The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
PROPHETS KEPT BUSY
Bureau Experts fave Siren
uOuS Existence.
SEND FORECAST TO MILLIONS
Every seventh Man, Woman, or
Child in United states Receives Of
what May BE Expected from the
wenther-Maintain Many stations.

The extent Of the work Of the Weather
Bureau Of this country will be a surprise
to the best read people Of the land. when
It is told that this extensive government
service puts every day, excluding Sun
days. q forecast or daily report Of some
kind into the hands Of every seventh
man. woman. and child OF the United
States
To bo more explicit. the weather service
circulates by mail. telephone. telegraph
and carrier, among the $1,000 600 people Of
the nation about 10000 900 weather reports
on every week day, year In and year out,
What IS even more interesting is that
every one Of these reports reach each and
every one OF this multitude Of people at
practically the same time.
The Weather Bureau has about two
hundred branch Offices located throughout
the country, where skilled observers keep
complete record Of the air pressure.
wind. velocity. temperature. &c. Of the
territory surrounding. This data IS re-
celved from still smaller sub-stations and
from observers located IN the cotton.
wheat, and corn belts, and from uumer-
Gus river observers. The branch stations
also receive great numbers or reports
from private individuals throughout the
nearby country. who are interested IN
climatic and meteorogical research work,
and who take great pleasure in Joining in
Of la 1s.q
from the standpoint OF a fellow worker.
Prepare Morning Report.
These branch stations forward data 20
about twelve still larger stations where
what Is known as the morning rep0rt"
15r the several States adjacent IS PIE
pared. This information. along with the
evening observations OF the branch sta
tlcns. is forwarded 10 Washington and
70 san Francisco. where the forecasters
in charge prepare the report TO cover the
next twenty-four hours. Washington pre-
pares the forecast for all the territory
east OF the Rocky Mountains. and san
Francisco the Western Coast regions
As soon as this forecast is prepared it
Is telegraphod 20 hundreds Of points
.
OF the cards familiar 20 almost every one
are printed. These are mailed through
out the immediate neishbOTho0d where
delivery takes but a few hours. In turn.
the postmasters in many places who re-
ceive these cards stamp OF print stiii
more. and they are forwarded 70 even
smaller points 20 post-offcvs and along
ruraI-deIivery routes In many localities,
especially 10 the West, the telephone IS
used extensively IN the spreading Ot
weather forecasts and reports. Sub
/ scribers in rural districts in many in
stances depend entirely on this method
| 10 receive weather news. In this way the
! forecast arrives at almost every point
at about the same time. no matter how
distant the point Is or how difficult of
1 access.
weather Maps Distributed.
Besides the thousands OF weather fore
cast cards. great numbers Of weather
maps are also printed. The weather serv-
1 fee conducts many STATIONS throughout
the country where facilities for print
ing such maps are provided, and each
day the data for storm indications, air
pressure, and wind velocity, and direction
Is furnished 20 these stations by teie-
graph
The Weather Bureau also supports q
number OF storm signal display stations
along the Atlantic and Pacific, and Gulf
coasts FOR the benefit OF coastwise and
other vessels. Indications OF storms OF
rough weather are telegraphed 20 these
stations, where, by q system Of display
signals. the information Is transferred TO
the ships These vessels in turn com
muniCate 20 the storm stations, either by
wireless telegraph or signals. any infor-
nation which they might have concern
ing storms or rough weather that they
might have experienced while on the high
seas
In this way information concerning the
/ location Of any derelict which they might
have passed IS also forwarded 20 Wash
/ ington 20 be noted on the navigation
maps.