The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-06
Interesting Description of the Working
of the Meteorological Bureau.
Winds, Clouds, Fogs, Rain, Snow,
Hail. TOrnadocs and Cyclones.
The "pvab.biliiifs Of the Weather" The Pc.
tuiarit es Of American Climate.
What Metecrology Has Zone and Wat
& esks to Accomplish.


published some Of the results Of It's iirs, years OBJ
servaAons. This issue. containing much that is
Ccv, though brief and concise, a rich and invan-
able addition To meteoroloyy. More than thirty
sears ago sir David Brewster, tho renowned Eng
fisn philosopher discussing the philosophy OF
sioru!s in the Eli,bug Eerie,c. gravey prorhesied
that IL scieace 'cannot bind over the disturbing
clements 10 Keen the peace It may least organize
an efficient police t. discover their ambush, and
watch their NOV ements." Happily for our day-a
day of physical wonders and commottoas -thts
prophecy has been verified 20 an astonishing degree
Happily. say; for when the paroXls,ns or heat
and cold the demons OF the tempest ana the electric
nres commune ana marshal themselves and march
forth with desolang fury, driving beneath the surge
whrlIpg into the ar the floating and the liked
dwellings q man and shnering The proud
est fabrics " his power he trembes aud becomes
The verast slave OF terrors that did fOresee.
II WAS for ms that long ago The barome-
ter became the laiih,ul friend ana uontor Of the
seaman and taught him by its silent warning TO
reef his tons AIS and prepare Tor hastle with The Gle
menis
so necessary arc premonilloNs Of atmospheric dis
lurbauces 10 the human family that, rom early Pc
RODS OF history, they have been diligently studied.
IL Is ceTtAl. lhat Tho coasts OF the Mediterranean
ald Adriatic seas even classic ages, signal and
storm warnings were issued both TO The mariner
have III AL times been a recognized necessity for
every c:vraei people.
The honor ., applying the grand discovery OF the
electric telegraph 10 the signalling OF storms WAS
reserved, however, for the great American meteor.
olosist Mr.. Hm. .. RedEe.d, Of New YorA. This
modest but profound scebtst-rhe Newton OF
storm physics--ln his celebrated paper upon hur-
ricanes prepared IN the early part of the year
1916 ana published in the American journal OF
NJ N Yves no frs yo arcu
and demonstrate The feasibility Of usn. Tie tee
graph FOR uscertalnIng aud announcing the approach
and force OF storms closing hts paper with these
words;''In The Atlantic ports OF the United States
tie approach OF gale, wnen the storm Is vet on the
Gulf OF Mcxc" CO m the southern CT Western States.
may be made SHOWN log means OF the electric tcle-
graph. whoa prom abs viii soon extend rom Name
the MISSISSIPPI. ms VIII euable the merchant TO
avoid exposing h.s vessel 10 furious g..e alter
leaving her port.r The Telegraph dld soon extend
from Maine TO Mississippi. and, n the rear 1888
january on Professor Henry, borrowing the susges-
uon OF Mr.. I;euncd, made A year and haiti before,
urged upon Congressional attention and provision.
Bu not TITO the history OF this new science, IT
then began is career. and the volume now o1cially
issued 10y the signal rureau contains The g1n-
eraligatlon that nete'ro ,gists, N carryn. out
Retdeds suggestion, have round II safe 70 LAY
aown.
BY ccmnIuauon ol teegrsphic circuits, our
readers know three times every day Instrumental
observations OF The weather taken syu chron0usy
at seventy select points In the United states, and
transmitted by telegraph in weather builetin,
which Is published IA all newspapers o; any prolii.
hence IN this country. Thc grs thing 10 be done TO
ascertain the atmospheric changes likely 70 occur is
~ transfer the information contained IL the Bulletin
J. a common map or what Is more economical, to
J. fT,-u oil or h,-t rp NJ
tSice. Thus the inquirer has graphic pic.
's1sl representation OF me great aerial ocean rs Is is
olad TO be ou1he gwen day. Toe blank charts are
On translucent paper. ana ii IL possible TO sec
Jhrough several. Sheets ana thus more realty COM
pare successive phases OF tie weather Tie record
for each station beng entered on the chart in Its
appropriate pace tthe wInd and weather are iudi-
Gaied by arrows and black Or Waite cTclesi. which
u d work OF but II few minutes, We are ready 10
sIuay the day - dojngs OF the atmosphere.
