Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1920-01-16

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Of destruction than the
%IN mlghtlest OF volcanoes,
N and leaving In rs wake n
S no-man's land. rlvnllng
IKE. lI wars sears across the
TN face OF Europe, the hurri-
M cane Is chief among nat
lNM ural forces contendlng for
lCM the title, champion Of de-
- structlon."
To fight the hurricane extensively Is
folly. For ages mankind has been able
TO wage only n defensive war against
Its terrifying drives" and these ef.
forts have been, until modern times,
pitifully feeble. Mans only defense
Is to be forewarned. That II has been
possible In the present generation to
reduce death toll OF hurricanes to a
minimum. is due to the marvellous
service maintained by the United
States weather bureau.
The headquarters OF the weather
bureau. located quite to one side OF
mnin-traveled th~oroughfares In the
national capital, nre the nerve center
Of this unique organization which ex-
tends ncross the continent and also
far out 10 sea, since many vessels CO.
operate with the burenu by making
daily reports to II.
Great Storm Sighted.
Early In September n hurricane,
destined to devastate n wide urea bor-
derlng the Gulf OF Mexico. renred its
head like n great monster n thousand
miles TO the southeast OF the United
States. among the islands of the Car
ibbean. Az to what give II birth not
even the scientist knows. The forces
that propagate all OF these storms nre
shrouded In mystery. This particular
hurricane n born In remote tropical
waters, probably about September 3.
A few hundred miles north OF this
center OF disturbance the sea was rel.
ntively calm and passengers on stenm.
ers passing this way Ind no intlmn.
tlon of the terrific force that wna
generating OFT to the south. Likewise,
the southland Of the United States lay
plncld, in part bathed in sunshine and
In part shaded by far-stretchlng blank
eth OF clouds, many OF them so fleecy
that TO the casual observer they car
ried no suggestion OF the coming storm.
But the hurricane In the tropics gath.
cred strength quickly and flung itself
in fury over the slender chain OF is.
lands constituting the Florida keys.
In the face OF every such rising
peril the meteorologist upon whom
rests the responsibility for making
daily forecasts, stands like one facing
a thief In the dark. Beyond the main
land coast and a few scattered sta.
tons In the West indies, he has no
means OF learning fof The changing
atmospheric condit ,dhs n those seas
10 the south and eayll save chance re.
ports from ships. EfArly reports OF
this hurricane wert Speager indeed.
The nrst lntlmatlon afsihe coming OF
disnster was received lSeptember 8
The daily forecast for that date stated
that n tropical storm had appeared
to the southeast Of Key West. But
~ 10 liz extent, or : = course the chief
t~orecaster NJ that time could only con.
lecture.
Despite his long experience in his
profession. II was Inevitable that the
t~orecaster should be anxious-every
meteorological who Is fo%recastlng al
such n time Is anxious. He had been
on duty IN seasons past when not q
single hurricane appeared. But IN
other years between July and October
more than one such storm had lefl
4 trail OF devastation across many
states. The f%orecaster knew that mil
lions OF dollars worth OF cargoes
about TO sail from the Atlantic ant
Gulf ports, might be loSt II he failet