The New York herald., 1870-03-29
storm sssnaIs.

storm Signals.
This subject Is forcibly brought 10 mind by
the arrival OF the equinoctial season. For
many years 1t has been growing ON the atten-
tion Of the civilized world, and some Of the
most practical minds have been at work to
perfect system of weather telegraphy for the
benefit of commerce and navigation. In Eng
land and France already results OF incalculable
importance have been reaped; and although
many mistakes have been made In rightly In
terpreting the meaning and motion OF the
angry elements the system is every day becom-
ing more certain and complete.
1t Ii impossible in the present condition OF
our commerce, to over estimate the value OF
storm warnings to the shipping Of our lakes
and Atlantic coast. In the north temperate
zone careful observations, long continued, have
shown that our great storms almost invariably
come from some westerly point and thence fol-
low an easterly course. From more than nfty
charts Of American storms, prepared by Espy,
meteorologists have deduced the fast that they
take their rise in the vast plain which lies i'm
mediately east Of the Rocky Mountains and
thence march In q northeasterfy line. The
storm Of December 10, 1886, expanded over an
oval area three thousand miles long and half
that distance ia breadth. 1t is said that some
times the whole Of Europe is involved In tenn
the possibility Of forewarning both seaports
and interior cities Of impending danger.
The eudeavor to predict the occurrence Of
storms has been attempted with marked sue
cess by the late Admiral Fitzroy in England,
and In France by LIE Verrier, the astronomer.
On the I'd Of December, 1868, the president
Of the Toulon Chamber Of Commerce was noti-
fed by telegram from Paris that severe
storm would traverse France. The despatch
had gained four hours time ahead of the storm,
which burst in great fury at half-past three
o'clock in the afternoon. But 1t fell on the
and forearmed, and it was found that all risks
were provided against. The same alarm had
been telegraphed to Turin. and was immedi-
| ately communicated to the ports on the west
ern coast Of Italy, twelve hours In advance,
so that the fury Of the storm was harmless.
L
destruction is not 80 great us to outstrip the
ordinary despatch Of the telegraph. That o
March 90, 1861, is known to have occupied
eight hours in passing from Dubuque, on the
Mississippi, to Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan
| Their average velocity Is said to be not more
than twenty-five miles an hour, which, with
our present lines of telegraph, would enable ar
attentive meteorologist to put immense districts
of the country, both inland and seaboard, or
| the alert.
| The collecting Of information by the tele-
| graph and the Wide dissemination of timely
warnings is work which, owing to the
expense, the government alone can accom-.
plish. The cost Of maintaining storm bureau
for the United States may be closely conjec
tured from the statistical report Of the Roya
! National Lfeboat Institution Of England
| With two hundred and ten lifeboats and two
| hundred and seventy-nine rocket and mortar
apparatus stations to keep up. we learn from th'
last quarterly journal Of the society that during
the year 1868 and the first eight months Q
1869, through its exerions, over fourteen hun
'dred lives and thirty-four vessels were saved
at a cost Of f36,96S. Compared with tn
saving of life and property by watchfu
bureau the expense is q trih,. In Europe til
science Of the weather receives great promi
nence. Certainly no field Of study Is NOR
promising to all classes. In England so ia
has this beautiful and benehcent soienc
advanced that by the aid of storm warning
the forewarned seaman is easily enabled I
elude, or, II overtaken, to outride many of tn
gales that sweep around the British coasts an
that once strewed them with wrecks an
corpses. Upon the prosecution Of the re
searches which have wrought this change tn
welfare of the marine and mercantile worl
everywhere must largely depend.
"WHEN RoGUEs FALL Our HONEST ME
CONE BY THEIR OWN. Witness the struggl
between the democratic factions to prove tbs
every mothers son of them is in favor {
reform, reduction Of taxation, pure and in
corrnptible government, strict accountabilit
and the good OF all citizens.
THE LATEST WHlsKEY RAID IN BRooR
LfN,-lncTe was auotuer WHIshey TalI III tn
City of Churches yesterday. For three month
there has been lull, but the watchful asses
sors, it seems, were not altogether ignorant
the manufacture of the 'ardent" on the sly
Early i'll the morning the raiding party, cor
sisting Of the revenue men, the marines an
the police, moved on the illicit whiskey diG
tilleries in Plymouth street. The movemer
was short, sharp and decisive. The enem