Former California State Climatologist Jim Goodridge sent this along yesterday. This interesting letter from 1892 is a letter from Sergeant James A. Barwick to cooperative weather observers in California. He was concerned about the station siting and exposure conditions and wanted full reports back. The US Army Signal Corp was the original impetus for the US Weather Bureau, now NOAA, hence the reason this is coming from a sergeant rather than a bureaucrat.
Here’s the cover:
And here is the letter, note the point by point concern over station conditions.
Reader “vigilantfish” provides this transcripton:
US Dept of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento California
October 28, 1892
To all Voluntary observers throughout California,
Gentlemen:
I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to Instrument Shelter
viz. – 1st Have you an Instrument Shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are exposed.
2nd: Describe the Kind of Shelter: Is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass plat (flat(?)).
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof or ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on 4 posts.
6th Will it not be practicable to have such shelter removed to some open (unreadable) piece of added ground, where the air can circulate freely through it; having the instruments in the shelter face the North, The bottom of the shelter to be about 4 ½ feet above the ground, which would bring the thermometers to about 5 ½ feet above ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer without the sues of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from every observer.
Very Respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
James A Barwick Observer Weather Bureau and Director California Weather Service.
=============================================================
Note no questions about asphalt, concrete, and the like since those had not become in common use yet.
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Lovely. No progress, then.
just another science-denying skeptic…. /sarc
I sure would like to see the reply he got back!
So, was this letter faxed out?
Note that there is no discussion of weather vs. climate
Anthony,
I’ve transcribed it below, but the formatting will be wonky. As a historian I’m used to archival documents. A couple of words defeated me (one might have been erased). I’ve tried to preserve the capitalization and punctuation. Here it is:
US Dept of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento California
October 28, 1892
To all Voluntary observers throughout California,
Gentlemen:
I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to Instrument Shelter
viz. – 1st Have you an Instrument Shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are exposed.
2nd: Describe the Kind of Shelter: Is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass plat (flat(?)).
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof or ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on 4 posts.
6th Will it not be practicable to have such shelter removed to some open (unreadable) piece of added ground, where the air can circulate freely through it; having the instruments in the shelter face the North, The bottom of the shelter to be about 4 ½ feet above the ground, which would bring the thermometers to about 5 ½ feet above ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer without the sues of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from every observer.
Very Respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
James A Barwick Observer Weather Bureau and Director California Weather Service.
A few unknowns, but here’s a quick transcript, minus all the “your obdt servant” stuff:
U.S. Dept of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento California October 28 1892
To all Voluntary observers throughout California
Gentlemen:= I am instructed by the chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to instrument shelters ????
1st Have you an instrument shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are enclosed.
2nd Describe the kind of shelter: is it made of lattice work [wood?], four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass flat.
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof, or above ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on 4 ????.
6th Will it not be practicable to have such shelter removed to ??? often ??? piece of ??? ground: where the air can circulate freely through it; having the instruments in the shelter face the North, the bottom of the shelter to be about 4 1/2 feet above the ground, which ??? bring the thermometers to about 5 1/2 feet above ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer, without the use of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from each observer
Here’s a transcription, with a couple of words missing which I couldn’t quite make out.
U.S.Dept. of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento, California October 28,1892
To all Voluntary observers throughout California,
Gentlemen:
I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to Instrument Shelter viz.
1st Have you an Instrument Shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are exposed.
2nd Describe the kind of shelter: Is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass plat.
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof or above ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on 4 posts.
6th Will it not be practicable to have [??] such shelter removed to some open [??] piece of sodded ground, where the air can circulate freely through it, having the instruments in the shelter face the North, the bottom of the shelter to be about 4 1/2 feet above the ground, which would bring the thermometer to about 5 1/2 feet above ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer without the use of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from each observer
Very Respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
James A. Barwick Observer Weather Bureau & Director California Weather Service
U.S. Dept. of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacremento California October 28 1892
To all Voluntary Observers throughout California
Gentlemen:= I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to Instrument Shelter viz-
1st Have you an Instrument Shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are exoposed.
2nd Describe the kind of shelter; is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd is it exposed on the roof of a building, fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass flat.
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof or above the ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on four posts.
6th Will it not be practical to have such shelter removed to some open space piece of sodded ground, where the air can circulate freely through it having the instrument in the shelter face the North, the bottom of the shelter to be about 4 1/2 feet above the ground, which would bring the thermometers to about 5 1/2 feet above ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer, without the use of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from each observer
Very Respectfully
Your obedient servant
James A. Barwick Observer Weather Bureau & Director California Weather Service.
