National Republican., 1873-09-11
Weather WARNINGS,

rohs Editor ~ hs National Rsp.biicar.
SIR; In the August number Of the 'Eclec-
tic" Is an article from the superintendent Of
the English weather bureau, In which II Ia
stated that weather telegraphy had Its origin
In Holland In 1859, established by Prof. Buys
Ballot, though weather chart, the same Us
Is posted In several cities In this country, was
invented and posted throughout France by
Lc yerrier in 1858. The English system was
invented and established by Admiral Fitz
Roy In 1891, and Is the same system In every
particular which has been established In this
country since 1870, though the former Is un-
der civil control and costs only $50, 900 yearly,
while ours Is under military control, and cost
ESQ.,, 900 yearly for even less number Of sta.
tions.
The following opinions Of European scien.
lists as to the utter failure Of weather tele-
graphy In Europe, with anexperience Of more
Than twelve years, Is taken from an article on
tho weather and the Sun, " hrst published In
the ''St Paul's Magazine, England, and re.
published In the Popular Science Monthly,
for August, and the Eclectic" for Septem-
Der "The late Prof. De Morgan, indeed, Sc
leuted meteorology n the subject on which
above all others systematic observations had
been most completely wasted. There e an
attempt at induction going on, says De Nor.
gan, which has yielded little or no fruit the
observations made In the meteorological OBJ
seryatories. Russia, says N. Blot, Is covered
by an army Of meteorographs, with generals,
high officials, subalterns, and priyatos, with
fixed and defined duties Of observation. And
what has come Of iti Nothing, says NJ.
Blot and nothing will ever come Of It,
THE veteran mathematician and expert
mental philosopher declares, as does Mr.. FL.
Lis, that no single branch Of science has ever
been fruitfully explored In this way A spe-
cial interest attaches, ! may remark, to the
opinion Of ". Blot, because 1t was given upon
the proposal Of the French Government to
construct meteorological observations In Al
geriA. II Is well known that the astronomer
royal Of England holds similar opinion.
And more Of the same sort. The concluding
paragraph Of the article might apply to our
own weather bureau: at appears to me,
therefore, that Ii Is the duty Of the true lover
Of science 70 indicate the fnlility Of the
promises which have been mistakenly held
out; for 1t cannot be 10 the credit Of science,
or ultimately to Its advantage, II government
assistance be obtained on false pretenccs for
any branch Of scientific research"
As tho scientists Of Europe have thus boldly
denounced the utter worthlcssness Of weather
telegraphy, IL It not the duty Of our own
astronomers, mathematicians, metoorologists
and scientists generally TO speak out In the
press, giving their oplnions Of our own weather
bureauf II It Is Government assistance OBJ
tained on false pretence," u 1t Ia "futile
promises mistakenly held out In the posted
weather charts which nobody reads or under.
stands, and In the oracular probabilities
published In the newspapers, which are
oftsner wrong than rght-ln q word, II
$500, 600 yearly Of tho peoples money Is OK.
pended In misleading the people, then let the
weather bureau be abolished, as any Other
experiment which was undertaken for q good
purpose but has utterly failed. Speak out,
gentlemen scientists; let the country profit ty
your opinions. W.