The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-20

EXPLANATION OF THE MAP.
Fleod Warnings and River Reports
Other New Improvements.
Postal Distribution of the Weather
Reports.

lions OF the country, seeking Information as to
their whereabouts In the weather reports, we pre-
sent herewith full chart and its explanatory &C
compartments The chart Is designed to show the
Signal once interpretations and names OF the diff.
ferent geographical districts mentioned In Its daily
press bulletins. The license which writers have
generally taken in giving titles to the sections or
groups of States, has created SO much uncertainty
IN the public mind as 20 what each group section
comprehends, that this map IL necessary to show
each citizen in what particular section he is IN
cluded, and that he may know under what head In
the probabilities" he Is to look for his own
weather.
The following is general statement OF the Sig
nal Service partition OF the Onion, and OF the sense
in which 1t employs the political authorizations in
Its press reports
TERRIToRIkL AND STATE GROUPS.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island are regarded as
forming the New England States.
New York, New Jersey, PENNSYLVANIA, Delaware,
Maryland, District OF Columbia and Virginia as the
Middle States and, that part OF those States lying
east OF the Aneghanies as the Middle Atlantic
States.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia ana
northern and eastern Florida as the South Atlantic
Eastern Mississippi, Alabama and northwestern
Florida as the Eastern Gull States
western MISSISSIPPI Louisiana and eastern Texas
as the Western Gulf States.
Gul that portion Of Mississippi not included in the
Eastern Gulf states, with tennessee and kentucky
are grouped together as the Southern States.
Lower Lakes means Lakes Erie and Ontario
with adjacent territory.
Upper Lakes means Lakes Superior, Huron and
Ml0nlgan, with ADJACENT territory.
me Lake region includes the Upper and Lower
The Extreme Northwest includes that portion of
Dakota lying west OF the Missouri River and the
eastern portion OF Wyoming and Montana Terrific
rleS
The Northwes, meona tho conn+rv ,virr ho,r,on
the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers.
The southwestern States means that portion OF
the western Gulf States lying west OF the Missis.
sippi River, including Arkansas.
Pacific States Includes California, Oregon and
The OHIO Valley includes the belt OF country
about TWO hundred miles broad from Pittsburg to
The upper Mississippi Valley includes the belt OF
country about two hundred miles broad from st.
Paul to Cairo.
The lower Mississippi Valley includs belt OF
country two hundred miles broad from Cairo 70
Vicksburg. Below Vicksburg the Character OF the
country 80 changes that 1t Is no longer described as
The Missouri Valley includes a belt OF country
200 miles broad from Fort Sully to ST. Charles,
Mo.
The st. Lawrence Valley includes a belt OF coun.
try 200 miles broad from Lake Ontario to the mouth
Besides these distinguishing titles OF the States
and Territories, the
SPECIAL TERMS
used by the Signal ONCE In its various published
predictions bulletins, weather chronicles, &C.,
When, Tor instance it Is said in a weather report
"a storm has extended from OHIO to New York"
me meaning Is, that the storm has extended
from central Ohio TO Central New York or, if it is
salu, westerly winds will prevail from Minnesota
TO Indiana" the idea Is that these winds will pre-.
van from the interior OF one state to that OF the
country.
BY the term coasts" is usually included the
land lying between the seashore and the parallel
range OF mountains or hills skirtipg 1t. In Texas
LOUISIANA and northern Florida this definition
miles from the Gulf or Atlantic shore.
WORDING OF THE TRI-DAILY REPORT.
II Is worthy, TOO OF public notice that the proba
bilities and accompanying synopsis are so worded
that they can be distinguished by the order of
words. The synopsis is mere summary OF past
verb in the present or past tense. The proDabIli-
ties are predictions Of future weather, and begin
with sentence employing verb in the future
tense, and are further characterized by beginning
with the title Of the section whose weather Is mat
ter OF prediction.
When IL Is SAID that the winds will veer In Ger.
cain direction 1t is meant that they will change in
the direction OF the hands OF a watch by which term
seamen and others who give the probabilities
anticipate clearing or cooler weather ana westerly
winds IT, on the contrary. storm Is advancing,
and the winds are put down in the report "a likely
to .'bacS" tt.e shifs in direction contrary to
that OF the watch hands, the reader will be ap-
prised by the word employed.
BY a recent arrangement the a.
will, as far as possible not only give the actual
rise and All In the rivers, but Will also give pre-.
monitions and predictions OF changes expected.
Thus rise OF The ONO RON Plttsburg TO Parkers-
burg Will constitute descending wave, having q
given altitude and 3 given velocity which can be
ascertaned. Taking these as data the meteorolo.
gist on duty ut the Central Signal once is enabled
TO compute approximately the time al which the
water-wave VIII reach Cincinnati aud Cairo, and
the result Of his computation Will be the prediction
IN question This new feature proposed for the tri-
daily weather reports can also lie embodied IN the
which is now issued every day and sent regularly
by mali to any newspaper requesting IT, This
chronicle IL complete summary OF the weather
and river oscillations during the preceding week;
and in the matter OF important river changes,
hoods and lnun1atiOns. Will be received in ample
time to give the Inhabitants OF the great river val
leys and agricultural districts especially along the
oit-endangered levees OF the Mississippi unmistak-
able and widespread
FLOOD WARNINGS
In the river reports IL is not usual to mention
changes less than six inches OF rise fall. unless
after long continued rise or fal when the naviga-
ton becomes critical and q change OF less than
s he 'sss and pes of e ryer
These reports have already. proved OF great
service, especially on the Western waters. as a
substitute Tor the unofncal and unreliable reports
OF river changes made from unreliable water
gauges. The water and tide gauge now in use by
the Signal once Is the invention OF one OF It's own
Officers Lieutenant David j. Gibbon, United States
Army, the ingenious inventor also OF the electric
sell-registcring anemometer, IN use oJ the signal
electric selfregistering tide gauge win greatly
assist IN all tidal and hood observations, which
have heretofore been desultory and too much in
terrupted TO he OF much value. when these
various arrap gements have been fully matured by
a little more practice they Will largely increase
the efficiency ana usefulness of tie weather Blu
rcau. --.
TEE POSTAL Distribution
OF the daily weather reports and tleegrapnc prooa
biIities by and along the railway lines, wherever
Sney can be made to penetrate the interior ant
rural districts twelve hours after they are put OIL
the wires at washington, VIII give tnem ~iaer c,r
Bureau ever hoped they could obtain AT present
the predictions are telegraphed to certain nxet
each centre they are printed and issued 10 radia
lines 10 all adjacent country post omces "itnn
twelve hours stage, boat or ralroao Journey.
In addition TO these provisions Tor incre ased use
1ulness which have already begun 70 TAKE euect
the present month will see the arrangements pei
fected Tor connecting telegraphcally the centra
or washington Signal once with the lighthouses
and liie-saving stations on the Atlantic coast. Inl'
COOPERATIVE sroRx-wARSlSG And LIFE-sAvINd