The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-30
WEATHER FoRECASTING.
Great Progress That Has Been Made
in a Valuable Science.
London Mail.

London Mail.
Despite the popular hallucination to the
contrary, meteorology has been SO far
brought to within measurable distance of
an exact science that the weather of to-
morrow over Great Britain can, in ninety
cases out of a hundred be forecasted with
nearer approach to certainty than any
other of the next days events, excepting
those which depend upon the known and
certain movements of bodies suspended in
space
In meteorology, however, there are occa-
sions when prospects hang in the balance;
a development in one direction is counter
active to a change in another. Here 1t is
that different kind of ability or genius
than that required by the astronomer
comes into play, a qualification best de-
scribed by the Greek word nous COM
bined with an exceptional grasp of the sub
ject.
of circumstances must be attached an ex-
act relative Importance which the dull mind
would be quite unable to weigh. The
achievement so arrived at is not infrequent-
ly a completely successful forecast which
a less gifted person could only suppose
was the result OF occult intuition.
To those not in the secret the question
naturally arises, What these pros
poets and changes, how are they produced.
where and when do they occur, and what
bearing do they. have on warning the ship
umbrella may be left with confidence in the
hall stand?
The modern humorist always suggests
that the opposite weather to that fore
casted is to be anticipated with some conf
dence, for from Mr.. Dooley downward the
funny men of to-day make sport of all that
is beyond the grasp of their intellects.
Experts of every nationality use one
method known as that of the forecast by
the Synchronous chart system. The essen
tails to making forecast by this means
are map of the district for which the
forecast is to be made. with as much of the
surrounding area available for the estab-
lishment of permanent meteorological OBJ
service, and telegraphic communication
from all these stations to the expert in his
office.
To cite the United Kingdom special fore
casts. issued daily by the Daily Mail as an
example of this we have on the north and
west side the Atlantic ocean, from which
no observations are at present received at
regular intervals, though wireless teleg-
raphy opens possibilities in this direction.
The continent of Europe furnishes all that
is necessary on the south and east sides
but inasmuch as most of our weather tray-
els to us from the west in the northern
hemisphere, the British forecaster is at a
disadvantage compared with the scientist
who has TO deal with. say. the eastern half
of Canada.
1t is absolutely necessary that these OBJ
servations should be taken synchronously
that is to say, exactly at the same time
Western European stations report at a.
m. and p. m, and the report is made I'D
as follows: Reading of the barometer:
reading of the thermometer; direction of
the wind; force of the wind; state of the
weather and sky; condition of the sea at
coast stations. Having this material ar his
disposal. the expert takes his map and fills
in these observations at the places where
they have been made with careful ana
lysis of the changes which have occurred
since his previous map was marked.