New-York tribune., 1873-12-13
whether Mrs Hooper aud all tho Iost Of u, arc
In Benson or Boston. oA'" """""'
Benson, w.. Nov 28,1sT3.
ORIGIN OF TIE WEATHER REroRrs.

| To the Editor Of The Tribune
| SIR: To such OF your readers as may pe uc.
slrous OF knowing tho history Of the present Syso
| teeeraphic meteorology. would recomnehu rei''o
10 the article, by Prof. Cleveland AbDe IN 'he hS"a'
number or 1s7D OF The American journal Of Sceoe' i"
which the subject ia discussed and references and dates
given that cover the whole question. According 10 Ihi'
article, the first published suggestion on th's Suoco
appears to he that OF Prof william G. Redfeld' IN INC
American Journal Of Science for September 1885, "here
he states that IN the Atlantic ports. the approach Oh
gale may he made known by of the Atlantic tee
graph which probably will soon extend from maine 10
the Mississippi" The next mention of the subject Is
found IN the Smithsonian Report for 1si7 IN an arceoy
Prof Elias LoOms, to wit: "When the magnetic teie
graph Is extended from NewYork to New-oTleans anu
st. Louis 1t may be made subserviont to tho protecoh
OF our commerce. In the present Imperfect STATE "
our knowledge of storms" ETC. Sti accordhS'to Tio
Abbe views expressed in the article re'erreH Vo' '
| real matter for consideration ia as follows:
However frequently the idea may have been sug
gested OF utilizing knowledge Ny the employ
tho electric telegraph II IL To Prot Henry o tl e.
sonian Instuon that the credit due OF having hrs
actually realized this suggestion las acKhO"edsea W
| the Vienna Academy OF Sclencesl. -. -, o,o.,eo
The practical utilizatlon Of tho results OF scientnc
study IL well known to have been IN general greatly u
he yery begnning Prof Henry has successfully adgo-
Gated the feasibility OF teleGraphc storm warnlnSs ie
aqtaton of this subject In tho United states during tno
years 1s3Ols55. may DO safely presumed 10 nave str
lated the subsequent acion o. tne L1roPea % Pi eeya
@ the earlier suggestions of Reiaeld and Loomis,
in the following extracts from the ahhuai on'on''"
| RepOrts OF the respective years: ,..,,
lsi7 "The extended lines OF telegraph VIII fnrnsh
ready of warning the more northern anu eastern
observers the watch for the rst appearance Vi
Ia,s Ia mart OF the system OF meteoroogy it pro-
posed to employ far our funds will permit, tue ma
netic telegraph in the INVESTIGATION OF n
commerce to 6e derived from knowledge OF the ap
proach OF by means of the telegraph has been
frequently referred to Of late in the pnbIcJournas and
| we is
Isi9 successful applications have been made to the
presidents OF number telegraph lines TO allow MS at
period OF the day the OF the wires Tor the
as soon as they Iccran instruments c arc completed
the Transmission OF observations VIII commence. ~
was contemplated to constitute the telegraph operators
| the observers.
1850 THIS map fan outline wall mapl IL intended to
be used for presenting the successive phases OF the SKY
whole country at different points OF te' as lar
,s5 Since the date of the last report the system
particularly intended TO investigate the nature OF Amer
lean storms Immediately u9qer e care S be cue Of
weather reports thus naugurated continued III M
operation until 1861 when the disturbed condition OF the
country rendered impossible its further continuance
Meanwhile however the study OF these daly morning
reports had led to such knowledge OF the progress OF
our storms, that il the Report Tor lS0'' fro henry
| writes ~ . -. >,..., o,,,oorh
| Line for a series of observations from New-Oreans TO
| New-YOrk and as far westward rs CINCINNATI Wnich
have been published In The EUeninG STIR OF this city
We hope In the course OF another year 70 make suen an
ARRANGEMENT with tie telegraph lines as to be aOIe 70
storms since the Investigations which have been made
AZ the Institution fully indicate the fact that as gem
eral rule the OF our latitude pursue ueuuIIe
| course" ftS :,
would seem Therefore that nothing but the disturb
apces of the late war prevented having had ten
years ago a valuable system of practical storm warn
ings Even before peace had been proclaimed, Prof
Henry sought revive the systematic daily weather re-
ports and in August, 1854 at the meeting OF the North
American Telegraph Association tsee their R
port Proceedings), paper was presented by ProI
Baird on behalf OF the Smithsonian Institution, request
ing the privilege OF the of the telegraph nes ana
especially in order to enable Prof Henry " To re-
| sume and extend the Weather Bulletin, and TO give
warning OF important atmospheric changes 10 our sea-
board" In response to this communication 1t was re-
| solved " That this Association recommend -.
| To- mass free OF charge, brief meteorological re-
ports, for the and benefit OF the Institution"
On the communication Of this generous response prep
araons made for the laborl0us undertake
ing and inauguration Of the enterprise was liked for
the year 1865 In January OF that year, however,
ourred tho disastrous fire which seriously embar
eral following years: IL became necessary TO indefinitely
| postpone this meteorological work, which indeed had
through its whole history been carried on with most
limited financial means, and was quite dependent upon
the liberal cooperation OF the different telegraph COM
| panes.
1t Will thus that without material aid from the
Government but through the enlightened policy OF the
nicent bequest OF James Smthson, for the increase
and diffusion of knowledge. the Smithsonian Institution,
first the world organized comprehensive system OF
teegraphc neteOrology and has thus given first to Eu
rope Asia, and the United States, that most
beneacent national application Of modern science, the
| Storm Warnings. y. Y q.
Washington, Dec. IL, 1873