578 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 44. 



years taking our measurements at the bot- 

 tom of this great ocean of air, while the forces 

 which cause the formation of storms, and 

 which influence their intensity and direc- 

 tion of motion, operate at great elevations, 

 or are extraneous to our earth. It there- 

 fore seems imperative that systematic ex- 

 ploration should be made of the upper air. 

 Balloon ascensions should be made in the 

 several quadrants of the cyclonic storm and 

 also at the center thereof, especially when 

 rain is falling and the barometric gradient 

 is steep. It is especially important to know 

 the level at which condensation ceases, the 

 depth of the cloud stratum, the temperature 

 gradient, the air pressure and humidity, to 

 a height of four or five miles. Skilled 

 aeronauts with complete and accurate in- 

 struments should be placed in the region of 

 severest action at the season of the year 

 when storms are most frequent. Thej'' 

 should be held in readiness until the ap- 

 proach of storms typical of cyclonic action, 

 and then from the central office, where the 

 movement of the storm is being carefully 

 watched on the daily sj'uoptic chart, the}'' 

 should be given telegraphic orders to as- 

 cend, and their ascensions should be so 

 timed as to secure accurate readings at 

 great elevations throughout the several 

 quarters of the storm. It is believed that in- 

 formation thus secui'ed will establish some- 

 thing like an approach to the true philoso- 

 phy of storms in contradistinction to the 

 very imperfect theories which too often are 

 hastOy approved as demonstrated principles. 

 Instead of erecting a cumbersome super- 

 structui-e upon the sand, let us endeavor to 

 lay a corner stone upon which to erect 

 something exact enough to be called a 

 science. 



In winter the great high-pressure areas 

 which constitute our cold waves should re- 

 ceive the same thorough exploration. Read- 

 ings at Pike's Peak or Mt. Eainier might 

 be useful in this investigation, but they are 



too far removed from the general track of 

 storms and cold waves to furnish the full 

 information desired. 



Upper-air explorations may be accom- 

 plished by a train of kites carrying auto- 

 matic instruments, by captive kite-balloons 

 which may be forced nearer and nearer the 

 zenith with increasing wind velocity, or by 

 the ascension of trained observers in free 

 balloons. We must strive for the perfection 

 of appliances and instruments which will, 

 at no distant day, enable us to present 

 to the forecaster the charted synchronous 

 meteorological conditions prevailing at high 

 levels and covering a great area. Mr. 

 McAdie, at Washington, has secured re- 

 centlj' some good records with kites at ele- 

 vations of from 1000 to 2000 feet. 



Systematic exploration of the upper air, 

 with a continuation of the studies begun by 

 Professor Bigelow of terrestrial magnetic 

 forces as induced by the solar magnetic 

 field, will be the line of investigation pros- 

 ecuted during the next two years, and from 

 which it is hoped that results satisfactorj' 

 to the practical as well as the theoretical 

 man maj' be obtained. 



The Honorable Secretarj' of Agriculture 

 is in thorough sj-mpathy with all lines of 

 research which can be legallj' carried on 

 under the Act of Congress constituting the 

 Weather Bureau, and which promise to 

 givo i-esults useful to the people. 



Harmonious cooperation between the 

 practical worker and the scientific investi- 

 gator is essential to success. Too often 

 they have found themselves picking out 

 diverging paths. In the future they will 

 work on parallel and converging lines 

 and not far removed from each other, and 

 the result, I am confident, will be beneficial 

 to all. In a great sj^stem like ours each 

 worker must be justlj^ recognized for the 

 merit that is in him, whether he be a skilled 

 scientist or an able executive officer, and he 

 should be given his projier place as an in- 