Kept his spelling and punctuation.
What’s remarkable to me is that the representative of the Weather Bureau of the Army Signal Corps for the entire State of California holds the rank of Sergeant. Today it would probably require a Lt. Colonel, at least!
George V.
open area piece of sodded ground
It went out via Morse Code.
TRANSCRIPT of “barwick_letter_10-28-18921”
U. S. Dept of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento California October 28 1892
To all Voluntary Observers throughout California
Gentlemen: =
I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the
following questions in reference to Instrument Shelters
Vis =
_1st_ Have you an Instrument Shelter
that is in actual use, and in which your
thermometers are exposed.
_2nd_ Describe the kind of shelter: Is it made of
lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the
regulation double roof.
_3rd_ Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened
to a window, or side of a house, or is it located
above a grass flat.
_4th_ What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof,
or above the ground.
_5th_ Is the shelter supported on 4 posts.
_6th_ Will it not be practicable to have such
shelter removed to some open sided piece of
sodded ground; where the air can circulate freely
through it; having the instruments in the shelter
face the North; The bottom of the shelter to be
about 4 1/2 feet above the ground, which would bring
the thermometers to about 5 1/2 feet above ground, or
at the height of the eye of the observer, without
the use of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully
asked for from each observer
Very Respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
James A. Barwick Observer Weather
Bureau & Director California Weather Service
I am amused by the need to translate handwriting into html. Someday this post will be a Rosetta Stone to help translate other handwritten documents, such as the U.S. Constitution.
It is remarkable that the standards for weather stations have been so greatly weakened. The Sergeant calls for an open space over sodded ground. Sodded ground was expensive in those days, especially in California.
It is remarkable that the technology for weather stations has been improved so little.
Morse Code
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George V: I guess that’s what you’d call “Rank Inflation”.
Instrument shelters viz –
above a grass plat
[plat: n., 1. a plot of ground. 2. a plan or map, as of land. ]
There is a dele symbol between “have” and “such;” the ink has been scraped off with a pen knife or other sharp tool.
That was the first Surface Stations Project.
Nothing much else was done after this until Anthony came along.
Anthony,
This is an interesting exercise you’ve set us.
Here’s my attempt 🙂
U.S. Dept of Agr. Weather Bureau
Sacramento California October 28 1892
To all Voluntary observers throughout California
Gentlemen:=
I am instructed by the Chief of the Weather Bureau to ask you the following questions in reference to Instrument Shelters
Viz-
1st Have you an Instrument Shelter that is in actual use, and in which your thermometers are exposed.
2nd Describe the kind of shelter; Is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double roof.
3rd Is it exposed on the roof of a building; fastened to a window, or side of a house, or is it located above a grass plot.
4th What is the elevation of the shelter above the roof or above ground.
5th Is the shelter supported on 4 posts.
6th Will it not be practicable to have ^such shelter removed to some open —- piece of sodded ground where the air can circulate freely through it; having the instruments in the shelter face the North, The bottom of the shelter to be about 4 1/2 feet above the ground , which would bring the thermometers to about 5 1/2 feet above the ground, or at the height of the eye of the observer, without the use of steps or platform.
An early answer is most respectfully asked for from each observer
Very Respectfully
Your obedient servant
James A Barwick Observer Weather Bureau & Director California Weather Services
This same group/Team was still in charge of hurricane updates when the big one hit Galveston TX in around 1900. The problem with our government and some departments is they are making a career out of their position and that was not was supposed to be, You were to serve your term and go home. Davy Crockett tried to make it a career but was not re-elected. He said,” To hell with them-I’ll go to Texas.” Ha!
I’m wondering – in October 28, 1892 was there a specific set of siting criteria or was this the beginning of the creation of the standard?
Plat not Plot
You see what you expect to read.
Very interesting
A sergeant you say! Obviously the great grandfather of all deniers! An officer would instantly have seen that this sort of peasant detail would have no statistical effect on the soothed data and pay it no mind at all. Other ranks are cannon fodder for the professional and intellectual superiority of the officer class. That is how it is with command. That is how it is with Climate Change Scientists.
I believe the partially erased word is “even.” Hence:
“Will it not be practicable to have such shelter removed to some open even piece of added ground, …”
2nd: Describe the Kind of Shelter: Is it made of lattice work, four sides latticed and has it the regulation double inch.