New-York tribune., 1918-02-03


weather is nj times. In 1929 the Turks
we're obliged to retreat from Vienna
chiefly due 40 excessive rains, which
resulted IN their leaving their siege
guns behind IN Hungary on account Of
The roads being made impossible by
mud and foods. Their supplies were
Also practically cut Off. due TO the
same conditions, transportation being
impossible. The Boxer" outbreak in
China may be attributed to the drouth
prevailing in the previous fall, which
resulted in fam lnc,. which drove the
inhabitants to plunder and to rob for
their existence.
The retreat Of Napoleon from Mos
cow was the result os the sufferings of
his army from the cold and SHOWS
During the siege Of Sebastopol and
in the last Russo-Turkish War great
suffering and loss OF life resulted from
severe weather.
But cold weAther may produce advan-
tages and disadvantages in other ways
by its freezing bodies Of water, thereby
enabling armies to proceed over them
without inconvenience of constructing
up the enemy with greater rapidity.
Ice in 1880 permitted soldiers to cross
from New Jersey to Staten Island, Nth
their supplies, to fight the English, who
marched from New York across the ice
to attack Newark and Elizabeth.
severe storm worked havoc with
General Howe's plans, according to oCr
own early history. On March 4, 177c,
the Americans commenced to fortlfy
Dorchester Heights. March opened
fair and mild, and the British, seeing
that their own position was unsafe, de-
cided to attack the fortifcations from
bn 1,y AI
troops across the bay; but in the after
noon a furious storm drove two trans.
ports ashore. The storm continued
with unabated fury on March and pre-.
vented the troops from landing on the
shore of Dorchester. In the meantime
cur troops continued to fortify thcil
position.
Helping the Air Fighters
The first case where an actua
change of warfare in the present wal
was caused by the weather was when
the armies were handicapped during
the battle Of the Aisne, when the rivers
we're swollen and their trenches became
flooded, driving the troops out to fight
with bayonets. Whenever tl3
heavy rains occurred to produce muC
there was trouble with guns, automo
biles, ETC., but now this difficulty may
have been somewhat overcome by the
tanks. Fog or mist enabled the Ger.
mans to achieve naval events wner
England was bombarded by cruisers fol-
the first time in centuries.
The recent invasion Of Italy through
the mountains was due considerably t.
the open winter experienced in this re-
gion, where deep SHOWS and low tenn.
peratures were more normal for thai
season.
Aircraft, of course, depend greatly
upon clear atmosphere, so they can To-
cate the enemy's position and direc
the artillery fire, etc. When fog o.
high wind exists they are PRACTICAL,
useless.
We have experienced in the East ane
West severe and continuous cold, will
heavy snowstorms blocking traffic o
all kinds just when coal and all sup
plies were needed most, and with tn
accumulation OF snow in the Ohio an,
Mississippi valleys and watersheds an
the congested and frozen conditions o
the rivers severe and damaging food
may result sooner or later upon tn
arrival Of heavy rains and thaws il
those localities and further down tn
watersheds where all tributaries empt
into the great Mississippi.
However, ample warnings will b
given by the bureau when this tim
arrives and much movable propert
will be saved. The rise of great, slow
moving rivers, such as the Mississippi
Missouri and Ohio, is usually foretol
to within the narrow margin of fror
one to three inches. At New Orlean
this is done regularly, and the fore
caster three weeks in advance will pre-
dict, say, rise of twenty feet abov
low water, which he knows will resul
in 4 rush of 100000 cubic feet Q
water past his location each second
and still. with such rushing torren
Of water to figure on, he can alway
hit the mark within a few inches.
Checking Up Floods
The forecaster is enabled to max
these accurate predictions by his know
edge and familiarity with the area Q
the catchmcnt basin from which hi
rainfall and snowfall reports are re
ccivcd, the general topographic cor
dtion and the state of soil. If slowl
falling rain Of considerable amour
falls on nearly level soil in condtio
for the admission of moisture it ma
cause only a slight rise, while a rapid
falling rain of the same amount ove
greater sloping surface with a sat,
rated or frozen soil would produce
run of" on the surface, resulting in
rapid concentration of water in tn
channels of the tributaries and 500
developing into body of water {
enormous force and volume in the riy,
proper.
Thus it may be seen that the cou,
try will experience more difficulties d,
to general Weather" before the sun
mer arrives unless there is a very rra
ual breaking up and melting wtho,
heavy rainfalls.