The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-15

ner to the Association Tor tne ADVANCE
ment of Scientific knowledge, in Vienna
Is printed in
she Monthly WEATHER AND
Weather r e.
view. He says ITS FoREcASTtNG.
that all meth
ods of weather forecasting, not excepting
those in use by the central meteorological
Offices, are based upon observed weather
conditions and have, therefore, an en-
pirical foundation. Many OF them do not
even make the slightest attempt to put
their methods on theoretical basis. and
content themselves with setting up
weather rules" Even in scientific meth
DDS Of professional meteorologists have
not yet succeeded in deducing a theory
capable Of determining in advance the
changes of the weather as the effect of
one or several known causes. Only the
advocates of the influence of the moon
have ventured, solely by means of aprior-
istic theories, to calculate" the weather
for long periods In advance. Prof Pert
ner then goes on to tell the widely diff
ferent methods by which the various
weather prophets carry on the work of
weather forecasting, such as those who
make use of the behavior of animals;
hunters who recognize the character OF
the approaching season from the action
of the wild animals; the observers of
BIRDS, spiders. crickets. ants and other
animals; those who make use of the dead
substances of the animal or vegetable
Kingdoms, such as hairs, strings Of in
truments, roots. and fbres Of plants; those
who consult stones and walls. learning
from the sweating" or dryness, and
those who rely on their own bodies for
foretelling the Notwithstanding that
these have nerves, joints and corns, some
times making use of the stomach and
sometimes even the head. He commits
crates these persons. and says: They are
far behind that class which forms it's con-
clusions of the approaching weather from
conclusions OF the approaching weather
from observations of the weather condi- |
tions themselves. You are all well ac-
quainted with the latter class of weather |
prophets; in every community there is at |
least one person who is especially relied |
upon, whether he be farmer, a miller |
q teacher, or a pastor of long standing |
They look up at the sky, observe the |
clouds. and the direction Of their mo-
ton, and from these they forecast the !
weather for the next day. with good re-
suits These local weather prophets rely
indeed upon phenomena which have the
closest connection with the coming
weather. For the weather does not spring
like a deus ex machina down from a dis
tant cookoo's nest in the clouds but is
drawn from comparatively near regions.
or If you prefer. This approaching change
In the weather is announced by the ap-
pearance of the sky, sometimes for /
longer. sometimes for a shorter time In |
advance. and the skill of the weather
prophet consists in rightly interpreting
for the near future the appearance of
the sky and the weather conditions. Since
IT Is generally necessary, in order to grasp
the weather conditions correctly to have
q clear judgment founded on long ex-
perience In observing, together with an
accurate eye and / might almost say.
an inborn quickness of perception, there
fore, there are, as Il rule only single in
dividuals In every community who enjoy
the reputation of being good weather
prophets. Certain phenomena, however,
are of so typical a nature that they have
been reduced to fixed rules and are every
Nheie eApIeSSeu III popular language. |
An old and by far the most widespread
method of weather prediction" SAYS Dr. |
Pertner. rs based on the idea. which Is
i might say. universal among mankind,
that the heavenly bodies have an in
fiuence on everything which takes place
on the earth. and particularly upon the
weather The moon is that one which
was supposed to more especially influence
the weather. although this power was at
tributed to the planets also so that each
one produces certain kind of weather
and therefore divides the year into damn
dry stormy. quiet periods. etc, according
ss one or the other planet is the ruler
for the year Thus far the theory of the
influence of the moon on the weather il
the direct result Of the popular belief in
the moon. without regard to any scien-
tific basis
Or. korn. n German physicist de-
scribes a new receiver for pictures sent
by wire. which he claims viii make pos
sible q consid-
FOR RECEIVING cradle m
provement up
PICTURES BY WIRE. on earlier de-
vices of like
nature. This field of invention and re-
search has been fascinating for years TO
scientific investigators and inventors but