Franklin F. Snvder
all of the forecasting was put in one division--the river forecasting, weather
forecasting, and everything like that was put in one division. But that's aside.
In Pittsburgh, my responsibilities were entirely on the river work, and I suppose I
developed some more procedures there, although we had already developed a lot of
them. We had several significant floods while I was there for which I did the
forecasting. I remember spending nights at the office and what not during these
floods. I think the procedures worked out fairly well.
Q ..
How extensive were the rainfall and river gauging stations at that time?
A ..
The rainfall was perhaps a little deficient. But the river gauges, they were pretty
adequate. Reports were available from navigation dams on the Allegheny and the
Monongahela Rivers, which the Corps operated. There were gauges on all of the
tributaries and that was the area that the field man had put recording rain gauges and
lined up reporters to report the rainfall in to the central office. It wasn't too bad.
Q ..
Was the development of the rain gauge system more in the 1930's with modern
communications, telephone and things like that, where you would have people being
able to call in the readings?
A ..
Even before this, for years the Weather Bureau basic data for forecasting was almost
entirely river and rainfall gauges which they operated. The Weather Bureau used
to publish the river gauge readings for those stations, separate from the Geological
Survey. The observers would phone or telegraph readings in to the forecasting
office, wherever it happened to be for that particular river basin. We began to get
into using radio reports, too, although not very much. That came a little later. The
Corps was active in the initiation of radio reporting.
Q ..
But the development of these rainfall gauges was critical to getting the information
early, wasn't it?
A ..
That's another story where Mr. Hathaway is the hero. I don't know whether you
want to jump to that now.
Q ..
Well, we can do that, sure.
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