The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-10
scien,,fic weather Prophc,s.

From time immemorial the weather.
wise" have been laughed at aud their pre-
dictions. regarded rs mere guess-WOrk-
right once and wrong Il score OF times.
Doubtless thesabsurdly ignorant character
Of many who have pretended to such pro-
pheiic Skill accounts for the light eSt'ma-
| tion III which their prophesyingS have been
held. But while Ignorant pretcnders have
thus been bringing into disrepute all
weather wisdom, scientific men have been
carefully investigating the facts and striving
to derive from them some important gene
raj laws. = 'Fr.
The telegraph, of course, has greatly
facilitated these studies, and since the Or
ganiZation Of q systematic signal service
not only has the aggregate. OF information
been much increased; but new principles
underlying the subject have been discov
cred, ami old ones more thoroughly uevcl-
opeu, until now we actually have some
thing like Il science of torccastirS storms.
The officers engaged in the service have
discovered that local influences and mOdi-
tying circumstances often render their con-
cluSi0ns, from general principles, OF no
practical benefit. 10 remedy thus they pro-
pose, rs soon as practicable, to publish Il
code Of local weather laws, the materials
for which they are slowly ana lapOriously
gathering. Meantime they issue, i'll add-
tion TO the daily bulletins, II pamphlet Of
suggestions, in which are explained all the
principles known to affect The general
course and character OF meteorological
changes, together with map, as an eXam-
pie, showing how the charts issued by the
Signal Bureau may be so kept, from day
to day, its to enable unscientlic people to
anticipate, with approximate certainty,
The general nature OF coming changes, tue
course which approaching storms will fol-
low, and their probable duration. This
pamphlet in itself cilillOt fail to prove Of
very great value, aud when ts successor
shall teach Us how To apply the laws gov
ernng particular localities to modify con-
clusions drawn from more general princi-
pies, the practical value of the lcsSun Will
be fur hey oud the whole cost OF the service.
Few people, probably, are aware how
much has been learned on the subject, or
how accurately atmospheric changcs follow
the laws already known to govern them.
Few know, for instance, that within every
area of high barUmctic pressure the winds
blow always from the centre, and con-
yersely. LIndsmen are rarely iamiliar with
the sailors rule: ..... l..
s.Whcn the wind shifts against the sun,
Trust IL no., for back IL VIII run''
Yet this is clearly a scientific rule, almost
law, and has but few exceptions. The
popular error of supposing that very high
barometer must indicate fair weather Is so
strong that manufacturers of instruments
have marked the words setfiir" at thirty
one inches, while in fact so great q pressure
is found TO be u sure forerunner Of a storm.
So, too, with many Other ascertained prin-
ciples. They are not unfrequently found
to be in direct opposition to popular theo-
ries aud if the bureaus labors resulted in
accurate information concerning the physi.
cal laws of the weather would Of itself fully
compensate for the expense incurred in the
maintenance Of the service. rr...,..-.