268 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
Minit OR OL@ Ex: 
PROPHECY OF THE WEATHER. 
BY ISAAC P. NOYES, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
The weather has ever been a favorite theme for the prophets, and most mis- 
erably have they failed. All are familiar with the prophecies or statements of 
our almanac makers. For years they have pretended to foretell the weather for 
months in advance. 
The statements of the old almanac makers though ‘‘gospel truth” to the 
many, were not regarded as wisdom by the few who were more advanced in in- 
tellectual culture, yet even those of the highest culture could simply say “‘ they 
did not believe;” no positive evidence had yet developed by which they could 
successfully controvert what their intellects could not accept. They must await 
future developments and see what they would bring forth. 
In 1870 they brought forth the United States Signal service, whereby we 
were no longer confined to the accumulation of a few isolated facts gathered by 
merf having no facilities for immediate communication with each other, or any 
means of conveying intelligence to one central head where it could be digested 
and made to serve the world as kindred facts in other departments have done. 
It was not even possible for the Signal service to grasp the full idea at once; 
time was needed to advance the practical work necessary for so great an under- 
taking, and as facts were accumulated, they suggested new fields for the intel- 
lect to revel in, until now we have a very complete system, though not perfect 
as yet, for time is still necessary to complete and to suggest other steps in the line 
of this advancing science. 
The weather map has proved beyond controversy that the area of low barom- 
eter is the center and motive power of the storm, and that this area of low ba- 
rometer travels, as heretofore stated, in an easterly direction, and that back of 
this power of low barometer, lies the generating heat force of the sun, the crea- 
tor of this power. The sun is our great physical first cause in this as in other 
things connected with and essential to our well-being on this earth. 
The negative part of the weather system is the area of high barometer, which 
plays quite as important a part in the weather of our globe as the area of low ba- 
rometer itself. The details and influence of high barometer will be deferred for 
some future paper, simply remarking here that it is an important power and is 
ever on the move and in the same general direction as the area of low barometer, 
and that we can not have the one without the other—that the area of high ba- 
rometer is as essential and natural in the lighter body air as the hill or mountain 
in the physical contour of our earth. 
