The Washington herald., 1909-03-28
THAT MARCH 4 STORM
EXPLANATION OF PROPHECIES THAT FAIL

This is the story OF the Inauguration
dey storm Of 1909. and Of how the profes-
sional reputation OF the chief weather
prophet Of this great republic was there
by dislocated and caused to start In the
rivets. Statistics prove. among many
other things, that the state OF the wealth
er. particularly the matter Of high or low
barometer, has an intimate relation TO
the ups and downs OF our daily life. With
a low barometer. criminals become more
80. and commit more than their usual
number OF crimes; and infants take
longer maps than common With the
barometer high. life takes on a more
cheerful aspect Mental and physical
tone are alike inproved-the sinner sins
less than he might: the baby wakes up
smiling These are fundamental facts
and n we seem 20 treat them with some
thing approaching levity. it is not be-
cause they lack aspects OF the most Sc
rious Importance 20 the practical conduct
OF life. says the Boston Transcript
The best thing about our weather is
that u Is all so simple-theoretically II
is so simple that We warn you against
consulting technical treatises until you
have mastered what We have TO impart
To begin with. the air In the temperate
zone. which includes these United States.
moves eastward around the earth. in the
direction Of the earth's daily revolution
This fact is OF first importance. for #
means that all our weather, or all the
causes Of our weather. generally speak
ing, come from the west. The immediate
daily variations IN the weather which de-
termines weather II is fair or foul. are
due 70 great whirls OF air probably not
more than three or four miles thick IN d
vertical direction. but often two thou
sand miles Ia horizontal diameter. These
airwhirls are called cyclones when the
winds move inward 20 a center OF low
barOmetric pressure. and snti-cyclOnes
when the winds blow outward from a
center OF high pressure. familiarly. the
two types OF whirl are called lows and
highs respectively.
a Discovery fn a Set Bowl.
Now the weather experts viii tell you
tha; the winds move spirslly inward TO-
ward center OF low pressure. with a
gyration contrary 10 the direction IL
which the hands Of a watch move, and
that the winds which blow outward from
a center OF high pressure move spirally
in the same direction as the hands OF
watch This is true enough, so Ear as
II goes. but II makes hard work OF a
simple matter. The other evening, Just
after reading this explanation for the
ninth time. we stood over the set bowl il
our bathroom. waiting for the bowl 70
empty itself OF water which one Of the
children, evidently under the influence Of
the low barometer then prevailing had
neglected to empty az the proper time
As we watched the outgoing water. Il
began 10 swirl and took on a strange
spiral motion IN a right-hand direction
around a vertical cavity IN the center
Our head cracked as though the apple
OF NewtOnian inspiration had landed on
top OF f., Why wasn't this wateT-whirl
the whole story OF cyclones and anti-cy-
clones? For a fact" Il was 50. Try Il
yourself, tonight. and you viii be con-
TinCed- Follow mentally the direction OF
the swirl OF water down the central hole.
and imagine that the water spreads out
again az the bottom II viii have there
az the bottom the same r3ght-hand rota-
tion-the same direction as the winds that
blow outward from a high pressure cen
ter-ln short, the motion OF an anti-cy-
clone. The conditions are parallel. for
both IN the water whirl and the anti-cy-
clone you have a descending current. II
the case OF the anti-cyclOne. or high. %
the downward motion is due to excessive
weight Of the air. OF excessive density
vortex Of air moves downward. but as
II strikes the surface Of the earth. in
stead OF the mouth Of a pipe. it has 10
spread out over the surface which Il
does. stiH keeping its proper rotary move
ment
Now. note that IN describing the direc-
ton 0f the water swirl. YOU have been
looking IN the direction toward which
the vertical movement OF the vortex
tends, with the back OF your watch to-
ward that direction. With this firmly IN
mind, consider the cyclone. As the text
books describe the cyclonic motion. YOU
are supposed 10 be watching a current OF
air rising toward YOU from the printed
page on which your watch lies face I'd.
And the direction Of the spirals IS there
fore described as against the hands OF
the watch. But hold the watch over
your head. with 3ts back 10 the current
which you viii imagine 10 be rising be-