Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1908-01-24
Government
WEATHER REPORTS
PEOPLE INTERESTED
FOR VARIED REASONS,
Few Know OF the Extensive organl-
zatloa Occupied In Collecting Data
ON which Daily Reports Are Has
ei--Cilmatic Statistics Collected by
Several Thousand Voluntary OBJ
servers Using standard Instru-
ments.

Probably no part OF daily news
paper IL regularly read by morN per-
sons than the daily weather reports
and predictions, An attempt to onu-
mcrate the peoIle who read them
would be almost like compiling n
census, ana u summary OF their mo-
tives or reasons for being Interested
In the weather would furnish many
sided picture OF every day life.
Few persons ever stop to think
what an extensive organization Is oc.
cupled In collecting the data on
which the daily reports are hasod.
and what great expense and labor
tho government Is at 10 make them
comprehensive and reliable, II takes
careful and intelligent work by many
minds and hands 10 make daily
newspaper hut perhaps no equal
amount of space In II 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 roceivlns
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
tlons. one at o'clock a, m, and one
at o'clock p. m. and these reports
are the hasIs OF the forecasts for the
next 80 hours.
These forecasts arr Immediately
telegraphed to all concerned through
out the country 10 every daily news
paper In the United States and wide
~ 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 td
the weather conditions prevailing In
all parts OF tho 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
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
snowfall, early frosts, late frosts, etc
The storm and flood and cold wave
warnings are of great value to many
classes of people. The weather bu-
reau's present cost TO the government
Is about s1,4000O0 a year, but IT Is
worth many times that to the people
The general public may not be
aware that the records of the bureau
are In frequent demand In the ad'
Indication OF legal claims and are
accepted by the courts as conclusive
| evidence. AS the original records
from all stations are forwarded tc
Washington and filed there, It Ii
possible for the central bureau tC
furnish certified copy showing thu
weather conditions, prevailing Mt any
time In the past In any city where
station Is maintained. Such evil
dence Is admissible in any court lr
the land.
The supreme court OF the United
States and several state courts have
so decided. The calls for such evil
dence are frequent. as many as i3'
copies of weather records having beer
issued in a single year. During one
period of 10 years the aggregate
number of personal appearances II
court of local observers at differen
points, summoned as witnesses to tes
tofy as to whether conditions at
certain time, was nearly three thous
and. This kind Of testimony as wei
as certified copies of the records, ha
proven to be turning point In man!
| important cases.