The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-27
THE BUSINESS MEN GET ENTHUSIASTIC All Pulling Together for Big
 Aviation Meet
TO BE GOOD WEATHER
Secretary Chaffee, an Old Man in the Weather Prognostication Busi- ness, Promises Sunshine and
 Calm Freezes April 15-20
Ky WALTER HENRY

The great spring celebration, the avia- ton meet-automobile show and races at tho Alabsma State Fair grounds from April 15 to April 20 inclusive, has gotten a strangle hold upon the hearts and en- ergies of Birmingham business men who are now taking a personal and pertinent interest in the campaign to aid in the ex- ploitation of the big meet. realizing that their interests and the interests of the celebration are one and identical.
 Many of the leading retail merchants are advertising the meet in their adver- Using matter, deftly inserting references along with announcements of dry goods and merchandise.
 Others who are of a moro fastidious turn of mind, are ornamenting their sta tionary with tempting copy about the bls meet.
 The aviation meet-automobile show and races Is a project that signifies more for Birmingham than words can express. The wide publicity alone is to focus the eyes of many people on her, and interest peo. pie to perchance come here in the future and make investments.
 Famous Aviators The worlds greatest aviators are to bt present, executing aerial evolutions tha will be unsurpassed and bid fair to ere. ate records. J. S. Berger in the arrange ment of his aerial navigators has exer. cised his usual keenness and has agreed to give a large bonus to the aviator oi avators who surpass the flights of theii associates. This will create a friendly rivalry amongst the aviators which vii give the public an additional value fol their admission to the Alabama Stat, Fair grounds.
 very important question that sug. gested itself to the business men of .hs I cty, right away, has been, Will it bt good weather during the big spring cele. I bration?'
 While there are many weather prophets amongst them, they finally agreed to lei i F. P. Chaffee, secretary of the Business Mems league, decide the question. For you see, Chaffee used to be a government weather sharp. The not infrequent pessi- mist who predicts bad weather goes away after talking with him filled with hope. 1 found MT. Chaffee in communicative mood and he said that speaking from g meteorological standpoint the atmospheric conditions in Jones valley. in which the Alabama State Fair grounds are located not only assure good weather for tho week of April 15, but are ordinarily idea for aviation.
 Steady Air Tt is a well known fact. to atmosphere students" he remarked, that the air i more steady in a shallow valley unwoodc, l than on plain, this being due very mucl l to the fact that the cooler air belns heavier than the warm air rolls down tn, slopes by gravity, settling in the valley and displacng any of the rarified 'aii spots that are so feared by aviators. "Furthermore, over fiat regions of coun. try there is quite a difference in temper ature between wooded and unwooded areas The unwooded surface becomes heated by the hot rays of the sun and this being warmed sets up a perpendicu- lar circulation that tends to form the so-called air spots
 "Even the layman can understand that the air activities described are accen- tuated in the afternoon when the suns rays are the strongest.
 "The upward movement of the super heated air over these spots on the plains cooler areas which increase the upward movement of warm atmosphere over the spots mentioned
 Prom accurate weather data supplied by E. C. Horton, weather bureau local forecaster for Birmingham, it is found that in the period of 1896 to 1911. or nearly 16 years, it only rained six times, on April 15; four times on April 16 five times on April 17: six times on April IS. five times on April l9. and five times on April 20. This shows that the dates of the great aviation meet-automobile show and races were well selected by the gentlemen of the Business Mems league. and that un- questionably there will be good weather at fair gamble, according to the rec ords.
 Cold Weather Past
 "As to temperature. the weather records show that from April 15 to 20. from 1896 to r1g11, the temperature was as low as 10 degrees but once on April 15; once on April 16: three times on April r: twice on April IS; twice on April 19. and once on April 20
 These facts show that the period from April 15 to 20 are not only safe, so far as danger of rain is concerned. but that the days of the great spring celebration should be amply warm enough to please everybody"
 The gentlemen of the league who weatherwIse and otherwise are inter ested. financially and periodically, in the big meet are J. H. Holcombe, M. V. Jo- seph Jacob Berger. w. J. Adams, Frank P. Chaffee. Robert H. Baugh. Colman Black. George A. Bllnn R. A. Brown, F. D. Burnett. B. B. Burton, Sol Caheen, w. T. Cox, R. w. Ewins. Eugene Fies. A. H. Ford. Bertram Jacobs, w. B. John son. G. B. McVay, George McCleery. Ferd Marx, M A. Myatt. John w ONeill Phillip Oster, John l.. Parker, L. Pizitz J. N. Rose. Herman Saks. and H. G. Sebles. Besides these are also the gener- al rank and file of Birmingham's business men.