Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-04
GRAVE-D|GG[RS AID
FROST BELT STUDY
MeteoroIogist Finds Winter
Mercury Drops Degree
Every Is Miles.
Continued From First Pase.l

tCOnUlIubQ ElASb 6nBC.I
zero In q very marrow strip cutting
across Northern Florida and along the
Gulf Of Mexico to mean of 50 inches
in Northern Minnesota and North Da-
kota. The extreme frost penetration in
the cold area is approximately 100
inches. Around the District of Column
bia, DR.. Fassig reported. the mean pene-
tration is about / foot and the ex-
IRENE 80 inches.
The survey was undertaken for the
benefit of builders, who must figure on
Winter contracts but, DR.. FasSig warn
ed, conditions may vary greatly within
areas so that a detailed knowledge OF
local records Is necessary.
Frost penetration, it was pointed OUT
is much greater for hard, highly con-
ductive soil than for light soil covered
with thin coat of leaves such az might
be found in Northern forests.
In extreme Northern Canada, said DR.
]. H. Patterson, director of the Cana
dian meteorological service. the depths
Of the soil, as far as any one has pane-
trated, remain frozen all the time. The
soil thaws about feet at the surface
in, Midsummer. but cold weather comes
again before the thawing process can
60 further.
Reports on DrOughts.
A practical aspect of the study, 1t
was pointed out, was to determine at
what depth water pipes should be buried
in different localities, but DR.. William
J. Humphreys of the Weather Bureau
said that water sometimes will freeze
below the frost line in the soil.
A great drought like that OF 1880
does not come without warning, but
begins to show itself two or three years
in advance, said DR.. A. j. Henry OF the
U. s. Weather Bureau. He presented
an exhaustive analysis Of wet ana dry
records for as many years as accurate
records could be obtained. This showed
that two or three sections roughly APP
proximating States may have dry
year while the rest of the country en-
Joys normal rainfall. The next year
the dry area will have spread and the
next it may involve large area OF the
country.
Lights Tell Upper Air Heat.
A thermometer Of lights which will
measure accurately the temperature OF
the upper air up to approximately $4,000
feet, which he invented and has put
into use in the Canadian service, was
described by DR.. Patterson. This con-
sis S of a metal frame with very light
battery attached to a series Of lights.
This is attached to balloon. A white
pilot light burns all the time. so that an
observer on the ground can follow the
flight Of the balloon with theodolite.
r~Ntz ~ I'D hall
are a red and white light attached to
a conducting element which Is extreme
~ sensitive to temperature variations.
When a certain temperature Is reached
the red light flashes on. When IL gets
colder this connection automatically
is cut of and the white light goes on.
Both red and white lights flash at an
other range Of temperature. When the
temperature reverses itself this proce-
dure is repeatd by the lights under
meath the constantly burning pilot
light.
The mechanism itself Is lost when
the balloon drops, but, DR.. Patterson
said, 1t can be made cheaply enough
perature record, however. is made in
simultaneously and does not depend on
the recovery of the instrument.
Woman Reports Observations.
OF great theoretical significance, II
was explained the device may have
of air and water temperatures OBJ
measuring upper air temperatures for
the benefit Of aviation.
Miss Catharine B. Clarke Of the Car
negie Institution. gave a statistical study
Of the air and water temperatures OBJ
tanned over a wide range of seas during
the last cruise of the Carnegie.
DR.. w. j. Humphreys described new
discoveries about the formation Of tiny
snow crystals and the even smaller
droplets of water that sometimes form
on them. Such droplets turn into crys-
tails whose sides all are parallel to
corresponding sides of the snow crys-
tails, he said, although the droplet may
be 100 times smaller than the snow
crystal. 1t also has been found, he re-
ported, that the walls of air cavities
i'm snow crystals are always parallel t6
the outer sides Of the crystals.
Weather Warns in Blizzard.
|. The weather grows rapidly warmer
instead OF colder during an Antarctic
blizzard, w. G. Haines of the Weather
Bureau, reported. He was meteorologist
on Admiral Richard E. Byrd'S expedi-
ton to the South Pole.
During one blizzard the temperature
rose in less than 20 hours from 49 de-
grees below zero to Is above, a climb OF
So degrees. The mercury rose from 4G
to so degrees IN q few hours during sew
eral other billiards, he said, adding
that such temperature changes are be-
heved caused by the mixing Of cold an
near the ground with warmer air above
The coolest day encountered by thu
expedition was 72.4 degrees below ZerC
Fahrenheit. The warmest was 35 de-
greeS above July was the coldest
month, with an average temperature o.
AT degrees below zero, Haines said
while even in December and January
the Antarctic Midsummer, the ther.
nometer often fell below zero.
w C.. T ID. Pnstnnnes Meeting