The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-13

difference in the time Of beginning
or ending of the change which is
brought about by a faster or slower
movement Of some particular distllr-
bance, or to the sudden DEVELOPMENT
OF local disturbance that is con
nned 70 such q small area that il
cannot be traced. ANY one who Will
follow the maps in the daily news
papers Will soon be convinced of this
further more he will soon be able 10 I
form his own conclusions in a general |
way regarding the coming changes in I
the weather.
The Raleigh office is the head |
quarters for the climatolOgical ser |
vice Of the State and there are about
eighty stations where records are
Kept by cooperative observers who !
report to the Section Director There /
are number of river stations where |
4 daily record Of the flow OF the
rivers is made and all imDortant
change IN the flow of the principal
streams are forecast by the Raleigh
office.
Special stations are now being es-
tablished in the Mountain district in
connection with the fruit industry to
ascertain the differences in the CON
dltlons from top to bottom Of the
numerous mountain slopes. Mr. Den
son will go to the Blue Ridge region
within few days to completc the in
stailation Of the Instruments at ten
stations. Among other Instruments
the outfit will include thirty-nine
thermographs. The records will be
started on March 1st This is re-
sarded as very important piece Of
| work which will extend over several
years and will cover a thorough in
estigatiOn Of the variations in the
conditions Of the mountain slopes for
the first time in the history Of the
country.
How 1t Is Done.
At eight o'clock in the morning,
| all of the tele2raphic wires in the
associated weather points, are put to
| work and in q few minutes every
! station in the country knows what
the signs are. These are taken again
at eight o'clock in the evening and
/ that is the forecast by which the next
| day or two will be made.
| The observers are aided in their
| own reports by the most delicate in
| struments. Each station, Of which
there are about 200 in this country,
| has these automatic mechanicisms,
/ each recording the velocity Of the
| wind, its direction, the temperature,
/ the rainfall, the sunshine and the
! barometric pressure. If one will
q study his map, he will the lines
which indicate high or low pressure
| The high pressure indicates clear and
cold weather, the low variable,
cloudy. rainy or perhaps snowy, con-
| dition of weather. The absence OF
| these lines will show that the condi-
ton Of weather at that time existing
| may be expected.
The weather bureau isn't an orna,
mental institution. 1t wasn't estab~
| lished because more offices were
needed. 1t has become ii Very VAL
liable thing. 1t is said that seventy
five per cent Of the good fortune Of
the seas is the result of its forecasts.
It has been estimated that s3500,ooo
have been saved by warnings Of cold
waves, $15,OOO,O00 worth Of live
stock saved from drowning in the
Mississippi Valley by forecast Of
floods, and recently in Florida $780,
900 in fruits and vegetables saved in
a single night It's further advan-
tageS are seen everywhere. Promise
of such visitation saves in every
town with wate.worlls, its thousands
annually from exposure Of water
pipes coal dealers and fuel supDliers
are able to distribute their goods jul
-diciOusly to everybody. the charity
organizations can work by the barom-
eter and the public service corpor-
atoms make arrangements for better
heating (maybe) and the church jan
itOrS invariably go to sleep at the
SWITCH These some of the rea-
sons for the esta blishment of the bu-
rcau. 1T is an INSTITUTION OF piOtec-
ton purely.
The Technical Side of 1t.
The technical side Of it is quite in
teresting, and Of course there is much
Of it vet to be perfected a science
When it began in 1870, the govern
, ment paid $4,000 to its support. II
now sets aside 100000 for tina,
purpose There are COO men EN-
ployed in it and it grows.
OF course the service has not got
ten to the point where it can give
causes 1t cannot dogmatiZe. Like
= the price Of calico it never can tel
e what makes it go up. Neither calico
, nor the weather knows how come.
: It can tell origin, though, can indi
S cate direction and velocity, and the
' storm in the extreme northwest
E headed this way, may be foretolt
s three or four days It travels, nor
= mally, about like a fast train.
ct LlN