The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-22

 low, the educated and the illiterate meet on familiar ground in the study of the weather.
 Rain and sunshine, wind and calm. snow and sleet are momentous questions to every mind.
 Baseball, fishing. planting harvesting, shipping building, manufacturing, vaca- tion, hours of labor and every other con- dition of life is controlled more or less by the state of the weather.
 It is our first question in the morning and the quest of our last investigation at night.
 It is the first subject of conversation when two friends meet and that last word at parting. The state of the ele ments have their effect on birth and death. Its conditions shorten or lengthen the days of our existence In just so far as we study and heed it's temper.
 So important Is the condition of the weather on ali phases of mortal existence that the paternal government of the United States as far back as 1870 en- deavored to keep it's people posted on the present and probable conditions. Reports and forecasts are issued two times every day with special warnings in case of threatened extremes.
 Though the service is not fully appre ciated by the general public, the bureau has a record of monetary benefits that would do credit to any public service en- terprise.
 1oI1 0,,l storms have saved millions of dollars as well as life to stock and people.
 Warnings of extreme damaging weather conditions are often sent out "A to 4S hours ahead of time. The value of such service at times cannot be estimated. A visit to the Birmingham Weather Ob- servatory on Fountain Heights is of great interest.
 I found Local Forecaster E. c. Horton and his two assistants busy with their maps charts and delicate instruments grinding out data about the current con- ditions.
 Maps, charts and forecasts are being drawn and printed for distribution over | the section covered by this station. The newspapers. the telephone, the telegraph and the mails are all used in disseminat- | ing the information
 | The forecasts go out daily to more than | 135. 900 subscribers daily by mail in the United States, while more than 3,5O0,000 people in rural sections are served by tele- phone at regular intervals daily. Tele- phone subscribers receive the warnings usually within an hour after the predic- tion is made in Washington. That the service is appreciated for it's value is shown by the constant increase in demands for it.
 Most of the large daily papers in the country are now publishing the "Official Map of the Weather" showing the weather conditions in all parts of the country for the past 24 hours, with fore cast of probable conditions for the next "A hours
 | At first this map was like Chinese pug I gle to a majority of the readers, but it is now coming to be appreciated as it is understood. The map is the dearest pos sible means of showing the prevailing conditions and is easily understood with little study from day to day. Weather, as everyone knows is con trolled by temperature, air pressure and prevailing winds These general condi- tions today have a strong bearing and influence on the conditions that may be expected to exist during the next 24 | hours
 r,. xt.n +I- 1 from day to day the reader may soon be- come somewhat expert in forecasting con 6tions for himself.
 All these primal conditions are shown on the map by lines and figures. For in- | stance high and low barometric pressure areas are shown with prevailing wind | movements and temperatures By com pairing these areas, their location and movement from day to day one can get a | very clear idea of what changes to ex- | pect during the coming A hours. l It will be observed that the general di- rection of the winds about an area of | high air pressure is from right to left, ! or as the hands of a clock move. The winds also move In a circular direction and are directed from the center of high | pressure
 Following the course of the winds you | find that they are toward the centers of | low pressure. where they circle the center of low pressure in the opposite direction as taken by the hands of a clock and be- come stronger as they approach the cen : ter.
 1 This wind movement is caused by cold air rushing into an area of warmer air and 1t collects in a whirl.
 Any reader who has set fire to brush | heaps in the new ground on a calm day has noticed that the heated air about the | fire always starts a wind The wind is | always drawn in the direction of the fire The rarihed air rises and the cooler air surrounding rushes in to fill the vacuum
 This general movement of cold air to heated centers naturally drives the cen- l ters Of low pressure forward, while the centers of high pressure follow
 Precipitation, warm sunshine and other | conditions affect these movements and
 these counter conditions must be studied
 md taken account of in making forecasts
 for tomorrow.
 The study of the weather map Is a fas-
 cnating game even though it did not in-
 volve many of the arts of science and
 philosophic research
 The professional forecaster has many
 things to consider in making up his pre-
 diction. He has to study not only air
 pressure and temperature. but moisture
 presence Of clouds wind direction and
 velocity, degree of sun force and counter
 conditions of varying degrees
 To secure this datta every weather ob-
 seryatory and there are several hundred
 in the country. is equipped with a full as