The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-26

the barometer must have noticed that
most OF the showers occurred with tho
index of the barometer pointing at fair.
and that fair weather prevailed with low
barometer.
We have already mentioned one of the
class of our fellow men who dispense with
all other methods OF weather forsecasting
and rely on their own body for informa-
ton with regard to weather changes. Be
sides the man who feels dry before the
day Of rain we may count In this class
persons afflicted with old and imperfectly
healed wounds. or with rheumatism, and
those suffering from those little protuber-
ances caused by tight shoes. 1t is not
advisable to contradict any one who thus
paid dearly for his weather wisdom and
there Is no sound reason justifying con-
tradction. for In their case It is COM
bination Of all the elements that cause
weather changes that act ON a sensitive
organism and consequently their prog
nostes are reliable to a great extent.
Now all the methods of weather fore
casting enumerated are based on actual
observation of natural objects, and are
therefore worthy of some consideration.
the more so as their advocates give their
advice only for short period in ad-
vance.
Weather Prophets.
We come now to the weather prophets
that tell the weather changes for seasons
and often for years in advance. Usually
they have adopted weather forecasting rs
a profession in conjunction with fortune
telling, and the motion and relative posi-
ton of the stars from the base on which
their predictions are compiled. All the
fixed stars and planets and the later sta
tistics are pressed into the service and not
only these but planets that do not exist
figure In the computations. and the more
curious part of the performance Is that
those heavenly bodies existing only in
the imagination OF the weather prophets
have to bear by far the greater portion Of
the responsibility
Careful Investigation by competent
scientists has failed to find any connec-
I ton In the relative positions of the stars
and the earth to coming weather changes.
The advocates of the moon prophet are
recruited mainly from this class of wealth
er prophets but there is still small pro-
portion of scientifically educated men that
believe the moon to be a factor to be
reckoned with IN theories about the cir
culation of the atmosphere. These scien-
lists are mostly Europeans and their the
cries have failed so far of confirmation
when applied to atmospheric conditions
In this hemisphere. q
From the standpoint Of the meteorolo-
glst tho influence Of the moon on the
weather could manifest itself only in
! three WAYS, by the heating effect which
| is very small indeed by atmospheric tides
similar to those caused In tho ocean by
the combined influences OF the sun and
moon, and tides do not exist but are Of
no Importance in increasing the air pres
sure over given place, and lastly by the
t.
| able effect on the earth's magnetism, but
changes In the earth's magnetism do not
! effect the weather on the contrary,
changes In weather produce changes In
| the earth's electricity
Continuing. Mr.. Lehman gave interests
ing details of the methods used in making
| up official forecasts.