East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-01-14
GOVERNMENT
WEATHER H[PlRTS
PEOPLE INTERESTED
FOR VARIED REASONS.
Few Know Of the Extensive Organl-
DatIon Occupied In COLLECTING Data
on Which Daily Reports Are Bas-
ed-Cllmatic Statistics Collected by
Several Thousand Voluntary OBJ
servers Using Standard Instru-
mcnts.

Probably no part of a daily news
paper is regularly read by more per,
sons than the daily weather reports
and predictions. An attempt to emu.
merate the people who read them
would be almost like compiling a
census, and a summary of their mo-
tives or reasons for being interested
In the weather would furnish a many
sided picture Of every day life.
Few persons ever stop to think
what an extensive organization is oc-
cupied in collecting the data on
which the daily reports are based,
and what great expense and labor
the government Is at to make them
comprehensive and reliable. 1t takes
careful and intelligent work by many
minds and hands to make a daily
newspaper, but perhaps no equal
amount Of space I'm 1t represents as
much careful and intelligent and
skilled labor as the few inches that
contains the daily weather report.
AS now organized, the Weather
bureau employs the whole time Of
about 600 paid employees, located at
about $50 stations, besides receiving
reports from several thousand volun-
teer observers on special subjects.
The latter. however. do not enter
into the daily reports. The bureau
at Washington receives two reports
daily from every one OF its $50 sta
tions. one at o'clock a. m. and one
at o'clock p. m, and these reports
are the basis of the forecasts for the
next 36 hours.
These forecasts are Immediately
telegraphed to all concerned through
out the country, to every daily news
paper in the United States and wide |
ly distributed by mail, by flag sig
mails and by telephone. No other
people in the world are so well in
formed every day in the year as to
the weather conditions prevailing in
all parts OF the country and what
they may expect themselves as are
the American people.
Climatic statistics for the various
states are collected from several
thousand voluntary observers, using 4
standard instruments. These are
printed in monthly state bulletins. so
that the climate Of one region can
be readily compared with that OF an
other as to temperature, rainfall.
early frosts. late frosts, etc
The storm and flood and cold wave
are of great value to many
,lasses of people. The weather bu-
'eau's present cost to the government
S about S1,400.000 a year. but II is
worth many times that to the people.
The general public may not be
ware that the records Of the bureau
ire in frequent demand in the ad-
Of legal claims and are
.ccepted by the courts as conclusive
As the original records
rom all stations are forwarded to
Washington and filed there, II Is
'ossible for the central bureau to
urnish a certified copy showing the
,eather conditions. prevailing at any
lme IN the past In any city Where
station is maintained. Such evil
ence is admissible in any court in
he land.
The supreme court of the United
tates and several state courts have
o decided. The calls for such evil
ence are frequent. as many as 1S0
opies of weather records having been
,sued in a single year. During one
eriod of 10 years the aggregate
umber OF personal appearances in
ourt of local observers at different
oints, summoned as witnesses to tes-
1fy as to whether conditions at a
ertain time, was nearly three thous-
nd. This kind Of testimony as well
$ certified copies of the records. has
roven to be turning point in many
nportant cases.