Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-26
STORM is OVER,
SAYS FORECASTER
FREAK DISTURBANCE CAUSES
SOME DAMAGE
PRICE OF TOMATOES TAKES BIG
JUMP IN MARKETS
Local Weather Official Thinks Only
Rear Guard of Clouds Will
Produce Showers
Today


The freak storm of 1908. which broke
all records since the establishment of
the weather bureau, is over.
1--WE may have a few more rain
drops" said Forecaster Wollaber yes
terday, but if we do it will be the
last sprinkle of the rear guard of
clouds that are now dispensing. ex-
pect sunshine tomorrow The storm Is
over"
The nearest approach to an unseason-
able rain in September was in 1894,
when a heavy precipitation occurred
on the Both. The total rainfall for that
year was 1911 or little over the nor
NAL, which is 1866 inches. Though COM
PARSONS are worth little In weather
bureau statistics it is prognostlcated
by SOME that the total rainfall for this
year will not be far above the average.
When Mr.. Wollaber was asked If he
could draw any conclusions from the
unusual storm which would tend to In
dicate the character of the weather
Los Angeles is to have this winter, he
said:
Problem for Experts
Weather experts have been working
on that problem for years. They have
taken statistics covering half a century
and tried to work out a result or law
as you would from a table of To-
garithyms. They have tried to work 1t
out in cycles of five years, seven or
ten years as the figures may indicate,
but after all is said the fact remains
that weather cannot be forecasted for
more than two or three days In ad-
vance, and usually thirty-six hours Is
the limit of successful prophecy. This
storm indicates neither severe nor a
4frcf n II a N
means nothing at all as far as early
frosts and the like are concerned.
Farmers and others who live out of
doors and observe the weather closely
place their credence in various signs
by which they think they can foretell
the weather months ahead. They are
welcome to all the satisfaction they can
get out of the revered goose bone, the
habits of animals. insects and hun
dred other methods.
1.-THE weather bureau cannot take
cognizance of goose bones and the like,
and we cannot determine the character
of the winter weather by a single
storm"
Damage to, Crops
While considerable damage was done
to fruit and vegetables it is not as
great as at first supposed. The only
reflection of the storm in the produce
market was an advance in the price of
tomatoes by the box, which went from
50 cents to rs cents in anticipation of
damage done to the crop. Beans and
grapes also suffered, but the damage
will not amount to much unless the
rains continue.
The storm was little less than hur-
ricane at sea, and many small schoon-
ers near Catalina had narrow escapes.
The schooner Edith, from San Pedro
to San Clemente, lost most of her cargo
of railroad ties on the way over, and a
part of her forward canvas. Captain
HoWland was forced to put into Ava
lon to wait till the wind fell. The loss
on the cargo was estimated at 5000.
The launch Happy, owned by Mrs.
C. Linskow, was totally wrecked at
Parsons beach on the opposite of the
island from Avalon. 1t was leased by
Charles Nordquith and was being used
for crawfishing 1t went ashore with
a load of fish. The loss is estimated at
$500.