url = 'http://www.rap.ucar.edu/weather/surface/stations.txt'
neturl = obj_new('IDLnetUrl')
data = neturl->get(url=url, /string_array)
data = [data, '']
elevations = hash()
blanks = where(data eq '', count)
for b = 0L, count - 1L do begin
line_number = blanks[b] + 3L
while (line_number lt (n_elements(data) - 1L) && line_number lt blanks[b + 1]) do begin
line = data[line_number]
station = strmid(line, 26, 3)
elevation = strmid(line, 55, 4)
if (strtrim(station, 2) ne '' && strtrim(elevation, 2) ne '') then begin
help, station, elevation
elevations[station] = long(elevation)
endif
line_number++
endwhile
endfor
end