Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-18

Measures the Precipitation.
If there has been any rain or snow
since the last observation, he meaS~I
ures it and arranges the gauge as he |
found it. Descending now to the Of
flee, the velocity of the wind is OBJ
tanned from register operated by the
thermometer exposed upon the roof.
Then the barometer is read and cor
rectionS are applied to make the in
strument read the same as 1t would II
it were lowered TO sea level from the
point of observation and exposed in a
freezing temperature. After entering
the entire observation in 4 permanent
record book, a cipher telegram con-
tanning all this information is pre-
pared and filed at the telegraph office
not later than o'clock.
To save time, circuits covering most
of the United States have been ar
ranged with the telegraph companies.
Over one of these the message just
filed is sent but once, the operators
at all other places upon the circuit
copying the report After the observa-
ton from every station upon the same
circuit has been telegraphed in this
manner, the reports that have been
collected at other circuit centers are
sent over the bureaus own. In THIS
way the observations from the various
stations are interchanged At the end
of an hour or two every weather bu-
reau office of Importance is supplied
with a sufficient number of Geographic
reports for the construction OF a
weather map upon which to base the
local forecast.
Practical Use of Forecasts.
| A description of the manner in which
the map is made up and the signlfl-
canoe of the various markings was
given, together with the general move
ment of storm centers in the United
States. Then the speaker turned to
the practical application OF the fore
casts The yearly cost of the bureau
is less than two cents for every inhab-
liant of the country, and the saving oil
life and shipping property through a
single storm warning is often enough
Ito pay the cost of the whole establish
ment for several years.
1t is estimated that the number OF
marine disasters are now not more
than 25 per cent of what would occur
liz the information furnished by this
great organization were not available
Next in importance to marine warn
lings are those of frosts and cold waves
1t is not unusual for a forecast OF 8
cold wave to effect a saving of prop
erty to the amount of several millions
of dollars, and the value of frost ant
cold wave warnings to the truck ant
. fruit sections of the southern state!
and California during one season alone
, greatly exceeds the yearly cost OF tht
weather bureau. Shippers of and deal
ers in fruit, vegetables, eggs and al
, manner of perishable goods are guided
: by the information distributed from thu
!, weather bureau office One DavenpOr
, shipper of a perishable product toll
Mr.. Sherier a year or two ago that tn
information furnished by the weathe
= bureau was worth more than $500 t
/ him each season, and he is not larg
4 shipper, eltneT.
Give Flood Warnings.
: Twice during the last IL years, i
/ 1897 and again in 1903, great flood
n have swept down the Ohio and lowe
y Mississippi rivers, warnings of whic
$ were distributed by the weather bl
reau from four days to four weeks i
u advance of the flood crest. The valu
II of property moved to places of safet
/ because of these forecasts amounte
to $15,000,000 in the first and to
somewhat higher figure in the secon
Il case. Smaller floods occur in som
= portion of the country every year, du
= ing which the value of the river ser
y ice is proportionately great.
Because of the Genealogical wor
. done by the bureau it is now possib
>, to give the homeseeker, the healt
:, seeker or the one in pursuit of mel
, comfort and the pleasures of travel a
q accurate idea of the climate of almo
p every county in the United State
% The records are also used by transpO
10 tation companies in the settlement
a. claims and by courts in all manner
fs litigation. Engineers in estimatig IL
+ size of sewers and culverts necessal
6 to drain certain areas wish to kno
THE maximum rate of rainfall over Il
: section under consideration, in ord,
to- provide for the carrying off of Il
water in extreme cases. Numero,
other every day uses are made of the
n Info fhat
= thinks of.
American Ships Slow.