The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-04-27

Il -~~~~ I--"~F
refer 10 jocular way to the "Clerk Of
the Weather" as person 70 10 con-
suited 10 order 70 learn whether Il was
likely to be fair day tomorrow
That Clerk was myth. Il has re-
mained fer our day 70 briug forth ver-
table Clerk Of the Weather, who is "a
live man" who attends 10 his business,
who speaks with no uncertaid voice,
and yho rarely disappoints He ii 1
yigilant and far-seeing fdnctio1ary, for
he keeps watch over the air, the winds,
the clouds. the rains aud tie storms,
from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific, aud
from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Of
Mexico. He has forty subordinate
Clerks" who keep watch under him
in the large cities, aud at various fator-
able positions throughout the tho Uni-
ted States. One Of these has bis Office
10 Philadelphia, but the Central 0fiice
is 10 quiet side street near the War
Department in Washington. This lat
ter is the headquarters Of the Chief Of
the Sigral Corps Of the army. There
he is surrounded BY small staff OF as
sistants, aud in communicated with the
whole telegraphic system Of The codntry,
and surrounded also with iustruiients
SO delicate, aud yet so nearly perfect
that they feel and Instantly record the
slightest change in the atmospherc /;
with maps, and symbols BY which these
changes can be promptly shown upon the
maps, SO that the condition Of the
weather everywhere i'd the United
States is shown at one gl1nce, aud the
direction iu which either d stofid or
fair weather is moving Is perfectly tis-
ible The work Of this Office Is still in
its infancy, and yet it is already far in
advance Of any meteorological system
heretofore established 10 any country.
There are at this time about forty OBJ
serving stations, but the number is to be
considerably increased. The one farth-
est east is Portland, the farthest west Is
at San Francisco, and the farthest south
at New Orleans. The others dre Of
course intermediate. The most Vest
erly station however 10 which We 0f
the Atlantic coast have direct interest,
is ut Cheyenne, at The eastern basis Of
the Rocky Mountains, for the storms
of the "Great Basis" and the Pnci6c
slope but rarely affect this part Of our
broad couutry. At each Of these sta
tions is /" Sergeant observer" who il
enlisted 10 the army, aud carefully in-
structed, add who is furnished with sp-
proved standard instruments, aud .
clear aud full code of iustrlctions, in-
cludinga "cypher' for brief, Uniform
and inexpensive telegraphllg Each
OF these observers" makes three OBJ
servations and three tsleeraphle feports
per day to the cen raj Office, as nearly
as possible eight hours apart, These
reports note the present condition and
tho changes Of the barometer, Of the
temperature as indicated by the dry and
wet bulb Thermometers, ofthe dirccti6d
and force Of the wind, of the appearances
Of the sky, and also as 10 tho pre5enco
or absence Of rain, snow. hail, sIeek. fog;
30 All the observants being ID fele-
graphic communication with fiie central
Offices. the observations are made It the
same instant Of time over the whole
country; they are made BY iistromenti
adjusted to tho same columon stdHdtrd:
they are made BY men trained dndef
the same code Of insfrdcfi6hs; thSy nre
reported 10 the same form of language;
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