Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-11-19
MYSTERY OF THE WEATHER
Local Weather Observer Paddock
Speaks.

hard to comprehend, whose problem
seem too deep to be solved by an
human intellect, we would, withou
hesitation, recommend those change
in temperature, in moisture and in tn
winds commonly called weather. 4"
Scientific men love to study and ex
pertinent in these fields, but the,
seem, invariably, to be able to pro
ceed only to certain points and ther,
they must stop; they cannot pass be
yond, for the farther depths are en-
shrouded in mystery too profounC
for the present capacity of the humai
mind.
The study of weather condition.
and problems has, however. arrived
at that stage of advancement wher,
the government has deemed it wise L
establish department for the ex
elusive study and reporting of weather
conditions. This bureau has, during
the few years it has been in operation
been of great service to the country
in its warnings to men both on lane
and on the sea.
In several instances, a knowledge Of
the fact that storm was raging al
sea has enabled a caution to be giver
to ships not to leave port, and in the
case of the cyclone the probable direo.
tion it will follow has been given al
warning to those who live in it:
path. That all changes in the wealth,
er come as a result of the operation OF
fixed natural laws, is, l think, evi.
dent to all, but those laws and the
'why and wherefore" Of their work.
ing, is understood but imperfectly
We know, for instance. that the
clouds we see above us, condense in
to water and descend upon the earth
as rain. We know also that water il
formed by the union of two gases,
and that these two gases are a part OF
the very air we breathe and without
which we could not live. Now,
what is the secret of the formation OF
water that it should come from
clouds in torrents at some periods,
and atS other times, though the
heavens are black with them, no rain
whatever is formed? We may claim
to explain all these things in all
particulars. but the writer is firmly
convinced that we are as yet stand.
ing upon the mere edge of the field OF
discovery; that the future is laden
with wealth of knowledge that We
do not now possess, and, indeed,
scarcely dream of. We have Just re-
ceived an object lesson on rainfall,
The clouds have favored us with q
little over 6lS inches of water in two
weeks time. We are not alone in the
matter however, for the storm ha'
been general throughout the state ant
a good portion of the east. 1t is the
opinion of scientists that the sun hai
been the controlling factor in thiI
storm. The sun is sometimes covered
to some extent with black spots, anC
we have been learning slowly tina
storm periods on the earth have I
connection with them, that is, tina
when the sun shows a goodly array o
spots, storms are sure to follow some
here on the globe.
These phenomena in the sun, it ha
been ascertained, vary through
period of little over eleven years
from minimum, when only one o
two, or perhaps none at all will b
visible, to maximum period whel
there will be several huge blacl
patches upon the suns disc, beari nj
all the evidences of terrific forces a
work in that lnminary. Such
maximum period eliminated on tn
31st Of October, last, and at the sam
time the aurora borealis or Northern
lights" were seen over large portion
of the earth with brilliancy no
equalled in many years One of thes
spots, visible few weeks ago, wa
large enough TO take in small bod,
the size Of this little earth we liv'
on. The storm we have just passed
through has followed these phe
nomena, and we have had an amoun
of rain not equalled in the sam,
length of time during the IA years tn,
station has been established at Grant,
Pass.