Profiles in Time
NWS San Francisco Staff Biography
Alexander George McAdie
Meteorologist in Charge of the San Francisco
Weather Bureau office during the 1906 Earthquake and Fire
Alexander George McAdie ( Born 4 Aug 1863, died 1 Nov 1943)
American meteorologist who was a pioneer in employing kites in the exploration of high altitude air conditions. As a college graduate, McAdie in Jan 1882 joined the Army Signal Service, which preceded the civilian U.S. Weather Bureau. He invented and patented devices to protect fruit from frost. He examined the influence of smoke pollution on the atmosphere, McAdie studied the relation between atmospheric electricity and auroral phenomena, and wrote about lightning as a hazard both in the air and on the ground. He believed that the units used in meteorology should be standardized by adoption of the metric system. McAdie was a founder of the Seismological Society of America. Mt. McAdie (13,799 ft.) in the Sierra Nevada was named for him.
Alexander McAdie was also vice president of the Sierra Club from 1904-1913,
and was responsible for the naming of Mount Muir.
Forecaster McAdie records the recent temblors
and gives assurance to the public
San Francisco Chronicle
April 24, 1906
Shocks by the score have been recorded by the United States Weather Bureau under the direction of Forecaster [Alexander] McAdie ever since the first temblor on Wednesday morning. On that memorable day no less than seventeen distinct movements of the earth's crust were recorded.
The first one occurring at 5:13 o'clock in the morning lasted forty-seven seconds. Another one came at 5:18 and lasted a few seconds; another came at 5:20 another at 5:25 , another at 5:42 , and then came a lapse until 8:13 . This shock lasted five seconds as was the most severe since the big shake-up. The occurrence of the following shocks came at 9:13, 9:25, 10:49, 11:05; 12:03, 112:10, 2:23, 2:27, 4:50, 6:49 and 7 o'clock.
The great movement of the earth in the bay region can hardly be said to be over. McAdie says that he has records of numbers of shocks for every day since the fateful Wednesday but he hastens to assure the public that the danger from heavy shock of a destructive character is gone. The minor temblors, which are still coming and one of which occurred at an early hour yesterday morning, are merely the necessary movements of the earth in the process of adjustment. They will come at greater intervals and grow weaker until they become absolutely imperceptible.
Although McAdie stayed by his post in the Mills building until the structure caught fire and he was the last man to leave the building, he has not stopped work. His instruments are destroyed, but the records of the last sixty years are believed to be intact in the safe. He has been able, through the cable station at the Ocean Beach and through wireless messages sent from Admiral Goodrich, to keep in constant communication with Washington , and only three observations have been lost in thirty-six hours.
Best of all, McAdie has found in his next door neighbor, W.R. Eckart, consulting engineer for the Union Iron Works, a strong ally in his work, there being at the Eckart home, 3014 Clay street, a complete set of apparatus for just the work of his department. At this address the Weather Bureau is now located, and will remain until other arrangements are made for it.
Showers which visited San Francisco and vicinity yesterday are believed to be over. McAdie announces that the barometer is rising rapidly and the prospects are bright for pleasant weather.
Below are links to images from the 1871-1911 San Francisco climate book showing what the weather was during the time of the Earthquake and Fire.
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