Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-26
Spreading Weather Warnings.

Cnp3pared with Establishments Wlllch
produce stick candy, papers of pins or
other commodities, it may seem of less
Importance, but when compared with
producers of information the weather
bureau can take rank with any OF
them, issuing 1885, 900 weather forecasts
each day, reaching 100000 people by
telephone and telegraph, to give them
the information; sending out 25,0oo
weather maps, and furnishing approx
imately 5000 newspapers with either
bulletins or charts. In addition, whis-
Ties and flags are used to disseminate
information. To run this office costs
more than 81 100000 a year, of which
amount 5000, 900 goes for telegraph mes
sages. Constituting what might be
termed the regular force are some SUI
people. but including the numbers OF
special observers doing work through
out the country the total reaches about
1000. Statistics at the bureau show
the number of inaccuracies to be only
eleven in every 100.
The watchword of the weather bu-
reau is rapidity In issuing forecasts
the essential point is to have them
reach their destination before the time
covered in the forecast has passed. ana
as they usually cover a period OF only
about thirty-six to- forty-eight hours,
no time can be lost. AT o'clock, east
arn time, morning and evening obser-
Vationc are taken at each OF the zoo
stations in this country and the west
indies The current minimum ana
maximum temperature is taken. the
barometer read, the velocity and di-
rection of the wind recorded, the KIND
and extent of clouds noted. and opser-
vations made in connection with ram
and cnow fall The temperature is
noted from thermometers located III
lowered shelters placed in such a po-
sition, generally several feet above the
top of the building, as to be complete
ly surrounded by d free current OF air.
Other observations. except rain ana
snow fall and cloud conditions, are OBJ
tanned from, apparatus located IN a
special room.
The observations are then put into
sreciaj telegraphic code and sent to
the bureau here. The time for sending
the message is set, so that at a certain
hour night and morning the telegraph
ic lines are thrown open to the wealth
weather observer is at the key sending
his own cipher and hearing those OF
ev.ry other observer within his terri
tory. code is used merely as
means of saving money and not as a
safeguard for secrecy.
In the code from three to seven
words are sufficient to tell of condl-
tions which in ordinary English might
require twenty. For instance, mes
sage might read this way, York SD
uey neagh bank kindle.p The hrst
word gives the name of the station,
New York" The second word denotes
the thermometer and barometer read
ings the third the direction or the
wind and state of weather at the low
est temperature during the night. the
fourth word shows the velocity of the
wind and the fifth the change in pa
rometer in the last two hours. RecelV-
ed here, the reports are translated
back into English again and then
charted on water maps, after Which
expert weather forecasters study the
maps and foretell the weather for the
next thirty-six or forty eight hours
AS soon as the experts have made our
the forecasts for the various localities
they are Immediately telegxa pt9ch, this
time in plain English. tS smcre thaIi
2 800 principal distributing points, in
Guiding the stations from where they
originated. All this has been done