THE NEW INSPIRATION. 347 



source of the river than his own. It is thus that the gathering 

 of flood waters are noted in their incipiency, and long before 

 the flood becomes a reality in any given locality, the threat- 

 ened area is warned of the approaching danger. Moreover, 

 so experienced have the forecasters become as to the rate of 

 absorption, evaporation and ongoing of the waters that their 

 predictions are usually fulfilled within a fraction of a foot 

 and within a few hours of the time foretold. 



But not only is the government now in a position to predict 

 with accuracy in ample time the flooding of the river valleys, 

 it is planning to render these floods impossible. It is building 

 dams and forming reservoirs, and the day is not distant when 

 all the flood waters of the country will be annually stored and 

 either allowed to run down their channels gradually, or, 

 wherever practicable, utilized as they are needed in times of 

 drouth. 



This great company of experienced meteorologists stationed 

 in 200 selected localities throughout the country, and pro- 

 vided with a full equipment of the best instruments for the 

 purpose which scientific invention can devise and skill con- 

 struct, gather the data upon which the forecaster bases his pre- 

 dictions, and which form the basis of the permanent records 

 of the bureau. Besides the specially trained force employed at 

 the stations, there are some 3,000 volunteer observers, pro- 

 vided with instruments by the Bureau, who add their quota 

 to the general result. Twice a day, at 8 o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, Washington time, which is 7 o'clock at Chicago, 6 o'clock 

 at Denver, and 5 o'clock at San Francisco and at 8 o'clock in 

 the evening, from these numerous and widely scattered sta- 

 tions, reports are flashed to the central office at Washington 

 giving for the preceding twelve hours the air pressure, the 



