The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-19
SOME TALK
ON WEATHER
Prof. Ashley Tells Young
Republicans About
His Work.

The address made by Alex. McC. Ash
ley, director of the local L. S. Weather
Bureau, before the Young Mems Re-
search Club On Friday night, contain
ed many interesting and important
facts concerning weather matters in
the Hawaiian Islands.
Mr.. Ashley made his address before
a large and interested audience. TIL
speaker stood at the table where nearly
all the instruments are kept, referring
frequently to certain devices before
him. These machines, he explained.
We're connected with roof instruments,
with electrical connections.
In opening his address Mr. Ashley
said that the work of the Weather l:u-
reau may be divided into five parts, ;rz
follows:
1. The forecasting, twice daily. of
temperature and weather for the en-
suing thirty-six hours. for the benefit
of agricultural. commercial and mari
time interests throughout the United
States.
.. The issue, daily of forecasts Of
river stages. these being disseminat Ell
two weeks in advance of the actual oc-
currence of the stages forecasted
3. The compilation of climatic data
fer the purpose of ultimately deter
mining infinitely the salient climatic
features of each section Of our laud.
4. The collection and pub ication of
timely information regarding the effect
OF the weather on crops and agric;i.
tural operations in general. and the
present condition of the growing crops.
5. Research work, and the publica-
ton of results.
AS to work in the Hawaiian Islands.
Mr. Ashley said that two obseEYa tons
daily are taken here and both are ca
bled to the mainland for pupl;c9tion in
the many ways in which weather bu
reau reports are placed before The PUB
lie He stated the bureau was COM
piling as complete a record of local
weather conditions as is made at any
station on the mainland. The burs@u
collected and published monthly reports
of temperature, rainfall, wind, ard
weather from all portions of the Is
lands. and weekly reports of crop con-
ditions. These reports are distributed
gratis to all who are interested and
apply for them. Mr.. Ashley was not
prepared to issue weather forecasts, for
the reason he had not sufficient eX-
perience with local conditions to JUS
tify him in doing so.
1.-The weather in the Islands does rot
deDend upon barometric fluctuations
such as occur in the states" he said,
for we are thousands of miles away
from the storm tracks of the northern
hemisphere and are not influenced by
them Weather conditions here are
probably controlled entirely by the
gigantic and permanent high pres
sure AREA lying to the northward
and eastward About all that
can be safely affirmed at present
is that when this permanent high pres
sure a1ea shifts enough to give us a
24-hour barometer change downward
of a tenth of an inch, we may expect
rain but 1 should feel guilty OF play
ing the part of charlatan were / to
attempt Island forecasts until L nave
more thoroughly mastered the slight
atmospheric variations which are the
only induces we now have of island
weather changes.
I'm this connection I may say that
from this time on the wonderful climate
of the Paradise of the Pacific Will be
advertised throughout the world by the
Federal Government, as we'll as py
your able and efficient Promotion COM
! mittee"