Isaac's Storm Read Online Free PDF

thatsooncitieslikeNewYork,Philadelphia,andWashingtonwouldbelightedwithelectricity.
    Isaacwasexhausted,lonely,thrilled.HetookacabtothehotelbookedbyGeneralHazen,andtherespenttherestofthedayindulginginaveryuncharacteristicpursuit:doingnothing.Partlyitwasthefatigue.ButmainlythisyoungmanwhohadtrappedthenightforestsofTennesseeattheageofsixwasfrightened.Hehadneverbeeninacitythisbigbefore.Hewasafraideventoletthehoteloutofhissight.
    HemighthavebeenalotmoreanxiousifhehadknownofthecontroversythatswirledatthatmomentaroundtheSignalCorps,andofthescandalthattriggeredit,ascandalwhoseshockwaveswouldrollforwardlikeastormswelltoshapetheeventsofSaturday,September8,1900.
    Butthatnighttheonlythingswirlingseemedtobethemosquitoescloudingthegaslampsonthestreetbelow.
    THECRIMEITSELFcouldhavehappenedinanybureauofthegovernment,thejuxtapositionofmoneyandmenalwaysachancything.ThatithappenedwithintheSignalCorps,however,gaveitanincendiarypowerbeyondexpectation.Ithadtheeffectofundammingareservoirofcomplaint.
    ThecorpshadgrownaccustomedtocontroversyeversinceCongressdesignateditthemotheragencyforthenation'sfirstweatherservice."Meteorologyhaseverbeenanappleofcontention,"wroteJosephHenry,thefirstdirectoroftheSmithsonian,"asiftheviolentcommotionsoftheatmosphereinducedasympatheticeffectonthemindsofthosewhohaveattemptedtostudythem."Somecriticsarguedmenshouldnottrytopredicttheweather,becauseitwasGod'sprovince;othersthatmencouldnotpredicttheweather,becausemenwereincompetent.MarkTwain,mercilessasalways,parodiedthegovernment'sefforts:"Probablenortheasttosouthwestwinds,varyingtothesouthwardandwestwardandeastward,andpointsbetween,highandlowbarometerswappingaroundfromplacetoplace,probablyareasofrain,snow,hail,anddrought,succeededorprecededbyearthquakes,withthunderandlightning."
    Butthisnewcontroversywasdifferent.In1881,policearrestedCapt.HenryW.Howgate,chieffinancialmanageroftheSignalCorps,forembezzlingnearlyaquartermilliondollars,thisinanagewhendinneratanicerestaurantcostthirty-fivecents.Hewasarrested,convicted,andjailed.Inthespringof1882prisonauthoritiesallowedHowgatetogohomeunderguardtoseehisdaughter,whowasthenvisitingfromVas-sar.HeescapedandwasstillatlargewhenIsaacarrivedinWashington.
    Fortheweatherservice'scritics,theHowgatescandalwasthelaststraw.SecretaryofWarRobertT.LincolnlaunchedaninvestigationoftheSignalCorpswithparticularemphasisontheservice.Hefoundithadfewfinancialcontrols,averylimitedpoolofexperiencedforecasters,andatrainingacademy — FortMyer —