The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-25
a bAROcYCLONOMETER TIE WIND DISC is on
Tie RIGHT sno Tie BAROMETER On Tie LEI
OF THERMOMETER WHICH GIVES REAOihGS
Of TEMPERATURE. BOTH BY CENT GRADE s0o
FAHRENHEIT,
Barocyclonometer, Perfected by Father
Algue of u. S. Weather Service,
Not Only Foretells Tempest but
Gives Course It's to Travel
By ROBERT C. SKERRETT.

heights. Therefore, accompanied as
they are by a very rapid fall OF the
barometer within short distances or
radii from the centre. this steep pres
sure gradient induces an area of vio-
lently destructive winds and excess.
sively heavy rainfall.
The desire of the meteorologist is. II
possible, to forecast not only the COM
ing Of a hurricane long before It ar
rives, but to advise as to the path
which the tempest is taking so that
mariners can steer away and those
that dwell within its certain sweep can
take all suitable measures for their
security.
Father AIgue's Invention.
f, One of the instruments at the Fort
Myer station which is likely to play a
conspicuous part in anticipating the
arrival Of a hurricane and in detecting
its line of advance from day to day
and even from hour to hour is the in
vention of Father Jose Algue, director
of the Philippine Weather Bureau at
/ Manila
! This Jesuit scientist came to this
country about seven years ago to
adapt his instrument to the conditions
of the North Atlantic adjacent to the
Panama Canal. the Caribbean Sea and
the Gulf of Mexico particularly. He
had developed his instrument pri-
marily for the purpose of forecasting
the sweep Of typhoons in the Far East
and especially in and about the Philip
pines.
After due study OF meteorological
conditions in the West Indian regions
generally. and an analysis of the data
on files in Washington, Father Algue
returned to Manila and set about the
self-imposed task of giving us a form
of his barocyclonometer. as the instru-
ment is called, which would be of ser
vice in this hemisphere. It took him
months to work out a, satisfactory So
luton of his many sided problem. but
he achieved this in his characters
tically patient, painstaking way. He
has dismissed with a wave of his hand
any tributes to his ingenuity. AS he
modestly puts it:
IT have been specializing in meteor
ology for years. and it was quite nat
ural that I should see some things
which would ordinarily escape others
The barocyclonometer simply came
into being. therefore. as a matter OF
course
Just the same there Is ample evil
dences of the novelty Of the instrument
in the centuries that have passed be-
fore genius was inspired to give It
form.
Scope OF the BarocycIonometer.
i In order to realize just what the
barocyclonometer is We must have an
idea OF the apparatus extant upon
which meteorologists relied previously
for a kindred service. The ordinary
barometer indicates changes OF at
mospheric PRESSURE rise foretell-
ing fair weather and a drop warning
, OF a probable storm. These varia-
tons represent what may popularity
be called the hills and the valleys Of
aerial inequalities, and the hills be-
: come in effect mountainous when the
barometer reaches its lowest point.
! These elevations and depressions are
mobile. and the area OF high pressure
tries to crowd in upon the region OF
low pressure in seeking to reestablish
the normal atmospheric level. The
steepness Of the grade between these
two extremes, especially the rapidity
} with which this varies within short
distances, is the true index Of cyclonic
violence. The winds are generated by
the energy with which the high" area
PUSHES in upon the '1ow" region. This
movement begets winds OF great
velocity, and these converge like the
spiral currents of whirlpool upon a
common centre.
Any barometer Will give warning
OF changes Of air pressure, but 1t
won't indicate the position of the
storm centre-it lacks a sense of di-
rection. and to this extent It Is only
PARKWAY helpful Happily. the studies
r Of three priests have overcome this