Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-06
WEATHER BUREAU HOPES TO
ENLARGE AND PERFECT
SYSTEM.
DATA NOW OBTAINED
FROM EAST COAST OF ASIA
Europe Sending Experts TO Study Con-
ditions in United States and General
Plan of Cooperation is Being
Worked out-Not Daunted by Re-
cent Failure of Distant Prediction.

not sustained the weather bureau in
is long range forecast, made more than
4 week ago, that this week the Atlantic
coast states would be swept by a Sc
we're storm, which was to blow in off
the Pacific, and travel straight east
across the continent.
This failure, however, in the opinion
of scientists in this city, is not one
involving humiliation. 1t is merely a
sign that American meteorologists are
studying the subject of long range fore
casting, and a promise that in the end
they probably will be able to foretell
weather conditions for at least a week
or ten days in advance for any part
of the world.
What really happened with regard
to the promised storm was that 1t
actually struck the Pacific coast states
on schedule time, but with diminished
force, and that it's force was dissipated
by the time it had reached the Rocky
=
Got Data in Asia.
This long range forecast was based
on weather observations made on the
eastern coast of Asia, where severe
storm of general character had ragged
for several days preceding the fore
cast. This storm put off to sea, NOV
ing in a straight easterly direction,
and so the weather bureau figured that
it would hit the Pacific coast Of the
United States at about a certain time
and then proceed on its journey across
the continent. But at sea the storm lost
much of its intensity and by the time
it had hit the Rocky mountains, as
already said, 1t had nearly disappeared.
Within the past few years. the
weather bureau has induced congress
to add to its annual appropriations for
the purpose of stationing observers in
out of the way corners of the world
Some of these observers are to the
south Of the United States in Cuba,
in Porto Rico at various places in the
Caribbean sea, on the mainland of Gen.
trail and South America, and in Mex
leo. BY their aid, advance warnings
of the approach OF West Indian fur-
ricanes are now given, and these warn
ings. during the past few years, have
saved the lives of hundreds Of Ameri-
cans in the gulf regions and millions
of dollars worth of shipping. But the
observation points to the south of US
are still too few in number, and it is
the hope of the weather bureau that
they may be greatly increased in the
not distant future.
Look to the West.
Similarly, observation stations are
| being located along the east coast OF
Asia, as rapidly as appropriations will
permit. These are also few in number
at the present time. but it is the be-
lief of the weather bureau that if these
stations can be increased in number UP
to a certain point, there will be a
wonderful advance in the work OF
weather forecasting; for all weather
movements, whether bringing storm OF
sun, heat or cold, follow liras of lati-
tude from west to east. Sometimes the
movement is southeast or northeast
but always the general trend is toward
the east. This is why people in the
eastern states have so much interest
particularly during the winter season
in the condition of the weather in thu
central west They know that tina
weather, perhaps in reduced intensity
, will visit them eighteen to twenty
four hours after it's appearance in tn
Mississippi valley
BY the same token, the people of tn
eastern United States have no interes
in weather conditions in Europe, TO
. ithey know that the weather on tn
west coast of that continent will NOV
/ in an easterly direction toward Asia
and not in westerly direction outfnt
~ Stf
to the United States from the Atlanti
\ ocean, excepting an occasional Yves
= Indian hurricane in the fall of tn
year. These hurricanes are the onl
we'll defined exception that there is t
y this rule that weather changes folio
: lines of latitude from west to east.
: Europe Sends Experts Here.
n 1t is interesting in this connection
e note that the countries of western Ell
: rope are beginning to take an actiy
: interest in the weather of the Unite
s States, just as the United States is be
: ginning to take an active interest
n the weather of western Asia. A note
10 Belgian explorer and scientist, Hem
e ArctoWski by name, is now in tn
: country for the purpose of studyir
weather conditions here, and determii
ing whether it may not be possibl
N with accurate reports of America
st weather conditions, to make longer al
'e more reliable forecasts with regard
it the weather of Great Britain, Hollan
" Belgium, France, Germany, Scandina
D la and interior European countries.
has theory that there is a somewh
~ intimate relation between the wealth
ne Of the United States and of weste
and central Europe, just as our ov
;" weather bureau has a theory that the
[r. is a similar relation between t
ne weather Of eastern Asia and that Of tt
IN country. He will compare the recor
IN of the weather bureau in this city wi
ct the weather records of Europe for
1d stated period of time, for the purpo
t. of ascertaining to what degree his til
he DRY will work out Similar compariso
". fer some time have been made by t
American weather bureau with t
records of eastern Asia, but these col
parsons are not as yet satisfying 1