The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-05
4 LITTLE CHAT WIIH
 THE WEAZHER MAN
The Why's and Wherefores of All the Bad Waether We Hav Had-Weather Man Not Responsible Interesting
 Facts From the Weather Bureau
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE.

an hour this afternoon" said the Weath- CT Man, "and consequently the marks are uniform. Look back at this chart the 24th of May" and so saying he spread out a wonderful looking arrange ment-all zig-zag and like jig-saw pug gle or a drunken man returning home at a. m.
 Tt looks like brier stitching or Honl- ton lace york; I said, as I was shown the different maneuverings of the queer instrument, which registered the wind 8 velocity the night of the near cyclone' way back on that May evening which we all recall with thrill of horror.
 Looks to me like the needle threw a fit just about that time," I said, as MT. Lehman explained the conditions to me.
 "The wind blew for five minutes 40 miles an hour that evening"" said he.
 And turning to other arrangements in the interesting room he pointed out the barograph, hygrometer, a huge barome- ter, and the cunningest little twin ther- mometers-representin as it were, two sides of Prohibitlon-wet and dry.
 And how do you make your calcula- tions so nearly correct every day?" inquired, puzzled at all these strange looking devices which to me looked like instruments in the operating room of an up-to-date hospital.
 "We forecast the weather as you prob- ably know from a. m. until z D. m. each day" said MT. Lehman. First of all we receive telegrams from 60 points  and from Phoenix, Ariz., to Key West, Fla. Let me show you the one for that 24th day of May" and so saying he spread before me telegram in cipher from Galveston, which said
 Sacred huzzaing rusade impress west ern keggy guerilla.
 ''Havens!" I exclaimed, "If were to get anything like that I'd think that the Black Hand had sent me a message
 Now then I'll translate that for you" said he.
 sa-means barometer ?S2 inches.
 ''Re-temperature "A.
 "Huzzaing-.02 of an inch of rain fell during the night.
 "R-wind from the west.
 "U-Sky clear
 "Sa-Highest temperature for the last 24 hours S2 degrees.
 "I-Wind velocity at time of observa- tion miles an hour
 "Re-Lowest temperature for last F hours "A
 Thunderstorm began at Il D. m., and lasted two hours.
 'Keggy-TIghest wind during thunder storm 40 miles an hour, from the east.
 'Guerilla--This word is only sent or Monday morning and indicates that tht mean temperature for the last week has been 76 and rainfall inches." After l receive the 60 messages we then make our chart-and here is tn, map said MT Lehman, as he opened and spread out a great, expansive ar. rangement with all sorts of little dot and lines and crosses. Certainly looks like a crazy quilt tt me- I said as I peered into its intfi- cacies.
 Now then, we proceed to make our days report" said MT. Weather Man.
 And what prevents you from always being right in your forecasts?" l in- quired.
 
 stance, from the west say low tempera. ture, high pressure and fair weather, be gin their course toward the cotton belt We predict according to the velocity with which these indications proceed Some times they are retarded and sometimes they are ahead of time-and that account. for our forecasts being sometimes prema ture sometimes late" And what do you think is going to hap pen this evening"" I inquired, as I looked out at the cloudy, murky overcast sky. Rain" laughingly said MT. Lehman
 '"Then I must be getting home" said l, as l said good-by. And sure enough I just had time to reach shelter before down came another big rain, and I reflected that atfer all the Weather Man must prefer the works of the imagination to any other kinds of literature because he must necessarily in dulge in this style along with the me chanical devices which assist him in mak- ing the weather.