The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-05
STORM And FLOOD SIGNALS.


WASHINGTON, d. O. Nov. s. 1870.
To the EDITOR or THE HERALD
The very decided editorial In yesterdays HERALD
In favor OF the above plan OF signals demands OF me
that should furnish you with brief statement Of
all the facts In the case that In any future reference
to the subject you may do SO with these facts In
view.
Tor nearly four years have been laborng to
establish my plan OF signals. and have received
much aid from editorials and articles published In
the HERALD, as well as In the press In this city and
elsewhere, which agitation assisted mainly In caus
Ing an act TO be passed by Congress ia April last TO
establish at military posts system or storm warn
ings by means OF the telegraph ana signals for the
benefit Of commerce on the lakes and on the sea-
board. The act being placed under the control Of
the War Department was thence placed IN
charge Of General Myer, OF the Signal ONCE
who. after examining my plan wrote me that ne
would give 1t trial, and requesting an interview. !
called on the General who said that he had wanted
to see me for long time; that he nad read my artl.
Giles In the papers for years. that he had never seen
an Instance OF greater persistence In his life; that he
knew nothing Of mctcorology and wished my assist
ance IN perlcctng system that would be practical;
inquired after the most practical works In the Con-
gressional Library on the subject, which named
and ne sent for, and concluded by inviting me to
call whenever convenient, as he would always he
glad to see me.n
Being specially engaged did not cali but twice
during more than two months, and the last time, TO
my great SURPRISE Indignantly refused an inter-
view, which was not however, entirely expected,
from his action at the previous interview, and
also from the fact that had learned,
from what deemed good authority that
the General had exalted himself IN the
Signal Once OF the army during the war by appr0
rriatng the Inventions OF others as his own Al he
refused W see me, Or TO adopt my plan, demanded
70 hs mase tna ecrea 1 81 Nc 20 sppea
sent on his summer recreation | resolved to
strengthen my position by obtaining The endorse
msnt VI the Mayors OF principal cities having mill.
tary posts and surrounded with complete telegraph
connections. | accordingly enclosed TO all such q
| OF the same to enclose me letter to ihe Sec
rotary Of War requesting that the plan might be
Mayors Of Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washington, Bos-
| ton, cw York, Philadelphia and Troy, these being
nearly all ~ the country having military stations
! near al nand.
These letters having been sent to the Secretary of
war; together with iull history OF the from the
Dc8nliug, received al answer stating that s.tue
War department mad no funds for such expert.
menis, ana that my propositions were declined, aud
tis III Lace OIL the fact that Congress had appropr
| ated $4,000 for this express purpose, which 1t
! seems, has been expended on plan OF kilograms
ana reports Just put into operation by the Depart
menr, which same plan was tried FOR several Years
| by tho Smithsonian Institution more than Twelve
years ago, and which was abandoned BY reason OF
its utter useessness, because the papers refused
10 publish the reports longer In urtherance tns
plan Of kilograms aad reports the Department has
enlisted nity sergednlS metcoIologsta at 5000 per
annui, MAKING $4,000, which, ADDED TO the $4,000
| appropriated by Congress, makes $4,000 at least
| 10 be expended this year, which same reports
| were ohtained through the telegraph company by
| the Smithsonian Institution NJ no cost Whatever
But B.tY se.geants are yet employed as meteor.
Oogisis and stationed different parts OF the coun-
| Try TO telegraph the weather, witch number NAV
perhaps, Oe Increased 10 bundreds il not thousands
| costlni. million or collars or more per AMMAN. The
western Union Telegraph Company has 1900 oper-
atois .hfoasnouG tle country, which, at $500 per
" thcsc by ms plan or by any other, VIII have be
employed 10 telegraph storms and foods or else
employ sergealits In equal number. But why em-
| the state OF the weather tllat storm is pass
ing ,ng n n,d,v certain direction when the agent
has control OF the wires to Telegraph
on all sides and 10 any distance TO himself OF
| lne certain extent. direction and intensity OF the
! storm or hood? These gentlemen are as in elligent
as any mat can be found, anu Tor trne additional
compensation would do the work. Ii IL plain that
the station sgens located all the principal towns
are all the meteorologists that are needed and are
Iae only persons that can do the work complete and
Blu: how utterly useless the whole plan Of weather
For instance, suppose tornado, hurricane o. Ter
! rinc gale was travelling towards great seaport
narbor and the city before the reports are even
printed, AGAIN, suppose an extensive and wide
Of haying and harvesting, how many farmers wo I'D
pc warned by these reports OF It's coming In time IL
get their hay or grain IN condition to shut out the
rate OF twenty-five feet in six hours ike the recent
hoods IN Virginia, could these reports, published ut
Few points, warn the people on bOtn banks OF the
river for Its whole length that the Hood was coming
what Is needed IS sound signal by cannon. TO give
| instant and general warning for many miles In all
| directions, OF coming storms and foods. l predict
that these weather reports will prove total failure
and costly one at that As the great War Depar--
! ment and the portentous Signal Office have been
seven months In dcvsing and putting into operation
these weather reports, 1t reminds oil the old but
apt SAYING 'The mountain In labor ana brought
| forth mouse" and In this instance the mouse Is
| very little and old at that.
| AS appealed from the Signal ONCE to the Secre.
tary OF war, and as he has refused me, Shall now
appeal 70 the President, ard II he refuses, then
| Congress- And during all this time as have done
LOT years, snall strive 10 have the plan adopted
through the local authorities in every city and prln
| ctpal town In oil parts Of the county. have
no doubt but that shall succeed IN establishing my
plan, and that 1t will prove of immense benefit "a
| mankind. You are at liberty to publish tne whole
or part Of this letter, use il in any manner you
| think most advantageous TO make the plan a sue.
| cess. A. WATSON.