Evening star., 1900-10-04

on the Atlantic coast that are unprotected
by breakwaters and that have f1imsy build
ing foundatio placed almost at sea level
To be sure, IT would be necessary for
West Indian hurricane, with barometer
reading over one inch below the average at
the center of gyration, to defect little
from its average track, which is usually
offshore, and pass inland directly over one
OF these cities, or else to move up from the
south with the center OF the insucking eddy
about fifty miles inland, in order to raise
the water to a dangerous height at any
place In this connection the fact should
not be lost sight of that in Galveston there
was probably little loss Of life in strongly
constructed buildings with heavy founda-
tons. l am of the opinion that every popu-
lar summer resort of the Atlantic coast
would be amply protected from possibility
of material loss of life If proper regulations
were made requiring stability in the con-
struction of foundations to a height of ten
feet above sea level. / am further of the
opinion that the possibility of the loss of
life is sufficient to Justify the enforcing of
rigid regulations In the construction OF
places of habitation.
1T Is a singular meteorological coinci-
dence that the West Indies bear the same
storm relation to the United States ttat
the Philippines do to China. With our new
possessions in the Philippines it will be
possible to organize a storm warning SER
vice that shall be valuable to all COM
merce plying the waters contiguous to the
China coast as the recently established ser
vice in the West Indies is to the United
States
Rev. Father Joseph Algue ST., director
or the Manila observatory, has. under the
direction of the Philippines commission,
been in consultation with the weather bu-
reau of the Department of Agriculture for
several months past. with a view of organ
iz1ng a storm-w warning service in the Philip
pines similar TO that existing in the United
States. Standard apparatus was recently
purchased under the supervision of the
weather bureau, and is now on its way to
the islands,
The LOng-Range FOrecaster.
In conclusion Prof. Moore says:
Now. word in regard to the claim that
a long-range forecaster accurately foretold
the Galveston storm year in advance
Il notice in his published prediction the
statement that one of the decided storm pc
RODS fer September will fall about the 9Th
to 11th. 1t will be wise for dwell
the south seas, islands and coasts to
heed the signals of West Indian hurricanes
at this time. | wish to say that in no way
does this foretell the coming of the hurri-
cane that struck Florida. swept the south
ern gulf coast and passed inland at Calves
ton. The weather bureau accurately fore
told the portion of the coast line that would
be affected by the Galveston storm, while
this long range forecaster, whose work we
consider to be nothing but the merest char
lataniSm. makes a general statement to the
effect that storms may be expected about
this time for the south seas, islands and
coasts The south seas, islands and coasts
cover an area larger than the entire United
States-an area that extends southwark to
South America and takes in all of the is
lands of the West Indies and the coast line
of the Caribbean sea. the Gulf of Mexico
and northward to Hatteras. What nom
sense to say that such a prediction accu-
rately foreiold the coming of the recent
hurricane. Every one knows that during
this period storms are frequent in the re-
gior of the West Indies, This long-range
astrologer throws out his dragnet and
claims everything that falls within an area
1000 miles in diameter
L have personally investigated the theo-
rfes OF many long-range forecaSting hum
bugs, and / have yet TO find a single in
stance where a higher degree of accuracy
was obtained than one could make by clos
ing his eye and stabbing with his pencil at
the calendar, saying, Here there will be
storms ] have never found one of these
forecasters whose predictions were based
upon any definite idea or upon any scientific
principle. ! am satisfied that the majority
Of them know themselves to he engaged in
the preparation Of fraud, and that the re-
mainder are either ignorant or are them
selves deceived by accidental condolences
between their predictions and the storms
that occur.
However. do not despair that some day
II Will be possible 10 foretell the weather
months in advance but the manner in
which we must approach this important
problem cannot be treated within the limits
or this paper. Suffice II to say that If there
were any knowledge today in the posses
sion of man that would enable lone-range
forecasts to be made the government surely
would make use of IT."