Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-07-01
WEATHER BUREAU BEin6
MOVED TO new QUARTERS


the workings Of the various instru-
ments. It Is an interesting place to
visit, especially to one who takes an
interest in weather data. That Is not
everyone, for though there Is scarcely
a person but spends from five minutes
to half an hour a day discussing the
weather and most are familiar with the
not all understand the in
of barometer, thermometer
and hygrometer. Yet perhaps these are
more interesting to the weather proph-
ct; and who IL not one.
Some citizens Of the town have no.
ticed the big weather vane on the roof
Of the Dent & Butler building. Those
too have seen the thermometer, or wind
measurer, the four aluminium hemis-
pherical cups revolving around a steel
upright near the vane. Some citizens.
in true western style have risked their
money that they revolve in two direc-
lions. and only half believed the OBJ
server when he pointed out the impos-
sibility of their doing SO. Possibly also
the box. placed eleven feet above the
roof and open on all sides to the air
but not to the sun, has attracted some
attention. These with the apparatus
for measuring the amount of rain or
snow that has fallen. and of the ba-
rometer in the office. constitute the
equipment of the bureau, SO far as
gathering the data is concerned.
But they are by far the least compli-
Gated of the instruments in use. Just
under the vane. in the ONCE are the
registering machines, the most inter-
esting, perhaps, being that connected
with the recording of the direction and
velocity of the wind. A revolving CYL
inder run by clockwork. is covered by
paper whose surface is divided by
lines that represent the distance trav-
eled every Ave minutes. On this pen
connected electrically with the anemo-
meter on the roof, and marks every
mile the air travels in the day. An
other appliance marks on the same
sheet OF paper the direction Of the wind
each minute in the day. BY examining
the sheet the observer can tell the We
locity and the direction of the wind at
any given time of day. The paper is
changed every day at 9 o'clock in the
morning, or at ~ o'clock noon, WASH
ington time. by which the big clock in
the Office is regulated.
In the Office too Is situated an instru-
ment which registers on a sheet of pa
per the varying changes in air pressure.
the sheet on this machine holding the
ADDWEATH Err BUREAU :. A?-aP
record for a week. But the barometer
attached to this machine is not SO ac-
curate as the mercurial barometer, and
it's readings are always verified by the
latter. The ONCE IL supplied with two
Of the latter, 80 that II one IL broken,
the other will do the work. The Their
mometers are used to obtain the tenn
perature and the moisture in the air.
has to take two complete observations
of all the instruments. at o'clock In
the morning and evening. This means
that he has to rouse himself at $50
Each morning and evening the result
Of his combined observations and cal.
culations is telegraphed to Washing.
ton. using the special code which thu
weather bureau has arranged to make
these transmissions more accurate and
easier for the telegraph operators
From four to Ave words Of the code viii
| transmit all the information tha
| Washington wants to know, and from
these they can tell the exact sort o
weather we are having. perhaps ever
more accurately than those who ar,
| living here.
Some little things cause hard labol
and close application on the part o
those who have to do the work neces
sary to give the public the desired re
suit. This - true in the weather bu
reau, where small bits Of information
are passed out daily by men who seen
to have trivial duties to perform. Eacl
day little item like this appears II
| The Teller columns:
"The weather-Fair today. shower
/ tomorrow. with southeasterly winds.
or somewhat similar expression.
i DID you ever stop to think how tn
paper gets that little bit Of informa
tlOH, OF tne AuOOut Oh OIAlnS Au
money that are expended each day 4
the preparation of the weather pre-
diction Of perhaps only half doze
words? OF course every one has see
that strange little map that the weathe
ONCE issues. which II distributed fire
throughout the section included in tn
jurisdiction Of the local ONCE. tn
map II more Of puzzle picture tina
tanything else to the average citise
who hasn't taken the trouble to unrav'
the mysterious message Of the lines an
arrows and dots and black marks upo
q miniature representation Of Il
United States.
To the unobservant the thing has =
story. nor does II convey meanin
But to the business man. the farme
the sailor and to every one who
deeply interested In weather events
has q message OF wide import. IT.
investment OF money depends upon 1
story. the sailing OF ocean liners
scheduled by its chart. and the seedir