The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09
WEATHER MAN
 AREAL PROPHET Appropriation of Congress Will Help Considerably STATION IN MEXICO Observations to Be Made in the Cloudless Region May Show Dis tinct Differences of Solar
 Radiation
STATION IN MEXICO
By RoDERIC KCLIFFoRD

By RODER1C kCblffohD Washington. April s. tSpecial) - Since Congress made the long antici-
 hated appropriation at it's last session
 long range weather forecasting is
 likely to become an accomplished fact
 instead of a scientific dream. It is not
 often that Congress makes any real l concession in behalf of science, espe-
 cially when the latter asks money for experimental purposes; but now and
 then. even in an era of rigid economy,
 the national purse strings loosen up.
 Long range weather forecasting, If successful will be one of the greatest achievements of modern science It wlll enable the prophets of the weather bu- reau to be much more skillful and ac- curate than heretofore. It is based on
 the fact that there is, in various DOT tions of the North American continent, variation in the amount of radiation from the sun directly affecting weath. CT conditions. When the amount of variation has been ascertained one Of the most baffling of scientific prob lems will have been solved.
 The Smithsonian institution Is in charge of the work and 1t is planned to establish an observatory in southern Mexico this coming summer. It IS hoped that by July the revolutionary trouble will be over or at least be re- duced to a negligible quantity so that the expedition can be undertaken with safety.
 Congress has provided for the trip tO ha propriation regularly made for the work of the astrophysical laboratory. The object of the project Is to complete tests which are being made at the Washington observatory (sea leveD. at Mount Whitney (three miles elevation), and at Mount Wilson (one mile eleva- tion) Southern Mexico Is a compara- lively cloudless region and observations will be made there and at the other obesrvatories simultaneously. If the measurements should agree the present scientific hypothesis-that there are dis tinct differences of solar radiation will have been proved.
 Dr. c. c. Abbott of the Smithsonian institution is in charge of the work and has issued the following statement regarding 1t:
 When we began to make tn csc meas urements there was nowhere in the world an exact scale of measurement of radiation, although physicists had been working in devising instruments for that purpose for 50 years. There re- mained an uncertainty of to 10 per cent In the scale of phrheliometry, as is is called. We have devised several in struments to be used as standards for that purpose and in this last year we have made careful comparison of two of our instruments of the improved nd ing the scale of measurements.
 The apparatus is used now as standard by which to standardize other appartus, which has been sent around the world. We have sent instruments to France and Italy, and have requests for them from Argentina, Peru and other countries.
 Our measurements at Mt. Wilson have been carried on for several years. The first expedition was In 1905, and we have observed almost daily for six months of each year since that time, excepting in 1907. Tn 1910 I was for tunate in having two weeks of good weather on the summit of Mt. Whitney, which Is the highest mountain in the United States. I carried on there com plete measurements which were simul- taneous with those carried on at Mt. Wilson. We have found that the re- suits obtained at Mt Whitney check and substantiate completely the work we were doing at Mt. Wilson. There fore, having established standard scale of measurement, and having shown that we get the same results at Washington. Mt. Whitney and Mt. Wilson, we are now able to state the value of the solar constant of radfa- ton. This value Is of an importance equal to that of the distance of the sun in astronomical work. Our measure ments show range of the value of the solar radiation outside of our at- mosphere of about 8 per cent.
 Now, by taking stations so far apart that no local condition in the atmosphere affect them both, we may actually prove whether or not these variations are in the sun or are something we have not eliminated from the atmosphere. If we find them in the sun we shall have made discov- cry of the first rank.
 Tt is clear that if the sun varies, the temperature of the earth must vary perhaps not always the same at all stations, because the earth
 is so affected by the presence of waters and mountains and the like, that all stations would not behave exactly alike; but yet we will be able to find a relation between the radiation of the sun and the temperature of the earth, that will be important to the meteor ological service to this country and others"
 The valuable researches In solar ra- diation made by Dr. Abbott have been fittingly recognized by the scientific world. He was awarded the Draper gold medal by the National Academy of Sciences last year. He has probably done as much to make weather fore casting accurate and reliable as any scientist in the world. While the com ing expedition to southern Mexico will probably have greater scientific than practical value in the work of the weather bureau. 1t will do much to eliminate the awkward errors and mis- takes which have so frequently made Prof J. Willis Moore's experts the laughing stock of the country. Should the expedition prove a suc- cess. Congress will probably be per suaded to make larger scientific ap- nronriatiOn in the wears to come.