The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-03
mETEoROLoGICAL oBsERvA-
TTONss


Officer of the United States Army, in his
report to the Secretary of War for the
year 1870, gives the outline of the system
of meteorological observations and reports
adopted by the Signal Bureau, "for the
benefit of commerce." as provided for in
the joint resolution Of Congress, passed |
February 8, 1870. The resolution is in
these words
"Be it resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States OF Amer |
lea in Congress assembled, That the secretary
of War be and he is hereby authorized and re-
ouired to provide for taking meteorological
observations at the military stations in the in
terror of the continent, and at other points in
the States and Territories of the United States,
and for giving notice on the northern lakes
and on the seacoast by magnetic telegraph and
marine signals of the approach and force OF
storms"
Nearly all the large cities in the United
States and all the military posts in the
Territories have been designated as stations
for the taking of observations. Certain
cities are designated as distributing centres,
to which all the reports are sent, and
from there telegraphed over the country.
At each station there is to be bulletin
board giving the state of the weather in
all sections of the Union at given hour.
The bulletins are also to be published in
the daily newspapers, and in the course of
time will, no doubt, form an indispensable
paragraph in the commercial columns.
The merchant, for instance, who has
wool or pork, or salt, or any other article
of commerce whioh may be affected by
wind or rain, heat or cold, lying on the
wharves at Chicago, or crossing the prairies
in open cars, will naturally feel some in
terest in the state of the weather at those
particular points. If, perchance, he has
vessel on Lake Erie, he will be exceedingly
anxious to know the direction and force of
the wind at Cleveland or Buffalo. If he
has cotton plantation in the South, frosts,
rains and floods become to him as much a
matter of tender solctude as the ruling
prices of the staple product.
And even to those who are not merchants,
and have no pecuniary investments in
which profit and loss depend on the winds
and the temperature, it will afford some
satisfaction to know the particular kind OF
day loved one travelling in the West
NAV have chosen for trip by land or
water. If the day be fne, it will give
some iov to think over his or her probable
happiness. If it be cold, or wet, OIL
81 ony, there will te a sort of melancholy
satisfaction in sympathizing with him OIL
her in their discomforts.
But the greatest utility OF the system
and that for which it was principally de
vised, is to give notice of the approach O.
storms. The ship captain who reads OF
the bulletin board dispatch dated al
CHEYENNE an hour before to the effect thai
great hurricane is moving eastward a
the rate of fifty miles an hour, will not pu
to sea If he is prudent man, but will re-
main in port till the storm has passed.
There is scarcely department OF industr,
in which this Information will not be use
full. The unhappy man who took OFT thu
roof from his house on fine morning onl,
to see the floors and ceilings deluged
with water before evening, woul(
have escaped bis misfortunes if he hat
been advised by telegram from Wheeling
that rain storm was moving east. Sow
ing, and reapng, and making bay, ant
many other agricultural operations, vii
be made to depend on the character OF tn
day that is to follow, as indicated by tn
meteorological reports. The farmer will
soon learn to consult the newspapers TO
advice. rather than the 'ssigns" and tn
weather prophets. That credulity. or i
might be called superstition, which has il
ali ages attached certain value to indica
tious which the experience of every indi
vidual has shown to be utterly unreliable
will yield to the unerring demonstration
of science.
Those who live near the sea-coast will
of course, only be appraised of such storm
as approach from the West, but it will no
be many years before the system will b
made to embrace the whole globe, AM
there will he Geographic bulletins, if no
from the tabled Cave of Eolus, the HON
of the winds, certainly from points in al
the great cycles arouad which they sweep
General Myer says: tThe time may com
when European, Asiatic and America
groups will interchange reports by mean
of the deep sea cables. The idea of
worldwide system of telegraphic weathe
is not as chimerical to-day as was thirt.
wears ago the workings of the electric tee
graph ITSELF"
All this magnificent scheme is to b
operated by soldicrs-not officers, but en-
listed men who draw the pay and ration
of sergeants, corporals and privates. Th
privilege Of enlsting for this branch
the service was, by order OF the Secretar
Of War. made the subject of competition
Each applicant is required to pass
thorough examination, after which, II b
stands the test, he is sent to Fort Whlpple