Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-09-06
storms and the Signal Service Buresu

The immense area OF the United States, |
with its interminable lines Of telegraph, |
provides a field for meteorological OBJ /
servations that Il wonderful 10 contem- /
plate. As we have already noted, storm
approaching the Atlantic coast IS an
nounced two days in advance Of It's
reaehingA given point One signal OBJ
server gathers up the first threatning dis
turbances Of the elements as they fret at
the base Of the Rocky Mountains, and
traces them along, for the storm makes
slow time compared with the electric
telegraph until the fully developed storm
reaches the New England coast.
Or, a CHEEKY but unusual wind Is felt
in the Mexican Gulf, at Key West, or
Galveston; the barometer falls suddenly
the indications are that a series of dis
turbances are taking place somewhere IN
the atmosphere. Presently the storm,
gathering its forces in our semi-tropical
regions, commences its journey toward
the North. II is traced along, gather
ing intensity in its progress, until the
telegraph reports il at New Orleans. The
wind and the rain follow, aud dash over
the Crescent City," The steamers
start from their moorings, and the deep,
muddy river is lashed into fury, and
seems molten copper under the glare OF
the continuous lightning; the sugar
cane and cotton-helds are desolated
when suddenly the storm, now fairly
launched, turns into the great highway
of the Mississippi Valley, rushes along
twelve hundred miles, until 1t reaches
st. Louis, deluging that city in rain,
aud possibly wrecking some OF its more
delicate steam craft then, as if bent on
more mischief, il will strike of toward
Chicago and the great lakes, moving
Westwardly, Northwardly, then East
wcrdly, until striking the Atlantic off the
coast OF Newfoundland, the discontented
and ruin. scattering child OF the tropics
is finally lost in the intense cold OF the
Northern ATTITUDES.
And the history of the four days pro.
gress of this storm-days consumed by
its journey through the heart OF the
continents not only given, but the ar
rival of the storm at every important
place is anticipated, and its conduct
along the route is kept with unfalterins
; precision and the most scientific care.
Twenty-Five miles an hour is shown b,
signal service operations, to be the aver
, age velocity of storm when 1t ha
: twice that velocity it becomes tornado
, Now, storm proper, starting from tn
: foot of the Rocky Mountains, and trav
4 cling toward the Atlantic coast, even |
+, severe in its demonstration, Is beaten al
the way by the railway train, which ay
b erages more rapidity in its movement
L than the ordinary storm while the tele
9 graphic message, no matter how muc
u headway storm and railway cars hav
u made, passes both, and arrives at its de-
: tination without any real perception
y y consumed time.
IL The wind in the upper current
!. as marked by the Mount Washingto
II observations Of last winter. is otte
% rushing past at the rate OF one hundre
d miles an hour. When 1t was of tn
% great velocity, at Portland, SIXTY mil,
70 away, the weather was perfectly cal
and clear.
On the 9th of March, 1871, Moui
a Washington observation, the wind WI
20 blowing fifty miles; at Portland, tw
@ miles. Balloons sometimes reach an Q
10 titude where the wind is blowing hui
lv dred miles ON hour These winds in Il
% high air are almost exclusively from
ID Southerly direction-many from u
es equator toward the poles. But this ru
Of is not imperative, for the surface OF y
earth, by its heat and cold, affects Il
IN direction of the high winds. Phenom
q. nal winds are cyclones, one OF the seve
" est of which known in history, IL
i years ago swept over somes portions
lis English India.