The New York herald., 1871-03-14

FWll 10 Dut iurtucr pTooI tuaJ HISTORY re-
Peats ITSELF" and that there is nothing new
hinder the un-especialy in history or politics.
Tho Battle of tho Equinox and Our Storm
Signal Service.
!. Already the battle of the eqlinoctial ele-
ments has opened. Judging from its begin
ming, there is reason to apprehend a violent
confiot Within the next ten days, it is not
Improbable, the whole country may be swept
by storms and cyclones whose fiery track will
be sprinkled with the ruin Of houses and the
aoss of human life.
We have just had accounts from the West of
fhe fearful tornado in East ST. Louis, which
Geaped fine harvest of destruction; also Of
lOne In Memphis, and still third in Mobile.
The loss by the first Of these alone was at least
Heven lives and one million dollars. 1t is fact
well known to meteor ologists, and to be seen on
their isobarometric charts, that at this season
the atmospheric pressure over all North
America between the sixtieth parallel north
latitude and the Gulf of Mexico win diminish
pnd continue to diminish until July. The low
barometer in the United States meantime will
necessarily invite heavy storms from the two
oceans that wash their shores. and also from
the Gulf, via the Valley of the Mississppi-a
davorite highway of tempest.
1t most unfortunately happens that at this
very time the operations of the Signal Service,
whose weather kilograms and storm warnings
have already proved so beneficial, are inter-
rupted and thwarted by the Western Union
Telegraph monopoly. The demands of this
,Corporation for the service rendered to the
)government were originally far beyond the
limits Of moderation, and would have absorbed
twice the appropriation Congress made for the
Signal Service. That these demands were un-
Reasonable was evinced by the fact that the
FRANKLIN Telegraph Company much feeber
Rnd poorer institution-came forward and
offered to do the work on much lower terms,
land on the terms fixed by General Meyer.
The lines Of the latter company, however, not
Extending to all the southerly and western
Stations of the Signal Service, their proposal
could be accepted only in part.
But whatever may be the issue of the con-
froversy between the monopoly and the
country will be greatly disappointed
and annoyed at any interruption to the new
lservice Happily for American commerce and
)scence, it is not now necessary to appeal to
the English storm signal system to justify and
illustrate the utility and Importance OF our
meteorological bureau. Although it is yet in
6ts infancy and needs patient and fostering
", ora "a hoo
|won some laurels, and its daily bulletins of
weather probabilities have been generally
most signally verified. The percentage of
F~'probabilities" fully verified (according to the
modest estimate Of the officer at the head of
the enterprise) is fifty in every one hundred,
verified in part twenty-five per cent, and failed
twenty five per cent. 1t should, however, be
borne in mind that the failures have been, in
measure, due to the lack of information by
kilograms from stations not yet established. A
bmost beautiful illustration Of the value of the
|service was given last month. The tremen-
dous storm which wreaked its fury on San
francisco on the 2lst of February was closely
tracked to Corinne, Utah across the Rocky
Mountains to Cheyenne and Omaha, and storm
warnings of its approach were issued thirty
hours in advance Of it's arrival to Chicago,
longer time to Milwaukee and Cleveland, and
two days forewarning were given to Buffalo
land Oswego. The storm, which in crossing
the Rocky Mountains had broken off only the
Ebase Of it's revolving column, ravaged Chicago,
milwaukee and Cleveland unroofng and
|overturning houses; it struck Buffalo and
tOswego with great violence in its course, and
finally passed out into the Atlantic. Had navi-
Igation on the lakes been open doubtless the
forewarning had been the saving OF many lives
jand richly freighted ships.
g. BY rights the Signal Service should have
been instituted for the benefit Of commerce at
The same time that Admiral Fitzroy's system
Awas established in England, more than ten
years ago. 1t is to be earnestly hoped its
Operations may suffer not another hours sus-
pension. The knowledge of American storms
TO be gained at this season is too important
Rnd invaluable both to the Sigma Service and
the country, to be lost or tampered with.
sThe Navigation Of the Dardanellcs and
the London Conference.
In the HERALD of yesterday we printed
letter from Mr.. Mcveagh, Of the United States
Legation, Constantinople, and dated January
R4. 1871. We have had no such statement of the
ks,,o.t;o, from ouu aOurca at onv former nariOd