The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-03-08
THEWEATHER SHARP
"A FORECASTER MUST BE A MANY
SIDED SORT OF MAN.

"A FORECASTER MUST BE A MANY
/ SIDED SORT OF MAN.
1T Requires Much Education and
Training and a Wide Acquaintance
/ With Scientific Subjects to Serve
Uncle Sam In That Capacity.
A weather bureau man serving on
station, whether he ranks as local fore
cast official. section director or observ-
er or revels In the three combined, to
man of education and training and, in
addition to being, like Benjamin
Franklin, a philosopher, .philanthro-
pist and printer" should be statis-
tician, a geologist and farmer. He
must be able to prophesy of weather
events to come and keep an accurate
and comprehensive record of those
past. He should be an electrician, too,
and an astronomer, unaided by any
star gazing paraphernalia with which
to sweep the heavens for lost comets.
That a weather observer should be a
| philosopher is almost too evident to
discuss, as the science he represents is
based on natural laws, many of which
| yet remain to be discovered, and the
weather bureau of today, with it's re-
markable achievements. would not be
| in existence had not thinking men
turned into account their knowledge
of physics and applied it to the various
atmospheric changes until now the
art of observing, forecasting and tabu-
lating weather conditions follows in
| Importance close on the heels of the
science from which it sprang.
1t would not seem that philanthropy
| could enter into an occupation where
cold blooded calculations, facts and
| figures play so important part, but it
should be remembered that an observ-
er is at all times ready to brave every
climate for the benefit of mankind
and science; that his stations are scat
tered from the edge of the arctic circle
in Alaska to the tropical jungles of
South America; that he should be
equally competent to foretell a change
| of weather to the weary gold seeker on
the Yukon, herald an approaching cold
wave from his bleak post in the far
northwest or recognize the incipient
symptoms of a West India hurricane
as it coils for spring at our COM
merce in southern waters.
Although a printer is furnished to
1 weather bureau stations whose publi
cations are printed. yet there will Often
arise occasions when knowledge of
typesetting would greatly increase the
value of an observer and prevent many
a temporary break in the records of
his station. ....s
Statistics play no small part in a
weather observers work, and in order
to compile useful data from which to
deduce important facts in the future it
Is obvious that much depends upon
records being int lligently as we'll as
accurately Kept. 1t is popular belief
among some that one day is the exact
counterpart of some other; that back
in some period of the worlds history
the atmosphere varied in pressure. the
temperature rose and fell. the winds
backed and veered and the clouds
formed, changed their shape and melt
ed away, each in their turn. with uI,-
varying regularity. again and again. 10
be repeated in regular cycles as the
unceasing mill of time grinds out the
, years. While many facts tend to prove
, the fallacy of this theory. climatic rec,
/ ords do not yet extend far enough
back to positively controvert it, and Il
rests with the weather observer in til,
future, with his accumulated data CT
centuries, to establish the truth.
The relation between climates anG
crops is so close that a knowledge OF
> the latter is Indispensable TO the prop
/ er performance of an observers duties
{ and he should also be geologist enough
to study the soil in his state or terri
tory with a view to determine it's spe
cial adaptability to the various prod
ucts. The success of the pioneer. the
enjoyment of the tourist and the re
4 covery of the health seeker depend no
: only upon the climate of place, bu
upon it's productions as well. The III
, to date farmer is no longer a creature
), of mere Drawn and muscle. He relie
as much upon the science of his occu
patton for success as he does upon til,
= sweat of his brow, and the official VIII,
I represents the climate and crop service
;. of the weather bureau should be aliv
= to all his needs and an unfailing sourc
O for any information he may require.
Many Of the most important record
Of the weather bureau are now mad
> by self registering machines which d
their work with the aid of electric con
facts, and, while it is not necessary t
It be an Edison or a Tesla in order t
r understand the few principles of elec
|. tricity involved, an observer should a
: least be master enough of the scienc
of this subtle fluid to account for an
y remedy any defects in the workings o
y his instruments.-Monthly Weather Re
r. view.