Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1872-01-06
WHOLE NO. 5S2.
IMPORTANCE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS.

IMPORTANCE OF THE SIGNAL CORPS.
Professor Espy gives the following the.
ory Of storms
Storms in the United States travel from
the west towards the east.
They are accompanied with depression
OF the barometer near tho central limo Of
the storm. R&@4+
They arc generally of great length from
north to south, and move side foremost
toward the east. HF
Their velocity is such that they travel
from the Mississippi to the Connecticut
river in about twenty. four hours, and from
thence to St. Johns, Newfoundland, 10
nearly the same time, or thirty-six miles
an hour. fia
The force Of the wind is in proportion
to the suddcnness cpd greatness Of the fall
of the barometer.
The conclusions arrived at by Prof.
Loomis, while investigating the phenomena
OF storms, are given in the following gen.
Civilizations published in 1860:
l. The area covered by violent storm
OF rain or snow is sometimes nearly circular
in form; sometimes its form is very much
elongated or clliptical, its length being two
or three times its breadth and frequently
its form is very irregular. In the winter
storms of the United States the north and
south diameter is generally very much
greater than the east and west diameter.
=. Violent storms sometimes remain
sensibly stationary for four or five days;
but generally the center ola storm has q
progressive movement along the carth's
surface. The rate Of this progress has
been observed to vary from zero to forty
four miles per hour. From our limited
number of observations, it seems probable
that American storms travel more rapidly
than European storms.
3. Within the limits ef prevalent west
erly winds, when storms advance with
considerable rapidity, the direction of pro.
grc5s is always from west to east. This
direction is not absolutely uniform, but has
been observed to vary from about due east
to N. $40 Il.
1. Great storms of rain and snow are
accompanied by depression of the baron.
cter near the center Of the storm, and riso
OF the barometer near the margin but this
riso is not generally uniform along tho
entire margin.
5. The depression of the barometer at
the center Of storm sometimes amounts
to an inch beloU the mean height; and the
rise along some portions of the margin
sometimes amounts to more than an inch
ADORE the mean height.
q. Winter storms commence gradually.
and generally attain their greatest violence
only after a lapse of several days; after a
tlme'their violence gradually diminishes,
and at length they disappear entirely.
This succession of changes requires peri.
cd OF several days, sometimes one or two
weeks, and, possibly, even longer. Some.
times all these changes arc experienced
over the same country that is, the storm
makes no progress from place to place.
More commonly, however, the storm travels
along the earth's surface; and although
The same storm may continue for one or
two weeks, or even longer, its duration at
my one place may not exceed one or two
lays.
In the memorial to the Forty.first Con.
sress on this subject (the Signal Corps),
md which, undoubtedly, largely Influenced
is action, Prof. j. A. Lapham gives q
record of disasters on the lakes for the
years 1868 and 1869, with the name and
AMOUNT of damage done each vessel.
From this We learn that 10 1869 one hun
lred and twentysi vessels, Of all descrip-
ions. were totally lost, having tonnage
If 1892 tons, valued at S1,4i4, 200; Ia
1868, one hundred aud Eve vessels were
ost, having tonnage Of 90, AL tons. and
7alued at 81, ,2O7 800; being to.sl 10 two
Iears only, Of two hundred and thirty,ose
Iessels, 54 1888 tons, valued At 2,82i 500.
This estimate does not take into recount
he vessels injured to . greater ~ lsss
extent. The loss Of life in the two ysaxa
" these disasters is given By the sane
authority as follows, viz: Number u iives
ost in 1868, 32l; number Of lives losf In
1863, 2O9. In view Of these figures. Mr..
4apham may we'll say: "Not only does
he interests Of commerce and navigation
tut also that Of humanity itself. deuand
hat something should be done, if possible
o prevent the fearful loss Of life and pro,
'erty on our great lakes" eat .f'ta