ArNOsIhsRlc PRESSURE.
few trials VIII convince one mat 1t is almost al
ways possible Ia draw continuous line through
inches Sits normal neigls on our Atlantic coast.
II from two ncighborng points there are reported
then half way between them. IN Tie majority or
cases, 1t may DC assumed that the barometer stands
at 5000. iiy connecting win red lead pencil lines
al the points oil eduai pressure thus determined
mere Is made visible at glance that narIow oand
over which tue baroine'lC pressure Is UNIFORM.
After havin. the normal lrle 5000
iEches req lead pencil lines are nrcected saowing
Nlegc TIE nsiQltStCE rlAuNS AT -r.yN. -'.So. &c.
inches similarly, passing TO me 9'aer size u
Tue hue u 800 inches OF pressure.
where the barometer stands 3J.io 500, &C.
These lines OF equal Atmospheric Intensity are
called s0baromei1c INES. on, more conveniently,
isoOarics or isobars. oitenimes ihey gradnilb ca
close within thelr bounds central area O! small
extent, and over wnsGB the pressure Is decidedly
lower thab anvwhere e.sc ON Ihe map III tRts Cen-
trai area too near the .imiilng iine q our
stations we snal nnd d completely enclosed bs The
eICiTcAng lines OF eqlai pressure u' isoAATpmetslc
lines On inc DOrlers % tle greater areas - incr
ing and nigh barometer and witain the areas OF low
barometer cccur nearly al Tie SMALLER areas 81 low
pressure WAN which cyclones tornadocs and mum
der storms are assec'4tel IL Is Tue stidy q! these
areas OF high ana low barometer that now paricu-
larry Interests tBe mejeOToogisL Idese areas Nary
TIM wrSns AxB ruvs BALLOTS law.
Assuming that cur reader has tue lines OF equal
yressagcs drawn on a weather caart before Giin nc
OF coarse viii see now the atmosphere IN accoru-
sncc with fhe laws OF mechanics, mu>t ue pushing
sure mo r,,Iiitnr movement OF tue arr mortified
or tie forces OF ueFa and friction. and 10y the rOt
ton o. The eUil ana local distractions, IS con-
vercd into ac local wads. whose directions are m.
diCatcu hy tNc ARROWS upon our maps. and whose
veiocitles arr given IN miles per hour. These winds
We WILL cali local Winds. a. distinguished from the
general winds IN any sec,lpn, aud rom the great
currents Of AR the general winds appear 10 be PR,
MARTY dcncndcDt upon the existence and position
OF the areas OF iOw and n,gh pressure. tue great
currcnis, spreading rs they do over whole CONT
neuts ami encircing the earth. are directly oepen-
dent upon the EARNS rotation
Nualn area o. 1igh pressure The winds wil
10 found 10 te blowing away rom the centre, but
Nitlin ANY area al low pressure the WHAT'S bow W..
ward the centre, anu are also detected toward Tue
right hand "a they move forward. Tnus the follow
ing table shows which winds generally prevail ON
each side oil these areas vi high aus low pres
sure 49,
-Tbe FTseugin2 winds tciU be-
IY,e ,pv.yr~l 8eR0 Lofr Ipr SsHrc. N IA PT,sSnrf.
On IN, \ siie.,......N. Sua E.......S. and ".
On the NJ W side. Wv. and y. t. -. +. ana S.W.
ON the " side .....N amt v. ...... T.. and d
ON the :. w side :. W. and N.W..N. l.. and ). +.
ON the :, srle.......S. aud MN. aud L.
On the ). +. SIDE IS. E and s.w. y. v. ana y. f.
I'm the r.. SIDE. ...... r. aud S........W. and y.
ON the n. l.. side. y, l.. amt :. T.. .SW- and " W
Hence, " an observer Is standing within an area
OF abnormally low pressure and on the northwest
side OF It's centre he s1ould md TIC winl bi0Wihg
from some point IN the horizon between northwest
and northeast u Inc A. within an AREA OI lgh pres
sure and ON the northwest side OF lis centre ne
-. 49, ola -I "