754 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
public, but he seems to be as innocent and ignorant of it as an unborn babe, for 
he tells us that.the thaw was crowded out (!). Yet it is said that this man is a 
scientist, at the head of the Canadian Meteorological Bureau, and ascientific man. 
I would like to see some medical man give some medical reason for the non-oc- 
currence of something in hisline on a par with this; some statesman; some law- 
yer—scientist or artist, attempt to hood-wink the public with such @ reason (/). 
If he were a person worth noticing the press of the land would soon make 
him the laughing stock of the age. The simple reason why we so often have a 
thaw in mid-winter is because of a high area of low barometer—that is, a number, 
say three or four or more areas of low barometer running on a high line of lati- 
tude with no similar area in the South to neutralize it. This causes south winds 
and gives us rain and thaw at the North, the result of which is to break up the 
ice and to sufficiently melt the snows to flood the streams, carrying off the ice 
and snow at least in part. We did not have this, atleast, to any extent this year, 
for the reason that ow was generally ona low line of latitude producing extreme 
cold with heavy rains, and even snow in the extreme Southern states. 
They had more snow in New Orleans, in consequence, this year, than perhaps 
ever before. Snow in New Orleans isa very uncommon thing and had some person 
told the world, or even made a venture that such a thing would have occurred, 
by those ignorant of science he would have been termed a weather prophet indeed. 
It was an exceptional thing and the weather-map reveals the cause thereof, as well 
as a chart of the ocean which shows a dangerous reef would reveal the cause of 
the destruction of a vessel that was wrecked thereon. Now there is one thing 
these ‘‘ weather prophets” may do, whereby they may obtain notoriety with the 
uninitiated, and that is to take the weather-map, study it for awhile in order to 
make themselves familiar with the workings of ‘‘High” and ‘‘ Low” and then 
venture a daily guess of three or four days ahead of the Signal Office, and if they 
are expert, they may come pretty near the mark. 
Indeed it would seem that it was full time that the Signal Office took a new 
departure and advanceda step. It is sure to come some day, and as they have the 
best faciliiies, it would seem that they were the ones to do it, and that is, in addi- 
tion to their present daily ‘‘Indications,’’ have a sub-indication, which will be 
understood not to be so reliable, and one in which they may be allowed more lati- 
tude. Let the basis on which they would make these new advanced indications 
be understood, then intelligent people will not hold them responsible, -but will with 
them take the chances, 
The better the public understand the weather-map the better will this be 
revealed to them, and the better they will understand the duties and difficulties of 
the Signal Office if they should undertake this new departure. If they assume 
this extra task they might adopt some new term, which will not be so positive as 
the term at present used for the daily information given tothe public. But what- 
ever the term may be, let it be distinctly understood that the greater the time in 
advance, the more uncertainty; still, oftentimes the weather for three or four days 
