Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-12-14
Concerning Weather Forecasts.


ciples of meteorology. To this end,
J. R. Sage. Section Director of the
Climate and Crop Service, gives us
the following:
Benjamin Franklin was pioneer
in meteorology, as we'll as in the
correlated science of electricity.
His kite experiment, demonstrating
the identity of lightning with arti-
fetal electric sparks, gave him
worldwide fame; but no less i'm
portant from scientific point of
view, and of greater practical value,
was his discovery of the rotary cir
culation of winds in the general
storms of the Atlantic coast, and a
progressive movement in a north
easterly direction. By injuries ad-
dressed to numerous correspondents
and travellers in the colonies he
reached the conclusion that the
northeast storms of that region be-
gan at extreme southwest points
about day earlier than at Boston.
From careful study of the mass of
facts thus laboriously collected he
formulated his tentative philosophy
of storms.
Franklin's contemporaries, and
the people generally, were not deep
ly impressed by this new theory.
There was nothing spectacular
about it, appealing to the popular
imagination like his famous kite-fy-
ing experiment performed amid
thunder and lightning. He was a
.ss.tlnry ~ in advance Of his age. And
.ne Dulk I' :, IT the people were biased
by the teachings of the oldtime
astrologers thai .ae moon is the
dominating force, With ~, n]anats
as adjuncts, in the production VI
!storms and weather changes. But
| Franklin was unique among the
philosophers of the eighteenth cen
tury. Though great reader Of
books and current literature, in
scientific studies he consulted
chiefly the book of nature. His
methods were characterized by sim
plicity and directness. He was
richly endowed with the genius Of
common-sense. He gave little head
to the occult doctrines and mysti.
cisms of ancient philosophy. Tc
him the vaporings of the oldtime
astrologers were Of less value than
the soughing of the east wind,
which was a portent of a coming
storm from the westward.
In the field of meterology, Frank.
) lin was essentially an explorer, set
ting up landmarks for guidance o.
, future investigators. Following hi
line of research, in the nineteenth
century number of able scientists
brought some measure of order ou
9 of chaos, and were able to discern
Z regular lawful sequence in the ap
n parently erratic sweep of wind cur
rants and storm-eddies. With tn
3 rapid advance and settlements t,
: : the westward, and construction o
railways and telegraph lines, condi
tions were made favorable for col
4 lecting and making a scientifi
y analysis of climatic data. This wa
$ done by scores of observers an
. scientists under the auspices of tn
IS Franklin Institute of Philadelphia
" and the Smithsonian Institution
% aided in some measure by the gov
eo ernment. Upon the foundation thu
Is prepared the structure of the NJ
g g tional Weather Bureau was begu
:: in<1S7O. From a small beginnin
" with an initial expenditure c
:. $4,000, this branch Of the publ
90 service has been enlarged in il
90 scope until it has become of Wit;
ss ss importance to all interests and a
~ classes of people. The annual al
:" preparation for its support is abol
:. a million and two hundred thousan
:. dollars, and sh;, great Bureau hi
- won the admiration of the civilize
;" world. Its field of observation no
il embraces the continent from tt
is Artic circle to the northern coast
2SG 7sS South America. And today maril
-. interests, inland commerce and a
10 10 riculture share about equally Il
NM benefits of the service.
-. 1t is a Bureau Of applied scienc
20. 20. with ample provision for origin
5ss research. 1t is both propressi,
i7s and conservative-proving all thin
Vi and holding fast that which
lr- good. 1t has been founded up
1t well-attested scientific principle
nd All the discoveries and generaliz
'ly tions in meteorology made by t
is most eminent scientists of Ameri
lal and Europe have been utilized a
in reduced to practical form in t
or work of the forecast division.
nd ventive skill has been called il
he requisition to construct instrumel
in for recording automatically I
on. most minute changes in atm
The pheric pressure, temperature, |
1er midity, precipitation, wind veloc
on and direction, sunshine, etc. Th'
in camplex and almost inaallible
in struments have been installed
to about 200 regular stations will
SO the territory covered by this servi
md in charge of thoroughly trained
per servers who have become experts
lue this line.
(To be continued.)