Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-30
NEW LONG RANGE
WEATHER SYSTEM
QUITE FALLAC|0US
Government Officially DenOunces
the Sun Spot and Moon
Prophecies as Mis-
leading.

Washington, March 29--Thc chief Of the
T. 5. weather bureau stated today that
in the opinion of the bureau a rev system
of long-range weather forecastng, which
has been widely discussed recently. wa,
quite fallacious. The new system is said
to be based on the spottedness Of the sun
and riffs and shafts of solar radiation.
In the opinion of the weather bureau it
| belongs in the same class with other
methods of long-ranse weather forecast
ing based on lunar plane ary magnetic,
and astrological considerations None Of
1 these systems, it is said. has any scien-
: tiic value
During the past few years the weather
bureau has received full specifications
concerning all the essential details of this
particular system. The alleged discovery
Is, therefore, fully known to the weather
bureau and has been carefully studied
and examined by its scientific staff More
over, other scientists OF international
reputation now connected with the strong
est institutions of the world engaged in
astronomical research. and cond cling
investigatl lions into solar and terrestrial
/ physics, have also passed upon these new
| theories. These authorities are i'm ac-
cord that the deduction and conclusions
drawn from the solar conditions on which
the new system is based are unwarranted.
| When the disk Of the sun Is minutcly
examined with powerful telescopes or
when it is photographed with the aid Of
the modern spectroheliograph the sur
face presents a characteristic spotted ap-
pearance which undergoes slight changes
from day to day, and greater changes
with longer intervals of time, depending
upon ITS axis and the periodic recurrence
/ of the sunspot maXima and mnima.
These and certain well known related
phenomena are now put forward as me
basis of new science which will make
possible forecasts Of the weather far in
advance. That these features Of solar ac.
tivitv, however, actually should control
and determine the daily changes and se-
quence of weather conditions in any deli
mite or direct and consequential manner,
| is regarded by the government scientists
as quite impossible. Solar phenomena OF
the kind described do not have any direct
influence upon the weather at any par
ticular time and place, and can not "a
made the basis of any forecasts whatso.
ever.
| The alleged discovery IS regarded az
which are continually being put forward.
! In some cases the advocates of these
schemes assert that they can forecast the
weather for weeks or months in advance.
and in others they state that they have
! POUNDS means of producing rain artificial
~, of preventing hail, and in other ways
of interfering with and controlling at
moSpheric phenomena. These pretentions
meet with a certain crodenC. because
there are a number of people who still
cling to the ancient belief in the influence
of the moon on the growth and develop
ment of crops, and to the idea that the
weather conditions depend upon plane
tary and astrological combination. In
consequence the weather bureau has been
| called upon from time to caution the gen.
eral public against putting faith in these
so-called discoveries.
Tho T. 5, veal Their bureau itself is the
authorized agency of the government to
collect meteorological observations and
make and issue weather forecasts and
warnings. Every important nation of the
world has similar organization and all
use essentially the same methods. All Of
these organizations condemn and dis
prove the methods and theories of those
who assert that they arc nNte to pre-
dict the weather for any considerable pc
Rod in advance.