The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-01-06
Weather Reports.

The system of reporting the weather in all parts
of the country to a central d" Signal Bureau " at
Washington, has been in operation about a year,
and has practically proved its utility. The severe
and remarkable storm of November last, which
Western United States, all of the lakes, and
nearly the entire length of the Atlantic coast,
ELECTED comparatively little public attention,
evidently for the reason that it was not dis
tinguished by any extraordinary loss of property
or life. Many storms of less force and extent
have fallen upon the American coasts with far
more. terrible results. The mystery however, if
mystery it may be styled, finds a ready solution
in the admirable system of storm signals, which
on this occasion literally headed the winds and
furnished conspicuous testimony of its utility.
Every section of the country threatened by the
storm was duly warned of its approach, the effect
of which was to keep in port many vessels which
would otherwise have been involved in its perlls.
The storm began far out on the western plains,
and was of vast north and south extent, present
ing a front of at least two thousand miles. But
it was discovered and foreseen in Kansas and Ne
braska, and the swift messenger run ahead of its
mighty march to tell of it's fierce coming. 1t
occupied the whole space from the lakes to the
gulf, but on tile east side Of the Alleghanies, as
if designing to foil science by strategy, played
the trick Of dividing, so as to strike further north
than it had pretended. Caught at that, the
north was forewarned and ready for it. How
much of life and property was thus spared, no
man can say. The march of this great storm
and its complete anticipation at every point
shows how far from mere guess work the predic-
tons of the signal service are, and the great
value of the telegraph as an aid to science in
thus developing into a practical fact what had
hitherto been merely a theory concerning the
procession of storms.
The Signal Bureau at Washington is constantly
in possession Of all the facts, not only the direc-
ton but the force Of the wind, the pressure of
the barometer, the temperature, the relative
humidity of the air and the amount of rainfall.
taken by trained observers with instruments which
work exactly to one standard. 1t can throw all
its stations into circuit. and in a moment as it
were, map the weather of the whole country, by
a system of mapping which is as beautifully
simple as it is practical. Reports taken at all
stations at 1875 P. NJ, are telegraphed to Wash
ington, collated, and the deductions made are
furnished the press at l A. NJ.
The report of the Secretary of War contains
some very interesting facts respecting the Signal
Bureau. 1t states that observers have been de-
tailed for Capt. Halls Arctic expedition, and for
Mt. Washington, but it is proposed to extend the
cynchronal system by seeking the assistance of
ship captains, to place stations at Pembina,
Sitka and the Hawaiian Islands,, and ultimately
to develop an International system, which shall
secure reports of storms approaching from what
ever direction. a communication is now had
direct from the signal office at Washington with
the coast of the Pacific on the west, and eastward
to the coasts of China and Japan The one link
of the Pacific cable being wanted to girdle the
world.