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Show [ WEA WEATHER WEAT1iER TilER MYTHSr'arhaps \ MYTHS l\IYTHS l IYTHS MYTHSrsrhaps rsrhaps rzrhaps r'arhaps rarhaps ' many credulous per person on are areatching arewatching arewatching \\atching atching watching \ for a verification of their theirI theirv theirweather theirweather [ v . weather cather predictions , based onhether on \hether hether tshether tshetherthe , whetherthe \ hetherthe I the ground hog saw his shadow in inthoir inthir intl thoir th-ir th ir - lr localities on Ground Hog Day DayFebluary , February Febi uary 2 And even if their predic 'Predic- 'Predic predic- 'Predictfons predictions ' predictions - tions tfons are not verified , they will doubt a'oubt- a'oubt aoubt doubt- a'oubtless doubtless doubtless " ' - less offer some sort of alibi aUbi for that thatvencrable thatvenerable thatvenerable vencrable venerable forecaster . Then about Maich Malch March 21 these same samefolks samefolks samefolks folks will v.ill vill . ill " watch "atch atch for the "equinoctialstorm "equinoctialstorm "equinoctial equinoctial " storm " which Is supposed to occur occurabout occurabout occu"about occuabout ' " about the time when the sun "crossesthe "crosses crosses "crossesthe "crossesthe crossesthe " the line Hne . " 11)0 110 ll llS ' ) -S S - SOf Of course , no one wIthany with any -any - knowledge knowl knowl- knowledge knowledge - edge of meteorology pavs pas pa ) } s any attention attentionto to either of these ancient superstitions superstitionsbut superstitionsJmt but In the jwpular popular mind they ch C'l Cl eti ' with grim tenacity . Owing to the erratic habits of the the"eather thew theweather "eather eather w " eather , , any kind J.ind Jind . of prediction will willcome willcome willcome come true occasionally , but sCIentifIc sCIentifIcobservers scientificobservers scientificobservers observers rel1IS tell rel1 \ us \IS IS that in m the presentstate present presentstate presentstate state of human knowledge knoVwledge it it : ? ' is im- im imI impossIble impossible im impossible - possible . to t.o predict weather conditIOns conditIOnsmore conditionsmore conditionsmore I more than a veiy velY very few days aheadFrom aheadFrom ahead aheadFrom From records of the last 50 years yearskept , k.ept kept . by the United States stares Weather WeatherBureau WeatherBureau WeatherBureau Bureau , it is 18 shown that storms are no nomore nomore nomore more fiequent flequent frequent during equinoctial equmoctial per- per periods periods per periods - iods than at other times of the ye-ar ye ar year yearIn yearIn yearIn - In fact , the most destructive of all allstormswesrern allstormswestern allstorms storms-wesrern storms wesrern storms-western western - - western tornadoes and West WestIndian WestIndian WestIndian Indian hurrlcanes-occur hurrlcanes occur hurricanes-occur hurricanes hurricanes - - occur principallym 'PrmcIpaUym 'PrmcIpaUy PrmcIpaUy principally ' m the summer and fall faU , at periods farthest far- far farthest far farthest - thest removed from the equino equinoxesBut equinoxes equinoxesBut .es es > . .esBut But old superstitions die hard . , andthose andthose and andthose those concerning the weather are areamong areamong areamong among the most persistent |