New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-08-26
KEEPING 4 TAB OF PLuvIUs.
How Observations of Weather
Bureau are Regulated.
Voluntary Observer Eckstein and
New Ulm b.Station.
Local Branch Was Established
Twenty.three Years Ago.

son, and which has been compelled to
bear much unmerited ridicule is the
United States government weather
bureau. Shafts of wit are directed at
the bureau necessarily but, like many
another thing, it improves upon ac-
quaintance and the functions it per-
forms are held by men familiar with
its workings to be of incalculable
value to the public. For twenty three
years New Ulm men have assisted in
collecting the data which is the stock
in trade of the service and a history
of the local sub-station is interesting.
1t was first established here in 1880
by the late DR.. Alfred Mueller, who.
passed away in Switzerland in 1896,
and it had but three predecessors in
Minnesota. By him it was conducted
for nine years but in 1889 his retire.
ment from active life and return to his
native land compelled him to give. up
the station and he turned it over to.
Voluntary Observer Andrew J. Eek
stein, who possesses a record of four
teen years of continuous service.
Through the courtesy last-named
gentleman Review reporter was re-
Gently given an explanation of the
operation Of the system; an insight
into the life of a "rainmaker,'' as it
were.
Voluntary weather observers do not
receive compensation for their labors,
other than to be supplied with the
publications issued by the department,
but are provided with a set of delicate
instruments by the government: These
consist of a maximum and a minimum
thermometer, with their shelter, a rain
guage and, of course, full set of dis
play flags. In addition to these Mr..
Eckstein has made requisition for a
wind guage to measure the velocity of
the breezes and a barometer, and when
| they are furnished the efficiency of the
station will be greatly increased.
With the aid of the instruments
| mentioned Mr.. Eckstein is enabled to
determine the maximum and minimum
temperature and the amount of pre-
cipitation, including snow fall. He
also keeps a daily record of the
| direction of the wind and the state of
| the weather and, when occasion war;
| rants, makes additional notations Of
any unusual climatic condition or
phenomena which may come under his
| observation. Between the months of
April and October he sends, each day,
a report of the condition of the corps,
bringing the telegraph into use to
notify Section Director T. S. Outram
| of killing frosts or damaging thunder
storms.
Reports such as these are published
in the weekly crop bulletins and month
ly weather reviews, and upon the in
formation which is afforded in the
summaries forwarded the records of the
department are based. During the
seasons of planting, cultivating and
harvesting the bulletins are of use to
grain men, millers and others and no
pains are spared to make the data
complete and accurate, there being in
Brown county dozen or more men
who are supplied with the necessary
blanks for sending in returns.
Meteorological observations are USE
full in other ways, also. Climatic
statistics are based upon them and
they furnish the first incentive for the
investigation of questions relating to
climate. Then, too, the publications
in which readings of the instruments
appear, are constantly consulted by
persons in quest of homes. Settlers
| naturally seek information from the
| most authoritative sources concerning
the sections of the country in which
| they intend to locate, the data enabl-
ing them to intelligently determine the
adaptibility of the climate to the growth
of various crops.
Illustrative of the practically of the
weather records, the use made of them
during the celebrated Tanke murder
trials may be cited. When preparing
an alibi for his clients, it occurred to
one of the lawyers for the defense that
he might employ the findings of the
New Ulm station to advantage. After
investigation he found that he could
substantiate the direction OF the wind
and the condition of the sky upon the
night John Wellner was killed. He
was also able to estimate the travel of
sound and his deductions must have
been valuable, as they were opposed
to unsupported evidence introduced by
the prosecution.
All things considered it would seem
that the weather bureau is something
better than a pleasing ornament and
that it's accomplishing very beneficial
results. When Director Outram shall
have succeeded in carrying out his
plan to place himself in closer touch
with the farmers by extending the
h11f1ati, or cipna1 service into the aori-