The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-05-20
BENEFITS FAR REACHING
United States Weather Bureau Becoming OF
Greater Service 10 the Public.

wonder whether you can tell me about
the weather tomorrow. A number of
Ms ale planning 70 60 out into the
woods and IL looks SO threatening that
we are considering postponing the
event. II will be fine, you sayH OH
thank you.
"Whether bureau This is Captain
......... talking. You are displaying
storm signals Give me line on the
weather as / wish TO sail tonight II at
all possible.
Can you tell me how cold II will be
tonIghtr / have a car OF fruit in the
yards and | want TO know whether II
will be safe to leave il until tomor-
row.
These ale only a few of the many in
~quiries that come over the telephone to
the weather bureau office on the fourth
floor OF the Savings bank building al
most every day says the Marquette
Mining journal. There are still some
people who think that the weather ser
vice does not earn its keep. and take
especial pains to spread IL broadcast
wnen one of the forecasts go wrong.
But this number IL continually becom-
ing less, and today marine interests,
shippers, farmer and many others en-
gagged in occupations dependent to some
degree upon the weather. regard the
weather service as something we'll
worth making full use OF.
The ramihcations Of the service are
legion in number and very few people
have an adequate idea Of the vast a.
mount OF work done by this depart
ment. The men TO whom the people
look for their information have spent
many years in the service and every
year adds to their store OF knowledge.
A vast amount of technical knowledge
is necessary and in addition to this
every man in the weather service is an
expert systematizer. He may be asked
what the temperature was at a certain
hour one night thirty years ago, and
in a few minutes he is able to give the
required information.
The weather bureau service was es-
tablished by the United States in 1870,
but until 1891 il was operated almost
entirely for the benefit OF the marine
inter, sta and was under the control OF
the war department. When the depart
ment OF agriculture was formed In
1891. the weather bureau was made
part Of IL. the service at the same time
being extended in many ways, making
il OF greater benefit to business inter-
ests generally. The weather bureau as
now organized consists OF some ] 800
paid employees and 200 stations, distri-
buted throughout the United States
and it's possessions.
Railroad officials have learned to call
up The weather bureau or to read its
reports in order thatt he may deter
mine the best way TO handle their
trains in bad weather the coming oil
which they are made aware of thirty
six hours before il reaches them. Tbs
service mas aided them materially in
keeping to schedule time and preparing
for severe snow storms, or in the spring
warned them of probable washouts
along their tracks,
The marine shipping interests RELY
largely upon the weather forecasts In
departing from harbors, and the mum
ber of wrecks has been reduced consid'
erably thereby. The signals ON the
pole above the Savings Bank building
can be seen for miles ont in the lake
and are watched for by sailors. Sim
liar signals are also displayed at the
docks at Presque Isle. Flags are mol
displayed unless a wind Ct forty mile,
an hour or more is expected.
Though there have been "A great
many storms on lake Superior, few
vessels have lett this port with theil
c ,ptains in ignorance of what weather
10 expect. Another class Of people wht
consult the weather bureau frequently
are the owners Of pleasure bcats. They
want TO know what the weather vii
be like on days that they plan to TAX
trips. Markets the country over are
affected by the weather reports, an'
the rise and fall of prices Of cereals |
often directly attributed TO the weathe
bureau bulletins. Commission men
; farmers and truck gardeners also max
; frequent use Of the daily bulletins
Weather forecasters arrive at the pre-
dirtions by a wonderfully we'll system
atized means OF communication be
. tween all the stations, backed mp b
D experience and knowledge CARED b
, many years Of service with the depart
ment. Eacn station Is equipped wit
mercurial, sell. recording barometer'
: maximum and minimum se%lf.recordin