The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-06-13
"THE DUTCH PROPHET"
Amateur FOrecaster Talks of Wealth.
er Conditions and Prospects.

w. P. Houseal, of Columbia, who is
known everywhere in South Carolina
as the Dutch weather prophet" has
not retired from the special series
of forecasts of Temperature and pre-
cipitation in which he has achieved
Statewide notoriety, but it is we'll
known in the city that some Of his
recent predictions have been fulfilled
to the letter.
Mr.. Houseal said yesterday that he
had been devoting more time to the
study of causes of weather changes
the past year than to making predic-
tions through the newspapers. He
has given out, however, quite num-
Der of predictions casually as he
would come and go in attending to
his regular business as newspaper
man. At the beginning of the year
he predicted a short fruit crop in
many sections, especially Of the peach
crop, which would be almost total
! failure in sections in the north where
some of the choicest fruit is produc-
ed.
The unusual warm weather in jan
uary and February did not deter the
"Dutch weather prophet from pre-
dieting that March and April would
show lower temperatures than either
of the two winter months Of 1913.
Then also a series of unseasonably +
cool periods was forecasted to occur
lat regular intervals of a fortnight
through April and May, and the in
fuences at work which caused these
unreasonable periods would come to
! a climax with similar cool period
in June, 30 days from the similar per-
iod in May. y
The population just at this time,
while they shiver at "a degrees in an
inclement temperature, have not for
gotten so soon that fires weBe COM
Portable May 1913. If they read the
newspaper carefully they also will
recall that killing fcosts occurred on
the northern boundary of the State
and were disastrous to vegetables and
fruit from that point still northWard.
There was one element Of weather,
however, Mr.. Houseal said yesterday,
in talking about the cool periods,
that people he meets. every day deslr-
ed very much, aid which at the time
he could give no hope that would be
Forthcoming when they wanted it,
and that was rain in May.
! Early in the year his prediction
was that the absence of rain in May
would amount to drought, and ne
set May 21 as the day when the
drought would be broken. The Dutch
weather prophet" was obdurate. he
would not change the forecast. The
rain came as predicted, insufficient III
quantity in many sections, but aDun-
dant in others. It was starter, and,
as the Dutch weather prophet again
assured all inquirers, before a change
came for a long period of sunshine
the showers would cover the whole
country, adhering to the fortnightiy
periods which rule until the summer
solstice, which occurs June 20.
The next general disturbance Will
centre around June 10. owing, to a
major planetary movement on that
date.
Cool nights are to prevail during
the greater period Of the summer,
(which Mr.. Houseal says are the re-
suit of the four-year period that oc-
Cured this year on March % and
caused the Omaha cyclone and the
! Ohio food, having been snlIteo lfon
March 4 to the above date by the
magnetic influence of the sun in con-
nection with the position which the
planet Jupiter assumed on that time.
The assurance is also given by the
long distance forecast of the Dutch
weather prophet that the South At
lantfc coast will not be visited this
wear by West Indian storm. The
four-year period likewise has con-
trolling influence that it nulliies at
tbe eouinoxial date the atmospheric
movements which around the Vernai
equinox produces inland disturbances
similar to the Omaha tornado OF Eas-