Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-05-19
The Weather Bureau,

The weather reports furnished by
the United States Government hay
ing now become an interesting fca-
turc of the daily press, a brief des-
cription of the system of which they
are the fruit will not be inappropri-
ate. What may be called the head
quarters Of the Weather Bureau IS
in Washington, and presided over
by the chief Of the signal corps of
the army. This officer has about
him a small but thoroughly efficient
staff Of assistants, and all the tcle-
graph wires Of the country are
thrown open to his use. Instru-
mcnts of the most delicate and COM
plicated construction are so arrang-
ed that they catch and record the
slightest change in the atmosphere,
and by the aid Of maps and signs
which cannot be easily explained to
the uninitiated, the operators can
tell at single glance what kind of
weather is at that moment prevail
ing in any section Of the Union,
what are the prospects Of storm,
from what quarter the storm will
come, how long it is likely to last,
and various other interesting par
ticulars.
There are now about forty observ-
ing stations, but this number will
probably be largely increased here
after. The station farthcst east is
Portland, Maine; the most western
is San Francisco, and the most south
ern is New Orleans. A regularly
enlisted officer called Sergeant
observer" is detailed for each sta
ton, who, having undergone the
necessary preliminary instruction,
is competent to manage the instru-
ments in his charge in accordance
with the code of instructions. Three
observations and three Geographic
reports to headquarters are re-
quired daily, and these must be
made as nearly as practicable eight
hours apart. The telegraphing is
brief, uniform, and always done in
cyphcr. The reports are expected
to particularlzc barometrical chan
gcs, thermomctrical variations, the
direction and force of the wind, the
appearance Of the sky, and whether
or not there is rain, hail, snow slcct
or fog. 1t is intended that the
reports shall be made at every
station at precisely the same mo-
mcnt, and being based on a COM
mon standard by instruments of
exactly the same construction, con-
veyed in the same language, and
according to the same prescribed
formula, they are necessarily uni
form, and present q clear and intel
lible result to the central office. The
system is, Of course, far from being
fully developed, but, even in its in
fancy, is oconsidered superior to
anything of the kind existing in
other countries. The operators
very sensibIy do not attempt too
much, and their weather prophecies
never go beyond to scope of "prob-
Abilities" and then only for about
twelve hours in advance. Already
no small amount of progress has
been made in the investigation of
the laws which govern storms, and
this most important brancc of
knowledge will receive great ac-
cessions hereafter, as the sphere Of
operations enlarge. =
1t is, we believe, intended to
locate signal posts along the shores
of the Atlantic and the northern
lakes, and signal passing vessels
regarding the storms which may be
threatening in otherlquarters. This
information the vessels are expected
to transmit to crafts farther out at
sea, which will enable many of them
by seeking harbor to escape dis
aster and shipwreck. In short, the
Weather Bureau is u useful and
beneicicnt department of govern
Missouri RepubEcon.