Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-07
Wo ES T E R
MONDAY, AUGUsT a, 1871.
XVo.,her Rcports and Maps.

them A valuable help in determining the proba-
BILE character of the weather during the next
twenty.four hours, and often for longer period
The probabilities deduced by the signal officer
and published with the daily bulletin, have, in
their general accuracy, surpassed the expecta-
tons of many, but they not seldom are rather
wide of the mark. 1t is not strange that this
should be so, because though the general laws
of meteorology is pretty well understood,
the causes and the lines Of progress of great
storms are known and their path can be traced
in advance, there are many minor causes of
local nature constantly in operation, largely
modifying the influence of more extended move
ments. and these local influences are necessarily
disregarded by the observers who survey so
wide field as the whole country from ocean to
ocean and from the lakes to the gulf; their
watch cannot comprehend the detailed phenor1
ena of small areas, and if they could observe
them, it would be impossible to publish such
mass of observations, nor even the conclusions
drawn from them.
Whatever has been already attained in the
way of ability to prognosticate the weather has
been the result of the careful study of recorded
observations, and continued progress, if it can
be attained, must be the result of no other
method. The systematic process of observa-
tons at intervals of a few hours must lead to
further knowledge, and the same method which
is pursued in the signal Office in Washington
with view to extort from nature her secrets
relating 10 the generation and progress of
storms over large areas, any philosophic in
quirer may follow for himself with reference TO
the laws Of general and local application which
govern the meteorological phenomena of his
neighborhoOd. In doing this he may have
all the aid which the daily reports
of observers at numerous stations all
over the United States can give him. Beside
the daily bulletin, published in the newspapers
the signal office also issues daily weather map,
which is an outline map Of the United States,
with the observing stations marked on it and
the facts reported from each, including the
height of the thermometer and barometer, the
direction and force of the wind and the amount
of rain or snowfall, if any, distinctly indicated
in letters, figures or symbols. This map is Of
great use-as by it the result of all the OBJ
servations for the day can be seen at glance,
with their relations TO each other. Blank
maps of this kind, which any one
may easily fill up for himself from
the published bulletins, are furnished
and mailed free to applicants by the chief sig
nal officer at Washington. From his office has
also been issued a pamphlet containing sugges-
tons as to the practical uses of weather reports
and maps, aud considerable store of con-
densed information about the laws of clouds
nd - ~ &c
country, from which much that is interesting
and valuable to meteorologic observers can be
learned.
Since the vast robberes and frauds of the
ring which goyernslNew York city, were brought
to light, the newspaper organs of this ring
have talked in weak, scared, uncertain way,
as if waiting for instructions, and quite sure
that nothing effective can be said in defense of
the robbers. The Albany Argus has at last
spoken with more boldness aud spirit but, al
the same time, without seeming to have recov
cred its wits. And what has the Argus to sa,
on the subject? Why, it says as plainly as pos
sible that the ring has stolen the missing mil
lions, as charged, but claims that Tweed & Co
were Obliged to steal in this way, in order to &c
means to bride the New York legislature Hea
the confession:
"a radical editor recently went through the
New York court house, and asked, where is al
this plaStering, all this furniture? We can tel
him. The hands of radical politicians at Albany
had TO be plastered annually before the New
York tax levy could become a law. To on
man, a saint of St. Lawrence, sixty Thousand
dollars had to be paid; to another, white neck
clothed seoundrel from Madison, sum nearl.
as great. Garvey's plaster whitenS walls an(
fertilizes farms in the west Of the state. Inger
SOILS furniture decks respectable mansions il
the interior, and the neighbors wonder HOY
the wealth and taste of the owner were so sud
denly developed.
"There is drainage from New York into TIL
interior, under the laws, which amounts to mil
lions annually. The school law and the system
of appraisement in New York, as contrastet
with the ratio in the rural districts, gives an ad
vantage to the state or against the metropolis 0
several millions a year. But this inequality
under the law is nothing compared with the sc
eret subterraneaD drainage which eXhausts thu
vitality and the strength of the metropolis fol
the benefit of radical politicians in the interior.
The point of chief importance here is the
distinct confession that Tweed G. Co. are &C
customed to steal millions from the city o.
New York, annually. 1t is seen that these meI
have come into possession of immense fortunes,
nobody knows how, although the robbery has
been suspected. The Argus says, the stolen
money was used to bride radicals" Was il
by this means that Tweed & Co. became sud
denly rich, and then grew constantly richeri
No doubt, they bribed the legislature; this
crime has often been charged against them.
And a portion of the money stolen has been
nsed in other ways, to keep themselves in
power and secure the iniquitous enaetments by
means of which much of their buccaneering
has been carried on. But it is enough, for thu
present, that the robbery is confessed. TIL,
Argus is good authority on this point, and W,
may believe its assertion, that its friends hav,
stolen vast sums of money. What they have
done with il can be learned from other sources