The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-11-14
CONQUEST OF NATURE
IN STORMS BIOGRAPHY
Progress of Gulf Coast Storm Traced
in Weather Bureau Reports
Warnings Lessen Damage.

voSSooAiiS a 4OlkST arm OF OeSLruC
ton than the mightiest of volcanoes
and leaving in its wake a norman
land, rivaling wars scars across tn,
face of Europe, the hurricane is chic
among natural forces contending TO:
the title of champion of destruction.
TO fight the hurricane extensively i:
folly. For ages mankind has beer
able to wage only a defensive wa,
against it's terrifying "drives" anc
these efforts have been, until mod.
ern times, pitifully feeble. Mans only
defense is to be forewarned. That it
has been possible in the present gen
Grafton to reduce the death toll of hur-
ricanes in the United States to a min.
imum is due to the marvellous service
maintained by the United States wea-
Their bureau.
The headquarters of the weather
bureau, located quite to one side of
m~ain-traveled thoroughfares in the
national capital, are the nerve center
OF this unique organization which x
tends across the continent and also far
out to sea, since many vessels Coop
crate with the bureau by making daily
reports to it.
Great Storm Sighted.
Early in September a hurricane,
destined to devastate a wide area
bordering the Gulf of Mexico, reared
its head like a great monster a thous-
and miles to the southeast of the Unit
ed States, among the islands of the
Caribbean. AS to what gave it birth
not even the scientist knows. The for
ces that propagate all Of these storms
are shrouded in mystery. This par
ticular hurricane was born in remote
tropical waters, probably about Sep
TENDER S. A few hundred miles north
of this center of disturbance the sea
was relatively calm and passengers
on steamers passing this way had no
animation of the terrific force that
was generating off to the south. Like
wise, the southland of the United
States lay placid, in part bathed in
sunshine and in part shaded by far
stretching blankets of clouds, many of
them so fleecy that to the casual OBJ
server they carried no suggestion of
the coming storm. But the hurricane
in the tropics gathered strength quick
ly and oon flung itself in fury over
the slender chain of islands constitut-
ing the Florida Keys.
In the face of every such rising per-
rll the meteorologist upon whom rests
the responsibility for making daily
forecasts stands like one facing a thief
in the dark. Beyond the mainland
coast and a few scattered stations in
the West Indies, he has no means of
learning of the changing atmospheric
conditions in those seas to the south
and east, save chance reports from
ships. Early reports of this hurri-
cane were meager indeed. The first
animation of the coming disaster was
received September 8. The daily fore
cast for that date stated that a trop-
ical storm had appeared to the south
east of Key West. But as to it's ex-
tent, or it's cause, the chief forecast
er at that time could only conjecture.
Despite his long experience in his
profession, it was inevitable that the
fOrecaStar Sh0,11d ho apv;ouc
meteorologist who is forecasting at
such a time is anxious. He had been
on duty in the seasons past when not
a single hurricane appeared. But in
other years between July and October
more than m such storm had left a
trail of devastation across many states.
The forecaster knew that millions of
dollars worth of cargoes, about to sail
from the Atlantic and Gulf ports.
might be lost if he failed to make a
proper forecast and issue adequate
warnings. The fate of whole cities
rested on his decision. AS he turned
from his study of the Geographic re-
ports received from the eastern and
southeastern sections of the country,
he joked a little-but in the manner
of n whose joviality was a trifle
forcel, perhaps-about his repeated
hard luck at being on duty "every
time n of these storms hove in
sight" There was an unmistakable
A--