, 1872-12-06
What e Old Probabllities's has TO say
nhout His De7nrtmcElt-Conp1c
Epo.ttlon of the System of the

tho VARIOUS 1DHtruU1tuts3 AoAAAo! o"~'s -.
nraeticed at the same time in his regular drills
IF the service. When considered competent as
an assistant he is ordered as an assistant on-
server to station, Wne1e. N aon'ion ~ pot
continues enn - bis studies, reciting. regularly
to the Observer-sergeant IN charge.
service Of Biz months in this capaelty lenaeIs an
He NAV then be ordered back to tho school to
review his studies. and to appear for ms hna5
examination before board Of officers apPoln1eo
for the purpose. Passing this e1anna1lon, ne
ana is considered competent to take charge OF .
station. This course has been followed success
fully during the past year, and each man NJ
ness has been clearly determlnea oy Ms plo-
ment to a more responsible position Lieut..
CHARLES E. Kilbourne, Acting Signal othcer, mas
bean in Immediate charge Of the instruction at
Fort Whipp1e, and has labored asslonouslS Ill
the discharge Of his important duties.
a new and co,nmodious hospital has been
erected at Fort Whipple since the date OF the
Last report New quarters and q new house lot
tho men, guard-house and staoles a5s 49, ~ pro-
commends the early construction OF new and
suitable quarters for the officers, and building
for instruction purposes: Those no" occuplea
are in bad condition, and cannot be repa1regoa. ga
Tie report of Fort Whipple on September ~,
ninety-six priyates at that post. 7u,.;,o
The maintenance Of tie post Of Fort Whipple,
properly equipped as school OF instruction, Is Is
| consiIered Of high Importance The SUCCESS OF
ta srnal service at it's widely scattered stations
| throughout the United States depenos upon 1ao
rigid performance Of tue duties at tns Rosk,
| and tho thoroughness Of the instruction there
had. The duties OF the military tele6raPhy,-a
nrominent duty of the post-lncrease each DAY
| In importance, as the utility Of such aat1es Is
everywhere recognized In armies, The appllca..
ton Of the knowledge gained BY the dlseharse ot Of
| the signal service, to uses Of public benent IN
time Of peace, has been sufficiently demonstra-
ted. .,
The favorable expressions Of scientific men,
the popular credit given the publications. OF me
office. and the surprise and almost Irritation e1-
| h;hited. if ut any time they chance to be IN er-
ror, as must sometimes happen, have suf1cient-
| " evidenced the skill and care these oneeis
have manifested in the discharge OF their
duties. e.ooaot. ~
unrobablities." as they hayo been styled, With
the ncteoric condition af.erwara repolteGeo O. ano
Since that date to the present time
1oet ~, 1S52}, r. 7e tha aa os 1es5sse ssnts 4a. ot
rard m be had to those predictions verified within
q few hours after the time for which they were
made, this percentage is increased N FleW OF
the deficiency Of telegraphic facilities curing i,
and the not g1sa gpepatsa thnt tbese 80
dictions, based as they are upon the trl-ually
teierrsphic reports would increase IN accura,
cy. Whatever success has been attained
must be considered an mn 3nacaGn ot and fn
; telegraphic facilities. The difficulty OF teie'
, nraphic communication with the stations was
Greatest, and was most seriously felt, during
the months OF July and q august. ~ .nen NO!
and widespread OF the Press probabilities. ;
!. e., those drawn 1T midnight, from the mid
night reports, we're made in the absence OF any
current te1egraphc information 81 tnat nour p qns
: ehauies It is on this section that the office L
most dependent for the intelligence which sug
,, geBts the meteorc changes pending IN tho East
: ern, Middle, and Southern States, and upon tn
4 lakes.
!, sicpM orders have beeo issued during the year
. each display Of the cautionary signal at an
station being considered separate oroer: IN
q signal was announced as to be shown " When
= ever the winds are expected to be as strong o
4 twenty-five miles an hour, and continue so 10
a a several hours within q rndius OF one hundre
4 miles from the station The percentage OF tn
= within q few hours after the display Of th
= Winds described, either at the port, s
= which the signal was exhibited, or With
!, the radius Of one hundred miles fro1
L L that port, is estimated to have been abor
IL seventy per cent. The instances Of sigma
70 displayed. reports not verified, are those
"a which they haye not been proven necessary
"a the station where exhibited. The signal
10 10 wholly sscautionary," forewarning probab
20 danger It has been aimed to err on the side
- - caution. The delays such errors may cause Al
~ ~ retrievable,-the disasters Of shipwreck are no
h Since the lat OF July Of the present year thlrt
~ two cautionary signals forewarning the approas
~ OF eix different storms have been displayed
~ - different points, OF these storms five we're d
T. structive, tustifying the display Of twenty-eg
~ Of the signals,-on in advance OF which 10
- signals we're displayed was not considered oa
he gerous.
70 70 Soon after the date OF the last annual repo'
nj arrangements we're made with Prot. u. i; A1ne
e. ton, Of Toronto Chief Of the Dominion Meteor
.s~ ological Bureau, in compliance with an ofhcl
aa reunest from that bureau, and in view Of CO
II | siderable approximation contemplated by the
he minion of Canada for the purpose OF syslem
nd observation and report similar to tnas e1lstn
ha in the United states, for an exchange OF repol
NJ with his Office as rapidly as the system may
ar- tend in the Dominion. IN accordance WV VIC >
Of arrangements, telegraph reports are no" -
ceived from seven Canadian stations. - -
ad observations are made synchronous " !
,a- those in the United States, and are sent IN
In game cipher. These reports have been 70! ~
49, cd regularly to this Office after concentration
law Toronto, and have proved OF much vane IN ~
II n are are furnished from Montreal By Profess
~ ~. Charles smallwood. Director Of the Montrt
tso ao' Observatory Returned reports are furnish @
az by this Office, requested, to both Sa1 Ioio1
u and Montreal Warnings announcing ne propa, paa
lac meteoiio changes, and prepared with espe4c le4
~ ,I1s reference to the Canadian ports, are sene
10y Toronto whenever any serious disturbance Is
tph dicated. notable instance OF o. IN !nls =,
ast Storm Of September @ as 49, and so q this =
Warnings we're given IN advance o. hne iaaa ~ ~
~ Of the United States, and similar warnings y
nd the same time telegraPheed s,es 70 Esn3na rom
III n-snnanant ara hi1h1v estimated. Aside II