Sandy Hook
~ also tsl-rrsphed In. Messages from
ths obssr ~ing ssati@ls are all telegraphed
20 Warrington and are in turn transmit
ted to all Of the important stations from
which wsstter maps are issued.
n weather bureau possesses a remark
abs code system OF telegraphing. The
essct condition OF the weather OF New
York vty might b. given by the follow
70 sipLsr telegram: "York-Binnacle--
Hunn.vell - Renown Outmost - Fog
Permit" Messages OF the same length
from ZACH station ere received by the
teiesra pher, aud from these messages the
observer or the loca, forecasting official.
a. he Ii termed. makes up his weather
map and from them he gets valuable In
formation for his forecast as to meteoro-
logical conditions all over the country.
The Scientific American analyses tho
nft.hA f1f ha Aha
lions given above. york II simply the
cipher address indicating the location Of
the station; the word pinnacle is
special code word for both the barometrc
pressure and the temperature. II. Tor ex-
ample, the barometer should be stationary
for two or three days. and the tempera-
ture varied. different words would be used
each day at the same time: syllable Of
the word telegraphed each day would tn
dictate a stationary barometer. while key
10 the changing OF the temperature would
also be given. In pinnacle the first two
letters "bi' mean 3o.is inches barometric
pressure. and ma" indicate a temperature
Of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The next word.
s'hunnewei," refers to precipitation. the
s'ne' being the significant syllable indl-
eating "A precipitation OF o.6< inch. In
morning reports N words are used. and
at night 80 words are used. The word
'.renown' indicates the direction OF the
wind, the state of the weather and maxi
mum temperature for the last twenty-four
hours II the word begins with IT. 1t Ia
understood that tho wind ia west. but IL
the word begins with 81 the wind Is east.
The "e" following the r. indicates cloudy
weather, while the syllable mo- Indicates
Z maximum temperature of ss degrees. The
word "outmost" refers to the velocity OF
the wind and the minimum temperature
for the last twelve hours. The word fog
IL not a cipher word. and fully explains
that the maximum wind velocity In past
twelve hours was ffty-six miles. from
the west
The observers are very expert I'm han
ding these ciphers, and "A message of this
kind In translated almost always without
the aid OF the large code book. The code
system as has already been said. ~ most
elaborate and IL based on the value of
certain letters IN certain positions. thus.
IA e. 10. o--S, u or 70. b-l. d..
rs 60, m-5. n~-6 r--f, SIS, to; thus.
In the word pinnacle" the ma VIII be
seen to have the value of 81 plus :, which.
Of course. means 81 degrees, the IA" be-
Ing IN the units place. With tho aid OF
ell these observations, which are taken
from teegrapher 10 the forscaster. the
latter makes his map.
Blank weather maps are used, and he
Indicates on one OF them the various bare
metric praSsures and temperatures. He
lines which pass through points Of equal
air pressure. He then draws on another
map. with a different colorcd pencil, the
tsatherms. dotted lines which pass
points OF equal temperature, Various
symbols Indicate the state OF the weather.
TAas. circle indicates clear" one
bali OF Il h black it IL partly cloudy,
an .R" within a circle means rain IS"
snew, and n report is missing an M
" put IN It's place. An arrow which passes
Through circic indicates the direction
Of the wind
As soon as a map Is made In manuscript
Il IA given 60 an eugraver. who transfers
u 10 a chalk plate, lie uses three maps
Ter the purpose, one Showing the state
Of Weather and the direction OF the wind.
one Tor the iaohars and the other for the
tssthermS. and while he Is doing this the
fnreeast official Is making ap the forecast
for the DAY
tbs chalk plate process g. very rapid
and has been found To possess marked
advantages over the ola styles OF dupiica-
uent In which stencils were perforated.
a. In the neostyle and cvClostyie pro-
cssses In brief tho chalk plate outfit con
sssis Of blped steel plate covered with
eempesition unaffected by heat. which
sAheres nrmly 20 the plate The con-
Position can be made Of various mater
'sss. The leea 0f the process Is 10 scrape
away the portion OF the chalk covering
where the Hines or lettering are 20 ar-
peM on the printed map, This Is done
WITH TIE aid uf a stylus. which somewhat
resembles bent pin new plate Is
MAS fer each map. and the composition
y hsn serapeG on ard the plate Is sent
sAsy 20 be recoated. The engraver places
vac OF the maps over the plate and lightly
SORTS the various poiats which he IS e.
snkFANe with an agate stylus. II should
:. understood that the plate when finish
g ~iA consist only ~ lines, symbols and
nsafes The map proper, showing the
eeh'euT on the country. its political diVi-
slehs, cities, natural features and ohserv-
Ns stations &c. % course. autographed
2 arse quantities and sent TO the OBJ
serving stations
small steel iutrument is used 10
make the circles This instrument some
WAT resembles small pair OF com
hNsses and rests on a large foot TO avoid
smoving any OF The chalk surface. Aser
.ae circles have all been put In the oper-
s'es Indicates The state % the heather,