Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-08
WEATHER BUREAU
L|NDBERGH'S AID
Observers Whose Predictions
Warranted Hop-0ff Re-
main in Background.

!
| NEW YORK, June S-Two men
who played important parts in the
transatlantic flights of Charles A.
! Lindbergh and Clarence y. Chamber
| lin did their work behind the scenes,
and will not receive medals to reward
| their efforts Without the cooperation
/ of Weather Bureau officials in New
/ York, Lindbergh and Chamberlin
| would not have known when to start
| for Europe
| JAmes r. Scarr. meteorologist. and
| James II. Kimball, assistant meteor
ologist, since mid-April have been fur
nishing transatlantic airmen with
news of the weather to be expected
across the Atlantic. They have had
! the satisfaction of seeing the two
| flights prove one of their pet theories.
The meteorological work incident to
| the two ocean flights has convinced
| them that for very small eXpendi-
ture of money the Weather Bureau
could compile daily chart of Atlantic
weather conditions which not only
| would help flyers but would assist ma
terially in forecasting weather condi-
tons in the United States.
Airmen Advised of Weather.
Since April 20, when an open season
was declared on the Atlantic, and
aviators first asked for daily charts
of weather conditions at sea, the
weather men have been receiving
radio reports from ocean liners. Ten
ships have averaged two reports
daily. enabling the weather experts to
chart storms and winds.
About 500 ships report to the
Weather Bureau. but they send their
observations by mail.
There really have been only three
times since April 20 when a tranSat'
lantic flight would have been safe
said Mr.. Scarf. 1.-The first began.
strangely enough. on the day that
Acosta and Chamberlin started their
endurance flight in the Bellanca and
was still good April 90.
eff the had taken off for Europe
instead of circling over Manhattan
they would undoubtedly have reached
it without any trouble. But, of course,
they were not ready for such a flight
then. The second time was when
Lindbergh made his successful flight
and the third when Chamberlin took
off.
But planes on a regular schedule
route if the weather on the great cir
Gle course were unfavorable. The
more southerly course is longer, but
weather conditions are much better.
When big, powerful planes come and
an efficient transatlantic weather
service is established it will be quite
possible to fly planes on schedule"
Kimball Discusses Ocean Conditions.
Mr.. Kimball, discussing the same
question, declared that the weather
over the ocean was frequently found
to have a direct relation to the
weather here.
"One thing / am convinced Of" said
he, developments in the weather go
on in the Arctic that seriously in
fiuence the course of the ordinary
drift of weather across the ocean.
Sometimes these developments inter-
fere with the drift. AT other times
they accelerate it.
1T is easy to visualize a vast mass
OF cold air from the Greenland area
overlooking from the Arctic into the
east-west path of storms and either
stopping their progress entirely or
changing their course.
IF this ocean drift is checked il is
reflected in conditions over the At
lantic States or possibly as far West
as the Mississippi River. Such a serv-
ice would, therefore, be useful not
merely to aviators but to everybody
else interested in future weather con.
ditions."