Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-10-29
MAY INSTALL A
WEATHER BUREAU
ON BAFF IN BAY
Would Be internationally
Owned, to Supply Data
for the Worlds Services;
u. S. Is Backing Plan.

Washington, Oct. 28-An inter-
nationally owned and operated
wireless station and weather obser-
vation station on the shores of
| Baffin bay, to supply data for the
worlds weather services, has been
proposed, and steps are being taxi
en- to insure it's installation.
Baffin bay is pretty far north, as
a glance at a map of the top of
our continent will show, cold winds
blow cheerlessly much Of the time,
ice and snow hold sway over the
land and sea for a good portion of
the year, and the life of those sta
toned there, cut off from the
world except by radio, would not
be Of the easiest; but the value
OF their services to the world
would be inestimable, it is said.
Officials Enthusiastic.
Officials of the United States
Weather bureau are enthusiastic
over the proposal and will urge the
participation of the government in
the cooperative scheme. They
point out the valuable work of the
international weather observation
station on the lonely little island OF
Jan Mayen, off the southeast coast
of Greenland, where reports are
sent to all the European govern
ment meteorological services, as
we'll as to the Canadian and United
States weather bureaus.
Mr.. V. Bjerkus Ekerold, a Nor
wegian scientist and meteorologist,
through whose efforts the Jan
Mayen station was erected, has
been in this country and Canada
for some time in the interest Of
the proposed Baffin bay station.
The great value to this country
of such a station is shown by OBJ
servers in the fact that they are
often handicapped by the sudden
arrival of unforeseen weather
changes originating in northern
Canada, where there are few sta
tions. Thousands of miles Of the
up to the Artic Seas,
hold no observation posts nor
means of messaging observations
il any were made. The northern
most weather station in Canada is
almost forty degrees from the
northern edge of the continent,
which put it far south, close to the
boundary line.
Consequently, off CT a s said,
much weather which originates in
that vast stretch of land is unob-
served until it is right down upon
us. For this reason, 1t was added,
cold waves often bear down from
he north in winter and our wealth.
er bureau can give only scant
Recent Example.
A recent example of this sudden
and unforeseen change occurred in
!, series of showers that ended the
ong countrywide drouth that
gripped the country during August.
September and early October
Continued dryness was predicted
'or some days because conditions
we're sluggish and no changes were
observed within the scope of the
stations. Between two
LAYS, however, sudden showers
;wept down from the uncharted
'egions, freshened up the entire
Atlantic seaboard and the South
,rn states, quenched destructive
crest fires in Canada and brought
IN end to the drouth.
IL LUeEb WtIS IiOlC 5t"biSii@
arther north, it was said, the
hange could have been forseen
ar ahead of its actual arrival, in
tead of about two days or less,
nd farmers and others to whom
weather. conditions are important
ould have had longer warning to
'repare.
1t must be explained that
through general interchanges, the
weather. observations of nations
re made available to all other
ountries having weather services,
nd to whom the data are import
mt. Canadian stations therefore
make observations which are as
important to this country's weather
ervice as though those stations
wned by the United States. The
'affin bay station would be
Inanced and. operated by the
ountries of the northern hemi-
phere to whom the data would be
value when reported by wire
ess.