The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-27 00:00:00

METEOROLOGY.

(From a Correspondent.)
That meteorology, or the science of the weather, has, from
the earliest stages of civilization, occupied a large share of
attention from the philosopher, equally as from the husband-
man and mariner, the Pastorals of Virgil, and other writings
of some of the most eminent men, both of ancient and modern
times, sufficiently show. And yet, notwithstanding all the
application which thus, from its important relations with the
interests of every class of society, had through succeeding ages
been given to the' subject, and of the numerous discoveries
in other departments of science which had, particularly within
the last century, crowned the progress of investigation, me-
teorology presented a remarkable exception—as, instead of
participating in the impul.sion common to the remainder of
the physical sciences, it still continued stationary, or in the
same state of backwardness as at first. As with the ex-
ception of the uncertain lights reflected from empiricism or
the changes of the barometer, the nature of the approaching
changes of the weather, or the periods of their occurrence,
still lay buried in the most impenetrable darkness; inso-
much, that any attempt to predict the changes of the weather,
was, by the generality of philosophers, treated as ideal, or as
being a thing which it was beyond the power of science to
effect ; meteorologists having for the most part confined them-
selves to recording the occurrence of the most remarkable at-
mospheric phenomena, the variations of the barometer, the
winds, &c., and to offering some vague conjectures as to the
laws by which they were governed, &c.
Thus, after the numerous failures which, even in the hands
of the most distinguished men, as of scientific bodies, had at.
tended the various attempts made to open this science, it
was hardly to be expected that individual industry could suc-
ceed. And yet, however improbable such has been the case,
and this in a manner so full and decided, that of the various
discoveries made, or to be made, which are likely more than
any other to render our age arid country memorable in the
annals of science, these which have been lately made in
meteorology, are probably destined to hold the first place.
Which, it may be observed, together with solving the long
disputed question, as to whether the moon exercised an in-
fluence on the weather? and to an extent it may be added,
but little supposed by the leading philosophers of the day,
in the affirmative—has, in the principles of calculation thence
deduced,' succeeded in converting this, the meteoric action
of the moon, into perhaps the most important acquisition to
science and the general interests of society, as human: in-
dustry has hitherto been so fortunate to effect.
We are led to these observations by an article which ap-
peared in a Morning Contemporary, which stated the success
that had attended an experiment made by Mr. Murphy—
already known to the public as the author of some works on
Meteorology—of principles discovered by him, for calculating
in advance the approaching changes of the weather, during
the late months of April and May, or GI days consecutively,
in Weather Tables prepared by him in the early part of the
preceding
month of March; and which, as stated, proved so
accurate, that in more than one .instance when at, or imme-
diately preceding the changes of the weather, the indications
of the barometer were at fault, the calculations, as marked in
these Weather Tables, proved to be correct. And in addition to
this decisive proof, as it may be esteemed, we have now to
direct public attention to a similar table of his, for the present
month, which appeared in a late Number (that of the 10th
June) of that truly valuable journal, the Literary Gazette:
and in regard to which it may be said that, with few excep-
tions, the weather of each succeeding day, to the present, has
brought- a new and additional proof of its correctness: so as
to place the certainty of the principles of calculation em-
ployed by Mr. Murphy beyond all doubt.
And as by means of these discoveries—the result, as we are
told, of many years' intense application—a new principle of
safety by sea has been added to those already known, of at
least equal importance as that of the compass—in enabling
the seamen to sec in advance the periods throughout the year
when danger from storm has to be apprehended; and thus that
the shipping and commercial, equally as the agricultural in-
terests of the country, are like to be such extensive gainers
thereby, we cannot conclude our remarks without recom-
mending Mr. Murphy as a fit object of public patronage and
support, in the prosecution of his laudable undertaking; in,
which extending the limits of science, of making it still further
available than heretofore, to the interests of the many; and
which, as they aro no more than the wages usually paid to
merit, will, let us hope, not be allowed to go undischarged
to him.

As connected with this subject, see the report of a Parer
by Mr. Murphy, which was read at the late meeting of the
Meteorological Society, on the evening of the 13th inst., pub-
flatted in the ifitergril Ga;eete of the 17th June.