Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-08-09

IHE SECRETARY OF WAE is pushing the du-
ties, recently conhded to his care of the obser-
yation and report of storms by telegraph and
signals, for the benefit of commerce, on orr
northern lakes and seaboard, with characteristic
energy. The Chief Signal Officer, who has
been charged with the immediate supervision of
the duty, is authorized TO enlist a number of
suitable persons, to be non-commissioned Off
GERS, to make the necessary observations Prom
ositions have been invited from the different
telegraph companies for the transmission of
their reports. tits believed that this will be the
best corps OF Observers that can be organized.
and good results are insured by the severity of
the discipline. A new duty like this must de-
velop slowly. 1t is certain, however, to prove
beneficent to commerce, and we are sure at the
outset, in the steps which have been taken, of
achieving at once the fact of a series of obser-
vatiOns more reliably taken and over an extent
Of country greater than has hitherto been az
tempted
The War Department has deserved praise for
the promptness with which the act OF Congress
has been made effective, and if it shall succeed
in developing the duty to the extent which
seems easily possible, it will rebound to the last
ing credit of the administration. Stations of
observation are to be established along the At
lantic coast from Plaster Cove to Havana,
along the lake coast from Buffalo TO Milwaukie g
via Chicago, and in the Mississippi Valley from
st. Pauls to New Orleans via Cincinnati, &c.
Three reports are to be made daily from each
station, and bulletins are to be posted The
best attainable instruments are to be used aud
great pains will be taken to MAZE the obserys-
tions complete and reliable.
How NAPOLEON DIED IN THE TREASURY Dy-
PARTMENT.-The commotion in the Treasury
Department to- day was indiscribable when il
wOs breeZed through the building that the Sec
retary had received dispatch from New York
that Napoleon was dead. II flew like wild-tire.
Not the tortuous Passages nor the winding stair
ways were a barrier TO its progress. Not even
were the peremptOry rules, posted here and
there on the walls, powerful enough to forbid,
the rush TO and fro Of those who were more
greedy than others to communicate the
news. The messengers carrying packages
delivered it; the clerks (who work so
haIdl walking the corridors caught it up with
avldlty and spread IT, until all the employees of
the building became radii frem the center-the
origin of the report. The Elen, they talked phi
lOsOphically about it. One said: fWelI he is
old enough to die anyhow Another said:
What would Eugene do?" And one more TO-
vial than all wondered ''if il would increase his
pay any," Down the hall you could hear, II
tell you that 'Bright's disease knocks 'em:''
$50 much for fOoling with guns that shoot beer
kegs And Often-times those making such re-
marks would be button-hOled by brother en-
plOye with ''Did you hear the news?' AMI receive
in reply, " Yes damn it, heard it twenty times
But when the females got hold OF it, of course
il was gOOd-by secresy. Talk about Prince
Arthurs walk through the Treasury; it wasn't
a Circumstance. Never did the girls slap those
tantaliZing wells over their heads (which half
cover their faces) with such hasty eagerness to
tell another something between you and me- -
Neither /" Prince Arthur's visit" nor &" Morse a
crawling on his belly to Georgetown" beat the 10
TO quarters 80 quickly. They walked the pas-
sages and talked as if it were holiday or lunch
time, and. if the latter they were well supplied
One said "Oh did YOU hear ii 2" eyes indeed,
isn't IL awful?" Ne died of - ''Oh hush
aint you ashamed ?'' ''Tm SO sorry for poor
Eugenie." "Oh! pshaw she'll get another
man" And the little Prince Imperial, ~ wi ish
he'd come over here" "Yes, he must be dear
little fellow" "Just to think, his mother will
have to depend on him for support" "Why no,
he II be Emperor of France" Chow can he if
they Danish him ?'' Well, if he comes here he
can stay at the White House. Then he can
come over to the Treasury some times,
can't he ?", Yes" (said a little one
with light curly hair,) "but what does
lie amount TO, fourteen years old 2" So great
was the excitement finally that an inquiry was
sent to the telegraph Office, which resulted in
the news that no such telegram had been re-
ceived, whereupOn OIL with their wells, back to
their desks, they all went, and in course of half
an hour the usual routine OF business was re-
sumed, and the reporters when asking what
news to- day." were not answered, "Well, Ma
pOleOn is dead"