The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-02
NEW WEATHER SYSTEM --ss-...---3-7
$50 PRONOLNCEDgFALLACIOUS
By CHIEF OF THE BUREAU
Who Warns People of the Ma
lion against Long Range
Weather Forecasts. :

WASHINGTON. April 1.-The
chief Of the United States Weather
Bureau states that in the opinion of
the, bureau a new system of long
range weather forecasting. which has
been widely discussed recently. is
quite fallacious. The new system is
said to be based on the sun and riffs
and shafts Of solar radiation. In the
opinion Of the weather bureau fore
casting based on lunar, planetary,
magnetic, and astrological consider
ations. None Of these systems, 1t is
said. has any scientific value.
During the past few years the
weather bureau has received full
specifications concerning all !. the
essential details of this particular sys-
TEN. The alleged discovery Is, there
fore, fully known to the weather
bureau and has been carefully stud
led and examined by its scientific
star. Moreover, other scientists OF in
ternational reputation now connected
with the strongest institutions Of the
world engaged In astronomical re-
search, and conducting Investigations
into solar and terrestrial physics.
have also passed upon these theories
These authorities are In accord that
the deductions and conclusions
drawn from the solar conditions on
which the new system is based are
,inwarranted.
When the disk Of, the sun Is min
utely examined with powerful tele-
scopes. Of which 1t is photographed
with the aid Of the modern spectro-
heliograph, the surface presents a
characteristic spotted appearance
which undergoes slight changes from
day to day, and greater changes with
longer intervals of time, depending
upon the well known rotation OF the
sun upon it's axis and the periodic
recurrence Of the sunspot maxlma and
minima. These and certain we'll
known related phenomena are now
put forward as the basis of a new
science which will make possible fore
casts Of the weather far in advance.
That these features Of solar activity,
however, actually should control and
determine the daily changes and Sc
quence Of weather conditions in any
definite or direct and consequential
manner. is regarded by the govern
Inent as quite impossible. Solar
phenomena of the kind described do
not have any direct influence upon the
weather at any particular time and
place, and can not be made the basis
Of any forecasts whatsoever.
The alleged discovery is regarded
as only one of a number Of similar
schemes which are continually being
put forward. In some cases the advo-
Gates Of these schemes assert that
they can forecast the weather for
weeks or months in advance, and in
others they state that they have
found. means Of producing rain arti-
ficial1y, of preventing hail, and in
other ways Of interfering with and
controlling atmospheric phenomena.
These pretensions meet with certain
credence because there are number
Of people who still cling to the ancient
belief in the influence of the moon
on the growth and development of
crops, and to- the idea that the
weather conditions depend upon
planetary and astrological combina-
lions. In consequence the weather
bureau has been called upon from
time to time to caution the general
public against putting faith in these
so-called discoveries.
The United States Weather Bureau
itself is the authorized agency OF the
government to collect meteorological
observations and make and issue
forecasts, and warnings. Every i'm
portant. nation. of the world has a
similar organization and all use
essentially the same methods. All of
the Organizations condemn and dis
prove the methods and theories Of
those who assert that they are able
to predict the weather for any con-
siderable period in advance.