The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-15
INDIA AS OUR PUPIL.
American Weather Service to
Be Studied as a Model.
DEEMED THE BEST IN TIE WORLD

Department Now In This Country.
Will Investigate Our Apparatus
and Methods-Dinerent Conditions
to BE Met In the Indian Service.
The United States weather service is
undergoing study as a model for the
British service in India, says u Wash
ington special dispatch to the New
York Post. Ours is regarded as the
best in the world. and some Of it's in
noyations are soon to be tested at Sim
la and at stations in Cashmere. Gilbert
Walker. who has been selected by the
British Indian Office for chief CT its
weather department. recently went to
methods. He will 60 next to the kite
flying station Mt Blue Hill. Mass. and
after that to Chicago to observe how
we photograph sunspots and to see the
Yerkes telescope. The British do things
leisurely. and after Mr.. Walker arrives
at Simla he will serve for six months
as assistant to Sir John Elliott. the
present meteorological reporter. Then
Sir John will be retired on half pay.
and Mr.. Walker will take charge of the
Indian weather.
"You have many instruments in
America" said he to a caller the other
6oy ssVx-1ipl, WA nx,or ho va ,vcnd IN T,
dia. and l purpose to introduce them
there. Your kites. for example, have
interested me intensely. bringing the
upper currents of the atmosphere with
in reach of us with their automatic reg
istering Instruments. The balloons are
also of Importance. l find at the Wash
ington station some new ones which
Mr.. Moore is o o to employ to explore
the very high attitudes. These are
about eight feet in diameter, gas filled
and carry self registering devices.
They are sent up only when proper
conditions prevail and are permitted to
60 free, rising to a great height. where
the air is so rare that the decreased
pressure causes them to burst. That
releases a parachute carrying the in.
struments and the directions for their
return to the bureau. My kites and bal
looms will be strange sights to the ma
tive people of India. and l suppose l
shall be worshiped as a new deity
when l begin to put them into opera
ton. st
"The mission of the weather bureau
in India is somewhat different from
that of it's counterpart in the United
States. There are not the same COM
mercial interests to be suDserved. The
native does not pick up his morning
paper to see whether he shall take his
umbrella when he goes to the store or
whether his wife shall wear galoches
on her shopping tour. The purpose in
India is more to protect the whole peo-
pie from those devastating famines of
which you read from time to time. The
question there is how soon
the monsoon is coming, for the mon
soon brings the rains. and on the rains
depend the cops. and on the crop of
one year may depend the lives of mil
lions of people, for they are simple,
childlike creatures who live from hand
to mouth. The weather service cannot
bring the rains Of course. but we may
be able to say beforehand that they are
not coming in time and to warn the
government. so that provisions may be
and means for distribution
organized. Then. too. the bureau per-
forms an important service in giving
warnings of the %torrential foods which
so suddenly, wash out bridges,
drown people and sweep all before
them.
las a field for original research Brit
lsh India is fertile. There is a vast
which is tropical in climate and
Is therefore little explored. Then the
great varieties of altitude result in
vide differences Of temperature even
the anne latitude. Down on the
coast it may be so hot and humid as to
De almost unbearable. while up y, the
as at Simla. wher. my
headquarters will be. it is most delight
Again. we have stations where
he temperature runs the whole gamut
n twenty-four hours. For example,
It Leh. in Cashmere. 1900 feet above
he sea. the temperature ranges
through more than 100 degrees from
to noon. The reason for this
.reat fuctuation is found in the rare
Of the air. Ordinary air absorhs
great deal Of the suns heat before
rays strike the ground. and at night
his air serves us a blanket, keeping
he earth from throwing off all its
leat by radiation. But at Leh the at.
n%ospheric blanket is so thin that the
processes of absorption and radiation
% on much more rapidly. 1t is a hard
ountry OH people. But the native
hepherds are sturdy and seem to stand
{ we'll enough.
Most of the employees of our Indian
ecYice are nafiuaS ovon tho unoa4 xaa