Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-03-02
WEATHER BUREAU LORE.
GUY ELLIOTT MITCHELL.

GUY ELLIO
While the Weather Bureau and IFS
forecasts have been the subject of many
jokes and puns at the hands of the
newspapers yet seriously the Weathe,
Bureau records are now having in
creased use ss evidence in the courts
OF the country.
Durlng the past ten years observers
or the Weather Bureau have appeared
with records in court nearly three
thousand times. Evidence as to the
weather is a great factor in a variety
or cases. both civil and criminal. Civil
cases are largely personal injury, dam,
age to perishable goods, as by freezing
or rain, and loss by fire. The criminal
cases are usI"lly confined to murder
trials. In most cases claims for dam.
ages are almost always settled outside
OF court. information as to the existing
weather conditions having been secured
by both Si1eS. AS usual thing when an
fhc1al of the Weather Bureau appears in
court with records to give testimony, he
does not know the character of the suit
on trial, Tor it is generally arranged
by the attorneys to put him on the
stand Immediately upon his arrival
in court and he is excused after his
testimony has been given.
An observer of the Weather Bureau
was once called in case in which the
plaintiff had stated that while she was
riding in a street car she attempted
to shut window in order to keep out
the raw cold weather. AS the car
reached curve she was suddenly
thrown headlong into the street. The
railway introduced the weather record
to show that on the date of the alleged
accident the weather was warm and
sunny and there was no occasion for
shutting a window. The wind records
of the Weather Bureau are valuable
during trials involving damage by
wind, such as blowing down of build
ings, super structures and flag stats,
the wrecking of vessels on the lakes
and ocean etc, and seldom is a suit
for damage caused byhigh wind brought
in any of the large cities that the
Weather records are not called into
court
Evidence is sometimes desired in a
case of damage by lightning. Several
years ago a building in Illinois col
'apsed during a severe thunderstorm.
1T was insured by loss against light
ming and not against loss by wind. The
owner claimed full insurance on the
ground that the destruction of the
house was caused by bolt of light
ming. The matter was placed in the
hands of the adjuster who in turn
called to his assistance scientist, then
in charge of one of the principal wealth
err bureau Offices. to whom by mutual
consent the decision was left.
No f-ud on lis Boots.
The subject of rainfall was important
in a peculiar way in Z trial in Con-
necticut some years ago. A burglary
had been attempted one night in
prominent residence and the occupants
believed that they recognized as the
intruder their own coachman who lived
near by in a stable. A thunder storm
with heavy rain prevailed at that time
and shortly afterwards the officers
who had been summoned put the coach
man under arrest. He denied the
~, () yllo5s were MOT wet ana muddy.
During the trial the Weather records
were produced showing heavy RAIN at
the time and the jury concluded that
II was case of mistaken identity, and
the man was discharged.
Saved His Life.
Weather Bureau records have figured
in some of the most notable murder
trials. In one instance an observer was
called by the defense to show that the
night the victim disappeared was DARK
and threatening. This evidence con-
tradicted that given a witness LOT
the prosecution who had testified that'
although distant several hundred ieet'
he saw the accused take the victim INTO
q factory.
uae relations between the Judiciary