Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-17

nigh upper spaces. The scientists have
iouhn out. Tor example. that far above
tho prevailing Wcsterlies, there ara
strohS prevailing Eastcrlics: for when
~ me balloons get abou. twelve
miles above The earth, travelling east.
,hcy gradually turn and go west, They
nave also found out tina: II does NO,
get steadily colder rs you go hirher
/ although this has always been both
'hc scientific and popular opinion Asa
matter or fact the minimum teynoera
| 'urc Is encountered about ten miles
above the earth. End above that lie.
stratum or warmer air. existence Of
"hich was never suspected until tho
'u'"er balloons went up and found It.
Kites Hcttcr 1hnn Balloons
rms balloon work, however, has not
nearly the practical value OF tina,
which Is being done with kites /,
Kite can only go about four and one
half miles above the earth and that
only under the most favorable condi-
tons But IL can bc sent ,p n counI.
OF mics AT almost any time, and hauled
down again and it's record read II
can he used as n part OF the dailv
weather observations. while the bal
loon. which may not come back To-,
month. and may not come back At
all. is very uncertain proposition :,
best Then too. each balloon costs
about $40. and blows up on It's hrs,
hight. while kite may be bull, FOR
ahout III and used again and again
Inc Kate does !ta work exactly liItn
the oalio"n. excep, that In addition 70
the other Instruments i, carries
little wheel much like thar o. a pu,,T
windmill in miniature which records
,he speed or the wind. II also MAKE.
us record in ink instead OF upon nm
aluminium sheet 90
In" kites used by the weather men
weigh about eight pounds. and are
. rIp,la
carry about seventy-five fec, of ,aii
ana perform on the end of n strong
wire about Ave miles long SO ac
curate and valuable have these kite
observations proved that the Weathe.
Bureau is now making a daily insnec
ton Of the upper atmosphere near
Omaha, Nebraska and from there ,el..
grams giving the important data 60
all over the country. Several other
stations are soon TO begin making kite
observations. and II is believed tina, the
forecastnE VIII be more accurate
science when they are generally used
Aids Weather Fnrecnsts
In one instance. a forccaster had
prophcs!ed snow. because everything
Indicated precipitation. and II was be-
low freezing at the surface Of the
Garth a kite observation showed that
nearly mile above the earth, the tenn
perature was forty degrees above zero
The forecast was changed TO rain
snow could not possibly hava passed
through that stratum OF hot air !,
IS not unusual for the temperature g
mile or so above the earth to be 10 to
10 degrees higher than that at the
surface. Then. too. the prevailing
winds which bring most Of our wea-
Their changes. send their advance
breeZes high above the earth long be-
fore they arc felt al III. surface, and
with his kite the weather man may
detect change many hours before 1t
is indicated AT eround-level
In addition TO the effect IL Will have
upon the business OF forecaEting the
Weather, these explorations OF the up-
per air are Of great value to aviators
and also to the men who shoot the
great coast defense guns. The value
Of the observation To the bird men is
obvious. 1t does not seem to be gem
orally known, to them. however. that
the Weather Bureau has worked ont
tables showing just what winds may
be expected at all the different levels
In the use of the great mortars
which play such an important part in
modern warfare tho wind at high al
titudcs is an important factor: for
! these guns arc pointed at an angle of
| 40 degrees when shooting at long
range, and throw their explosive pro-
Jectiies in tremendous curve which
carries them miles above the earth
Last summer the weather men made
/ some upper-air studies from the deck
/ or The coast guard steamer Seneca
| They were especially interested in the
/ temperatures above the Gulf Stream
and the cold Labrador current and
/ they found that the temperatures Of
| these currents had a remarkably small
effect on the air above them Thus.
| although the Gulf Stream modifjes the
! climates OF land miles from its course
! 1t warns the air for only about 500
yards above its surface.
This exploration of the atmosnher.
| is new scientific venture of our gov
! eminent. and has still much Of dis
| covery before 1t.