The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-09

whole area that was submerged the
warning bulletins preceded the flood
| by several days, and the statisticians
of the government estimate that $15,-
900. 600 worth of live stock and movable
property was removed to high ground
as the result of the forewarnings.
| These warnings are distributed from
fifteen river centers, at each of which
a trained forecaster Is located who
daily is in possession Of such measure
ments Of precipitation on watersheds
and such up-river water stages as are
necessary to enable him to make an
intelligent prediction for his own dis
trict. on account of the recent dis
asters from floods in the rivers of
Texas steps are now being taken to es-
tablish n food warning service, espe-
cially for that state.
| Measurements Of snowfall in the high
mountain ridges of Montana, Wyom-
| ing, idaho. Utah, Arizona. and New
| Mexico during the past several years
have given us information that now
enables us to make a very accurate es-
innate in the spring as to the supply
| of water from this source that can be
expected during the growing season.
| In this way the weather service has
| been brought into close contact with
those interested in irrigation. and has
become valuable aid to them.
| The heavy responsibility that rests
| upon the Weather Bureau in the maxi
ing of storm warnings is gathered from
the statement that 562S transatlantic
| steamers and 5S42 transatlantic sailing
craft enter and leave ports on the At
lantic seaboard during "a single year.
The value of their cargoes is more
than 81 500, 100000 Our coastwise traffic
is also enormous. In one year more
than 1900 sailing vessels and 1000
| steamers enter and leave port between
Maine and Florida. Their cargoes are
estimated to be worth $7,00O,000. From
| these facts one can readily measure the
value of the marine property that the
Department of Agriculture, through
| the Weather Bureau, aims to protect
| by giving warning of approaching
storms.
The climatology of each state is now
so we'll determined and the information
is so Systematically collated as to be
drawn upon daily by thousands of
those engaged in public enterprise.
such as the building of waterworks,
where it is essential to know the pre-
| cipitation on given watersheds: the
| building of culverts where the eX-
| tremes of rainfall within short periods
must be known: the building of great
| iron or steel structures, where the eX-
pansion and contraction of metal with
changes of temperature must be ac-
counted for; the speculation in land in
regions that are not known to the
purchaser. and the selection of resi-
dences for health and pleasure.
1t is not generally known that the
meteorological records daily appear in
numerous of the courts of the land. and
that many important cases at law are
settled or greatly influenced by them.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
Under the direction of Secretary Will
| son, we have recently arranged with
Europe and the AZOre Islands for the
| receipt of meteorological reports that, in
| connection with our present extensive
system, enable us to forecast wind di-
| rectiOn and wind force for transatlan-
! tic steamers for n period of three days
| out from each continent This is an
| extension Of the meteorological service
| that has long been sought by marin
erS. The new German cable from Lis
bon to New York enables us to get di-
rect communication with several ISL
| ands, the reports from which are ne
cessary in the taking up of this new
and important work.
Recently the pOstOffice department,
| through its rural mail delivery, has
placed at the disposal of the Weather
Service one of the most efficient means
of bringing its daily forecasts, frost
and cOld-wave warnings to the very
doors of those who can make the most
profitable use of them. The latest fore
cast of the weather is printed on small
slips of paper and each carrier is Civ
Ell Il number equal to the number of
houses on his rural route. Thus does
the meteorological service insinuate
itself into every avenue that promises
efficient dissemination of its reports.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
The last appropriation for the support
of the Weather Bureau was 81 ,O5S, $40.
II is the opinion of many insurance and
other experts that the meteorological
service of the United States govern
ment is worth over $40, 600 900 annually
TO the agriculture, the commerce, and
the industry of the country: and this
Notwithstanding the large element of
error that must for Il long time to come
enter into its predictions.
PROSPECTS.
1t may be asked what are the pros
poets for an improvement i'll the ac-
curacy of the weather forecasts dur
ing the coming century. To this it may
be answered that when our extensive
of lni nj hnc
continued for another generation or
two Il Kepler or II Newton may dis
cover such fundamental principles un-
derlying weather changes as will make
it possible to foretell the character Of
coming seasons. If this discovery be
ever made it will doubtless be accom-
plished as the result of comprehen-
sive study of meteorological data of
long periods covering some great area
like the United States, While we can
not make such prediction today, we
feel that we are laying the foundation
of IA system that will adorn the civil
ization of future generations. At the
present time I know of no scientific
man who essays to make long range
predictions, and in closing this paper
] would especially caution the public
against the imposture of charlatans
and astrologists who simply prey upon
the credulity of the people. believe
it to be impossible for any one to make
a forecast based upon any principles of
physics or upon any empiric rule in
meteorology for weeks and months i'm
advance. The Weather Bureau takes
the public into confidence in this mat
ter, and does not claim to be able to
do more than it is possible to accom-