A few years ago, a scientist contacted me regarding William Mitchell’s meteorological journals. As an astronomer and as someone who worked for the US Coast Survey, William kept detailed data regarding the weather throughout the day, tides, storms, and of course astronomical observations. All of this was used by the Coast Survey for creating nautical charts among other things. This scientist travelled to the island just to go through William’s data and then I made further transcriptions once he left the island and returned to his university down south. You see, William’s data is still relevant in assisting in making determinations about storms and other weather events- now how exciting is that?!
I write this quickly this morning – not my originally planned blog for this week – as we face the increasing wind associated with Hurricane Sandy combined with a nor’easter. Sandy is due to hit along the New Jersey coastline (there were once Mitchells inhabiting Sea Girt, NJ in the early 1900s) – and we are faced with wind gusts at or over 75 miles per hour. Let us hope that the Grey Lady sees her way through safely – and the Mitchell House as well. I was here Saturday battening down the hatches inside and out but Mother Nature is not one we can control.
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