Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-07
GEORGE S. BLISS
On the Weatherman's Part

THE Weather Bureau is an important fac
l. tor in preserving and regulating the he
Of the community. according to George =
Bliss. .metcSorologist in charge OF the penn.
sylvania division of the United states
Weather Bureau. This statement may come
as surprise to those who think of the de
partmcnt wholly in terms OF forecastiny.
''T'ncle Sans Weather Bureau has issued
its daily forecasts for weather. temperature
and wind conditions for nearly half Of
century, said Mr.. Bliss. "and in this phase
of its work il has come closer to all OF the
people than any other government service
except the poStOffcp. These same daily fore
casts are commonly thought to be the chief
work of the bureau They are followed
closely by a portion of our people and are of
considerable benefit to some lines OF bust
ness Many read the forecasts As matter
of habit and look out TO see If the weather
corresponds with the statement, wholly dis
regarding the periods specified. Many others
are well satisfied 80 long as the weather il
pleasant. but when disagreenblc conditions
prevail for few days they are sure that the
Weather Bureau is all wrong.
However. the daily forecasts are a side
issue to the larger and more important work
of safeguarding lives and property during the
passage of severe storms, cold waves or
floods. \ tclcgraphic survey of the whole
country must be made every twelve hours
in order that the forccasterS may be in.
formed of any unusual Developments and
may b" enabled to follow them closely. The
local daily forecasts are natural OutgrOwth
Of this work and are issued largely as mat
tcrs of convenience.
Service Organized in 1871
THE service was organized late in the year
1871 under the War Department. mainly for
the purpose of warning maritime interests
when severe storms were approaching our
shores In the early days. while the warning
facilities were being built up, there is an
account in one of the journals of Il West
India hurricane that swept the Atlantic
Const, taking a toll Of sixty vessels and more
than 300 human lives, Such catastrophcS
do not occur in these latter days. for it is
many years since severe storm has swept
our Atlantic or gulf coasts unheraldcd by
the bureaus storm warnings. The compare
lively recent Developments in wireless telcg
raphy are Il valuable aid both in collecting
Information Of weather conditions and in the
spreading of warnings.
During the winter season it Is common
for cold waves to develop over western Can
ada and spread down over the plains states
and the great central valleys. Each warn
ing Of such II condition results in measures
taken to protect stock and pcrishablc produce
such as vegetables, fruits, bottled goods.
plants, eggs and other things that might be
damaged by freezing tcmpCrat lures, A few
dollars worth of such property will be saved
here and there and in the aggregate it runs
into the hundreds Of thousands With sev-
rral such occurrences during a winter sea
son il will be- readily understood that such
service is Indispensable. Cold waves do not
occur 50 often in the Atlantic states as in
the central valleys, nor are they usually so
severe. but the ordinary daily changes would
result in many losses. where so many perish
ablrs are handled il il were not for special
Scrvr" that is rendered to shippers.
River and Flood Service Important
The river aud flood service rarely comes
to the notice of PhiladelphiuuS, but in some
parts OF the country 1t is the most valuable
thing that the bureau does At PITTSBURGH
alone the food warnings have saved about
one third enough TO maintain the whole ma
tional service. During the great Missssippi
flood Of the year 1908 the warnings are
known 10 have saved more thAu SlJ 600 600
worth OF property, or enough to maintain the
whole bureau for period of eight wears
At that time the crest of the Hood was fore
cast within one or two tcnthS Of n foot
all the way from st. Louis to the puIf uud
for New Orleans the forecasts were made
twenty eight days before it's arrival II mo-,
be said here that flood forecastinC is iargcIy
mathematical problem, and under sI,rh
conditions the results are mathemuticauy
exact,
In the large fruit growing regions nc.
warnings often result in the saving of thc
fruit crop over large areas that would Other
wise be destroyed. Also in the vast prnyin,,
regions OF Montana and Wyoming Il special
service for s0ckmcn has been devGloncI
during recent years and is saving thonsonJn
Of head OF sheep and cattle.
so much for the forecast and vorni,,.
service, ana now let it be said thnt 10 tbH
bureau should never issue another ,varm
| ing or another daily forecast the use that
hns soitS 70 De maue OF ITS records would
| JUSTIFY the continuance Of the service. The
| records are used in the planning of ali l,,na
| projects aud developments, both by the o., %
eminent itself and by large Corporations