102 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



THE PASSING OF "LOW" BAROMETER. 



BY ISAAC P. NOYES, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



" Low," it may be proper to say, is the short and technical term for low 

 barometer, and that the passing of '* low " refers to the movement of this condi- 

 tion over the country. 



The storm center, low, is the governing point, the " passing of low^' over 

 the country is the agent of the storm. Back of this, of course, is the concentra- 

 tion of the sun's rays, which produces, over the world's surface, points or localities 

 of rarification of air which are continually on the move — we think, ever and ever 

 around the world. We cannot prove this at present for want of stations, yet we 

 have the best reasons to believe that such is the fact. 



When one becomes familiar with the laws governing the weather, especially 

 with that which is positive and not merely speculative knowledge, it is very ab- 

 surd to hear people even suggest such an idea, that there must be some other 

 laws unknown to those who knew the most, and essentially all there is as to the 

 general laws governing the matter, and that some ignorant person with great pre- 

 tentions knows more, especially so when his ignorance is manifest in all that he 

 says. But, says the common sense of the world, has he not produced results, 

 and are not results the thing after all ? What matters science and full and com- 

 plete knowledge if some half-witted fellow can, every time, do better than the 

 wise and scientific ? Results are what the practical world demands. Well, we 

 want results, and we think it very absurd for a man to pretend to know so much 

 about the weather, and not be able to tell for one locality as well as for another, 

 to be able to tell fair weather as well as great "eleven-foot snow storms," etc. 



We challenge him, or his friends, to produce any results beyond those which 

 any other guesser of the weather can produce. 



To those who know nothing of the law of periods, which storms follow, and 

 their causes, it seems very strange to see a man say that it will, according to the 

 time of year, snow, rain, thunder or blow somewhere over the vast territory of the 

 United States on the 2d or 4th, 7th or 8th, nth or 12th, etc. Yet to the person 

 who knows these laws, it is no more strange than if A knows that B is about 

 sure to be within or in the neighborhood of a certain large area every four days 

 on an average, for A to put on a wise look and say B will be there on such and 

 such days of the month. But, after all, there is no satisfaction in such a state- 

 ment, for many others know the whereabouts of B even better than A, but neither 

 A nor all the others who have this knowledge \.x^ovj just where B is going to strike, 

 how he will strike, what will be the result, and whether he will move over one 

 section or another, or produce a certain effect every time. 



Then, if this " weather prophet" who has created such a sensation has relia- 

 ble knowledge, and can figure it out months in advance, does it not seem absurd 

 in him simply at first to make a general statement covering what everybody 



