The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-13 00:00:00

711E:LATE GALE.

An old English couplet, itself the translation of
an older Latin rhyme, informs us that,—
" If Candlemas is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in one year ;"

and "the adage has certainly been verified by the
experience of 1861. Never was a day more bril-
liant than the 2d of this month, and within a week
after its sunshine snow again covered the fields,
and tempests swept the coasts as destructively as
at any former visitations. We thought we had got
over the winter. The ice had thawed at last ; the
snow, except here and there, at the bottom of a
ditch or in some bleak corner, had fairly disap-
peared ; spring flowers were beginning to ,show
themselves, and all the old poetry about reviving
nature suggested itself to the mind: As wo write,
however, the aspect of things is changing once,
more; snow has again fallen in many parts of the
country, and in recording the ravages of the recent
gale we seem to be reprinting the sad reports of
some weeks since. But it is not for the sake of
abstract reflections that we address ourselves to
the subject. We have a practical aini,in view. It
has long been declared that meteorological science
has reached a practical stage, and that, though
our learned • men could not sell a wind_ or conjure

a tempest like the wizards of Lapland, they
could enable any sailor to forecast the weather
and secure himself against harm. We
shall be asked why, if this is really the case, the
thing is not done We reply that it is done to a,
great extent, though whether the proceeding might
not be rendered more comprehensive, and turned to
better purpose, may be a question still.
A letter which we published. yesterday from
Admiral Fitzrov distinctly asserts that every fre-
quented port of our coasts might have received in-
formation of the coming gale three days before it
burst. The event was predicted with as much cer-
tainty as an eclipse, and could have been announced
by signals as conspicuous as fiery beacons. The
information was actually telegraphed to several
places. Aberdeen, Hull, Yarmouth, Dover, Liver-
pool, Valentia, and Galway were apprised of the
impending storm in the plainest terms. Notice
was sent to those ports as follows :—" Caution—
Gale threatening from south-west, and then north-
ward. Show signal drum." Now, as all points of
our coasts are connected by telegraphic wires, and'
as there can be no difficulty in showing signals of
this description, we think it highly desirable that
the system should be established without delay.
The plan, though organised at the Board of
Trade, is not yet, we are told, in full practical
operation, but as the details, according to the
delineation given, cannot involve much trouble or
cost, the sooner the scheme is introduced the
better. As it is, we should like to know whether
notice of the gale was received at the points where
it proved most disastrous—at Hartlepool, Shields,
or the Irish ports which have been so severely
visited. If the notice was given, was it observed
or was it turned to account by those for whose profit
it was intended ? We are well awtzre of the
chances against an immediate recognition of anew
principle. but the destruction of life and p roperty
on these occasions is so appalling that we cannot
keep the subject too constantly before the p'ihlic.
All the warnings of the Meteorological Dopart-
ment will be useless if they are not attended to,
and attention is just what the authorities can.riot
command. Sailors are reckless and foolhardy to a
proverb. They are somewhat inveterate in their
pr( judices and bigoted in filch. ways. It might
be vain to toll a boat's crew that in three days'
time there - would be a tornado. They would,
perhaps, disbelieve the information, or, still more
probably- disregard it. Everybody conversant
with such matters knows how hard it is to instil
caution into minds habituated' to risks. Miners
will tamper with safety-lamps, people of all classes
reject sanitary improvements, and seamen do but
share the common failing in neglecting the
warnings of the barometer. Nevertheless, these
warnings have now been so deeply studied,
and the information obtained has been re-
duced to a shape so absolutely practical and
so truly beneficial, that it would be deplorable if
such advantages should be thrown away. For a
long time the barometer was simply interpreted.
according to its rise and fall. If the mercury rose,
the weather was on the mend ; if it fell, bad.
weather was impending. But these indications
have been now so scientifically combined with the,
signs of the sky and the actual direction of the,
wind, that our insight into the future is vastly
extended, and the notice which we have quoted is
a practical proof of the advance which has been
made. If certain ports can receive timely informa-
tion of a tempest, all ports can be similarly
appriged; and if the warning be given three days
beforehand, there must surely beample opportunity
for preparation. If.we havo actually got to this
point the problem has been solved. It is like the
first voyage of a steamship across the Atlantic—
a clear proof that the Atlantic could be traversed
by steam. Meteorology now rests upon evidence
as palpable as that which confirms our theories
of astronomy. We believe those theories because
the predictions of an astronomical almanack
are infallibly verified. An eclipse occurs at
the hour and minute set down for it, occulta-
tions and transits take place with similar
punctuality, and, as all things invariably happen
according to programme, the truth of the principles
on which the science is based becomes evident to
all, whether learned or unlearned. We are now in
exactly the same position as regards meteorology.
We cannot yet forecast the general character of the
season, but it seems that we can really foretell a gale
three days before it conies, and even ascertailf the
quarter from which the wind will blow. We
have indeed got to this point—and there appears
no reason to doubt it—the rest ought to
be easy.
It is because we are so impressed withlt the im-
icticabi-
portance of the problem, as well as the p
etdheofsothlueticoirnc,u tmh
satta
nwcee s
astronglyttendln deattending
etshi re
retocebnet
int To informed
visitation. The tempest was distinctly foreseen,
and accurately predicted—that much appears cer-
tain. It is also announced that the warning note
was duly sounded at certain points of the coast,
and we are willing to presume that if the intelli-
gence was but partially distributed, the fact was
due to the defects of an Imperfect system. But
what we wish. to know is the use which was actu-
ally made of the information at the places where
it was received. Were those points of the, coast
exempted either wholly or in part from the calami-
ties which visited others ? Was the information
conspicuously published ? Were the signals effec-
tive ? And above all, did our seafaring people
heed them as they ought to have done ? These are
points which we should like to see cleared. It is
because we have so firm a conviction of the value
of meteorological science that we have lately con-
ceded so considerable a portion of our space to the
statistics on which it rests, but we should like now
to see the returns take another complexion. In-
stead of a catalogue of ships wrecked, lives lost,
and cargoes sacrificed, we shouhl like to report that,
in consequence of warnings given and notices pub-
lished, the, devastations of a . tempest had been
escaped, and that a storm had swept our seas with-
out leaving any victims of its fury. If such visita-
tions can be announced and provided against three
days beforehand, we do not think our expectations
can be regarded as presumptuous or unreasonable.

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