The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-18
INDIANAPOLIS. July Il.
STARTED BOY
EyENTFUL CAREER OF c. F. r.. WAP-
PENHANs, WEATHER OBSERVER.
His Successor ms Chief of Local Blu
reau Appofnted-Experie
in the Navy.


Since the weather Bureau was estab-
lished II has been the fashion all over the
country TO hold the weather man re-
sponsible for extremely hot or extremely
cold conditions. This attitude presumes
that the official is Immune from such al
Fiction. During the recent hot spell many
persons have read the weather forecasts
of Local Observer. Wappenhans, In which
he has until very recently denied promise
of rain, and then have thought of him bit
terly as If he had malignant hand In the
matter. a visitor TO Mr.. Wappenhans yes
terday afternoon found him at his desk in
the weather offices at the top of the Ma
jestic building. Mr.. Wappenhans was per-
spring; beads stood on his forehead. His
rooms were as uncomfortable as any other
offices In the city,
On the last day Of this month Mr.. Wap-
penhans will cease to be in.lcharge of the
weather bureau. Before the end of the
summer he will go TO Europe. He will
visit his two sisters IN Berlin. where he was
born. He will spend some time at Carls-
bad in the hope of repairing his health.
which has not been good for some time.
He expects to be away about year. and
then he will return to this city. which he
looks on as his home Willis l.. Moore, chief
of the United States Weather Bureau.
issued an order yesterday that w. T.
Blythe. superintendent of the Louisiana
Weather Bureau. shall take Mr.. Wappen-
hans's place. Mr.. Blythe joined the wealth
er service in 1870. and Mr.. Wappenhans
commends him as an entirely capable OFF,
cial
He is about fifty-seven years old. hav-
ing been born at Ash Grove ILL.,, in 1s4i.
He is expected to take charge at Indian
apolis by Aug. /.
WENT TO SEA AS A BOY.
when / was nineteen years DID," said
Mr.. Wappenhans to. his visitor yesterday
afternoon II went Ia sea. My parents did
rot wish me TO be a sailor bpt was deter
mined and they gave in,f J. shipped from
Hamburg on the American vessel Marion.
commanded by Captain Sampson. l was a
ships boy and when we got to Havana, the
captain handed me a book one day and told
me TO study navigation He read along till
he came TO logarithms. and then ne said,
Here are some tables you wouldn't under
stand did understand. for had studied
mathematics thoroughly at school. From
that time l took observations every day,
whether or not IL was my duty.
Il never served on any but an American
snip. IN ISbZ we were In emma and heard
that war had broken out in this country
and that officers were wanted for the navy.
When we reached New York l enlisted /
was acting masters mate. then acting en-
sign and in 1865 | was made acting master.
j served with the West Indian, the North
Atlantic and the Brazilian squadrons
never was in big fight, but remember an
incident that was as exciting as a battle
~ playing chess in the wardroom of
the Idaho with Lieutenant Davis, son OF
Admiral Davis Acting Master Rockwell
was lying in hammock nearby. A man
crawled out the scuttle and cried out, The
magazine is on fire. | felt myself grow
pale. There were three tons of powder in
the magazine. always kept valuable pa
pers In my best coat. and made rush for
them. Ensign Hooker opened the valve
that was supposed to flood the space around
the magazine. and we stuck hose down,
besides. No explosion came Afterwhile
we made an investiga ton. We found that
the fire was above the agazine We also
found that the valve was defective and had
let only an inch of water into the magazine.
If the fire had been in the magazine, II
would have been all up WITH us.
I'VE had another close shave returning to
the United States Jat the close of the war.
We were ON the Huron was lying on a
chest. / felt the shin strike something and
roll. and / was thrown of the chest. Not
long afterward the time came to pump out
the ship. / looked down and saw that the
water had risen nearly TO the fires. A lit
tie more and we should have sunk | didn't
when we arrived at New York l had no
political influence 70 support my applica-
ton, and when the list came out my name
was not In ~.
ENTERED SIGNAL SERVICE.
81 went into business in New York. and
at the end of two years aafriend told me
that the signal service would establish a
Weather Bureau l applied for a position
and obtained one. J, was made a sergeant in
tho SIGNAL corvicof md IN 1S-n + oa,,,a 90 Il,
dianapolis and have been here ever since.
except four years spent in charge of the
Department OF the Lakes, with headquar-
tiers at Detroit"
The sight OF a few great drops OF rain
that spattered on the window ledge inter-
rupted Mr.. WappenhanS's narrative. He
seized sheet of paper and jotted down the
time. Then came a low rumble OF thunder
and again the observer made a memoran-
dunn. After a few moments an instrument
mounted on a pedestal spoke with a loud
click. It's catching the rain" said Mr.
Wappenhans. nodding at the instrument
When ! opened a little office at the corner
OF Washington and Meridian streets. thir-
ty-one years ago, we had only an instru-
ment TO measure the velocity OF the wind
Now We have instruments TO record the
rainfall, the temperature and the atmo-
spheric pressure. They all work automati-
cally. There has been great change and
extension OF the work. l have charge OF
sixty-two voluntary observers out over the
State. They have instruments loaned TO
them by the government md receive no
pay. In summer there are ten extra observ-
ers scattered over the State. who report 10
this Office once q day and are paid % cents
an observation. The observers out over the
State make weekly report on the condi-
ton OF the crops and from these reports
our weekly summary Is made up. We send
out 100000 postal cards every six months. "
You have never found that the work
lacked Interest,"" asked the visitor
No" replied MIR. Wappenhans, you
see. there are two branches OF meteorology.
the theoretical and the practical Europe
has many scientists that probe all phases
of science. and there are some such stu
dents in Washington. Here we are engaged
In practical ology-warning the pub
lie OF storms and forecasting the varied
changes In the weather. You notice"-Mr.
Wappenhans smiled contentedly at the tor
rent OF rain--"my forecast OF yesterday
has come true" He paused a moment, and
then his voice assumed matter-of- fact
tone. But these local showers will not
bring much relief from the heat; the high
temperature hangs heavily over the coun-
try. from its southern limit 10 Canada"
IL is such Unconditional and sure state
ments as this one that make the sufferer
from prickly heat aggrieved at the un-
shakable weather man.