New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-15
THE STORM AND THE WEATHER BUREAU

THE STORM IND THE WEATHER BUREAU.
Our coast has Just been visited by a storm
of unusual severity, dealing extensive destruc-
ton, and drenching a wide extent of country !;
and it has not escaped remark that the
Weather Bureau gave us no adequate warn
ing of its approach. On Wednesday morning
" cloudy weather. and "local rains were
announced among the probabilities for the
Middle States, to be followed by clearing
weather in the afternoon; and it was not
until evening when the tempest had already
broken over the seaboard, from Delaware
Bay TO Sandy Hook, that cautiOnary signals
were ordered at New-York. Occasional fail
ures, however, like this should not blind us to
the real usefulness Of the meteorological
department of the signal service. The organ
ization is yet incomplete. The art of collect
ing, comparing, and interpreting observations
il only in its infancy; and there are extensive
regions of the continent from which no reports
| are ever received. Thus far the bureau has
| never ventured upon predictions; it has only
indicated probabilities; and while these indi-
| cations have generally been accurate, it must
be borne in mind that they may be modified
| bv various conditions which the chief observer
| and his assistants have not at present the
| means of knowing.
The Weather Bureau is rapidly extending
its operations, and we doubt not that in a
short time its data will be so abundant and
the science of weather prediction will be so
well understood that its bulletins will be as
correct as the pages of the Nautical Almanac.
The first requisite for this is of course an in
! crease in the number of stations. Observers
| should be posted In British North America, in
| the West Indies, and at the Bermudas. Mean
| while the Bureau is doing good service in va
rious new ways which are thus far but little
| understood. We announced some time ago
| the purpose of Gen. Myer to establish sys-
tenn of observations and reports on the depth
of water in the principal rivers. The latest
| Monthly Weather Review shows how this
I scheme has been carried into effect, and
indicates the great importance of such re-
ports to commercial and agricultural interests
At the same time series of valuable observa-
tons have been made of the temperature of
| the rivers, lakes, and ocean. This is a new
development of the usefulness of the Bureau
| for which we are indebted to the suggestions
| of the United States Commissioner of Fish
and Fisheries. It is not at all unlikely that q
| connection may DO established between changes
in the temperature of the water close in shore
and storms far out at sea but even ii this
hope should not be realized, there are other
particulars in which such observations are of
great practical value. 1t is perhaps not gen.
orally known that the success of sea fisheries
is dependent not merely on the winds and the
skill of the fishermen, but still more on the
temperature of the water The herring, cod.
mackerel, and even the rarer varieties
which sportsmen dignity by the title of
game, migrate from place to place, not only
seeking the regions where their proper food
abounds. but guided still more by currents
oil water of the proper temperature. so