New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-10
The ssg.ai service bureau.

Though the Signal Service Bureau has
been in existence many years, the u-cs
10 which Il has been applied within the
last few months Is investing !! with
novel interest, giving il new importance
and vastly enlarging liz practical useful
ness TO the country. The value Of the
predictions Of sold Probabilities to farmers
and seamen can hardly be over-estimated;
and intelligent men in all the walks OF lie
are learning TO rely upon their correctness,
and, as FAR as necessary, to arrange their
movements accordingly. Now and then,
however, a man turns up who refuses 10 ao-
cept sold Probabilities" rs his prophet. But
he Is pretty sure TO suffer cor his infidelity.
Boston, almost the last place from which
we shonld have expected such obstinacy, has
recently furnished signal example Of this
truth aud Of the danger Of rejecting the
teachings of science in the person of the
owner Of 4 steam yacht. Neither he nor
his captain would admit that land-lubber
/ Of the army, stationed in this city, could
| foreteli the weather in Boston as well as
they could So they resolved 10 put 10 sea
in spite Of the storm signals warning them
OF IN approaching gale, and the advice Of
other seamen having more faith, as the day
was exceedingly pleasant, the wind fair, and
| the barometer indicating no sign OF storm.
That night, however, they learned their folly
at the price Of their lives. The wind sud-
| denly rose, a thick snow storm came on, and
the next morning at day-break the yacht was
wrecked on nGybury beach, and al hands
persisted.
! We arc sure our readers will be interested
in description Of the organization Of this i'm
portant institution, and its mode Of opera
ton. y correspondent Of the Boston Adser-
tisa tells the story SO we'll, and the subject
! itself so well deserves to be everywhere un-
derstood, that we shall freely use it for the
benefit Of our readers. As they already
know the Signal Service Bureau is q military
institution, and cold Probablities' is dis
tinguished army officer. Wherever there IS
a military post all over this broad continent,
there is also an observatory, ali linked to-
gether by electric wires. The men employed
at these stations are ali soldiers under mil
itary rule. Three times dag reports are re-
ceived in this city, the headquarters Of the
bureau, from ali parts Of the country, and
three times & day they arc sent ali over the
world.
Every dag, il addition to the 'p.obabil.-
ties" telegraphcd to tie public press Of tie
country, bulletins are sent to the press in
every city and village of the Union, and also
to every wcll-known scientific man in Europe.
Every day Efteen hundred charts, recording,
with absolute accuracy, the state Of the
weather all over the country, are printed and
disseminated abroad. Every Gay, from sta
tons on the coast and shores Of the lakes,
seaHca are warned Of approaching storms.
These observations are never RENTED, day
or night, Sunday or weel. days; and by pur-
suing this steady, Uniform, ncver-ceasing
course The Signal Office has already thrown
a flood Of light upon the obscure science Of
meteogology, and its development has re-
ceived IN immense impetus. Atmospheric
movements can now be traced, and the law
Of storms can be understood.
The sigma! O1ice has not yet, a. our cor
respondent states, attained to the dignity OF
& public building, and still occupies the mod
est private house where it begun, near the
Observatory. In the lower story arc the
Offices Of the principal officers and library.
In the upper rooms Is rare collection Of ali
sorts Of delicate Instruments: barometcrs,
instruments for measuring tue velocity Of the
wind, for detecting the moisture Of the atmos-
phere; the Photographic apparatus, repre-
sensations OF all varieties Of clouds, telc-
graphs-and all the appliances OF modem
scienCe-in word, requisite for carrying on
meteorological studies and observations with
complete success. In n little room adjoining
several clerks arc kept busily engaged IN
writing bulletins and dispatches.
The men connected with the Signal Service
are all poorly Paid, and are very intelligent,
and able 70 make their way in any other
vocation. Bat they DO no! sacrifice comfort
and rcpose FOR mere gain, but because they
are animated bv the true spirit OF p lfonning
faithfully whatever task IS assigned II chem
in the army TO which they belong. The Eprit
of the general and chief officers, as n all
armies, extends to, and takes possession Of,
the humblest private IN the ranks. The
printing Of the charts and maps is carried on
in 8 building separated by = yard from the
house; the ROOF is adorned with all sorts OF
quaint signals and weathercocks. Apart
from its more scientific Investigations, the
bureau, as we know, IS able to perform the
practical service Of predicting storms with
proxinlate accuracy. When other Govern
ments have followed our example and astab-
lished similar institutions, the climatic con-
ditions and atmospheric movements OF every
part Of the globe will ba reported in Wash
!ngton and other centers at given moment
three times day. The bureau, then, will
be infaliitle it will have power to state with
absolute accuracy what the weather VIII be
for daye IN advance.
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