The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-18
Farmers III the Inland Districts to Get
the Daily Probabilities.
hter.Depaftmental Ceurttsits Between the
Postmaster General and the Sec.
ua rotary Of War. bllre.
EXPLANATION OF THE CHARTS.

r
be more than and-handed. The numerous
tines Of the American telegraph companies now
fash bis messages OF cheer and warning, OF sun
shine, storm and snow over the entire country,
and every respectable daily paper in the land
seiSes the earliest moment for printing them. But
Il has been found that In the rural and agricultural
districts remote nom the great centres thousands
may be reached by the weather-warnings, who
now, for want Of local daily press or nom other
causes, cannot obtain them in time to avail them
selves OF the Information they convey. To meet
the want Of this immense class Of citizens the
powerful and best managed machinery Of
the Post ONCE Department is to be en-
listed with the press and the telegraph in herald
ing the daily prognostics Of the atmosphere. The
contamination or this scheme, proposed by the
Chief Signal Oficer, REJECTS great credit on the
Postmaster General who has entered most cor
daily and vigorously into It and throws every
facility at the command Of his department. into the
good work, which was begun and has been 50 sue
cessfully prosecuted by the War Department. The
Jill ,ol {, CORRESPONDENCE
win explain the general idea now entertained by
the two coordinate and happily cooperating
departments:-
nm OFFICB OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER,
DIVISION OF KILOGRAMS AND REPORTS FOR THE
1 .f
MA WASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. 7, 1872.
10 THE H0NoRABLE THE POSTMASTER GENERAL:-
SIR have the henor to request that instruc-
ofices named in the accompanying list "a" here
with - display daily and instantly upon sheir
furnished III 60 permitted by the Postmaster Cen
sra from this 0fce, the reports as to the probable
condition Of the weather n the sections In which
nish by mall daily In printed form and addressed
to the postmssters named respectively.
can act to revise. consolidate and amead the
statutes relating 20 the Post ONCE Department"
rye the e %ss
BY tn. postmasters, or others IN the service, as
being for the public good, would clearly have the
ON this point there can be none that most Of the
postmasters interested would gladly perform the
credit upon the Department In which they serve.
To the Postmaster General himself. whose good
win 70 thta bureau has been 90 often and with such
benefit to the department evidenced, the Chief
Signal 0cer does not feel 1t necessary to urge at
length reasons for requesting his valuable cooper
ssssea seems To osr ns aug
extensive method Of reaching the whole interior
S1d C cs
teieat than any hitherto put IN use In any country
Attention Il respectfully invited to the accom-
panjtng memoranda Of the plan OF distribution.
Am, Six, very respectfully your o6edient servant
Brigadier General ana Chief signal Onncer Of the
Army. .tie .t W.
With his accustomed despatch the Secretary of,
War at once wrote to the Postmaster General, as
ielows:- nnH
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. Q, 1872.
10 THE HONORABLE THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
mnnicaton nom on, the Chief signal ofhcer Of the
army relative to distribution Of the daily weather
reports, and to request the cooperation Of your
Department in the mode indicated by him, If con-
Bistent with your views. The subject Is one OF pub
lie interest and the plan appears capable OF effect
Ing public good. Very respectfully your obedient
WILLIAM W. BELKNAP. Secretary Of War.
To which communication Mr. Creswen made
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. IL, 1872
SrR-I have the honor to acknowledge the re-
ceipt OF your letter OF the 9th inst, enclosing
the army, with schedules and plans, for the CO.
operation Of the Post once and war Departments
out the agricultural districts Of the United states
day, from certain DESIGNATED distributing points.
l heartily approve OF the plan proposed by Gen.
eral Meyer for extending to the agricultural sec
lions of the country the benefits OF the information
Signal once, and have issued an order, under
date Of 9th inst, COPY Of which Is enclosed here
%s a pos sem n
frames supplied for that purpose by the Signal
Any ANY further assistance that may be desired nom
this Department win be most cheerfuly given.
am, very respectfully, your ebedient servant,
JOHN A. j. CRESWELL. Postmaster General.
Hon. WIZ w. BELKNAP, secretary Of War.
On the 10th Of December, Just three days after
General Meyers request for his aid, the Postmaster
General issued the following order. copy Of which
Was enclosed In his reply to General Belknap:-
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT., /
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 10, 1871
Arrangements have been made between the Post
once ana War Departments by which one or more
OF the daily weather reports issued by the Signal
chat can be reached from the seversi points Of dis
tribut1on, daily BY mail As these reports are de-
signed for tie benet OF the agricultural a. well az
the commercial interests Of the country, the Post
master General instructs all postmasters receiving
them to post them Immediately In the frames sup
JIG JOHN III 4. !. ckEswELis Postmaster General.
THE UTILITY OF THE POSTAL WEATHER RKfoRTs.
The value OF this arrangement to the farmers,
fruit growers and to all the rural and agricultural
classes of the country will be apparent. The his
tory OF the Signal Service shows that within the
past year 1t has given timely forewarning not only
or the heavy storms which ravaee the sea coast
and lakes, but also OF the foods and heavy rains,
the arrival Of the first frosts of Autumn and the
sweep OF the great and cold tidal afr waves which
deluge the land with snow. The tobacco crops in
the rural districts Of Virginia last Fall suffered
very severely, but might have been generally saved
had the tobacco growers been In the daily receipt
Of the now proposed postal weather reports,
which, in the instances cited predicted frosts three
days in advance of their blighting and nipping
visitation. The aerial waves from the Pacific,
which march so steadily and surely across the
Continent, first manifest themselves In the warm,
moist air, which they derive from the ocean, and
spread out as q mantle Of Winter mildness over
the Pacific States and Territories and eastward to
the great Plains and the valley ofthe Upper Missouri
when, In their further eastward passage, they be-
come condensed, and form the waves Of intense
cold which are precipitated over the States this
side the Mississippi 1t il easy to see that the pre-
acton OF the weather changes due to such move
ment, sometimes prolonged through q whole week
mr. mora ho