National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-24
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
"OLD PROBABILITIES" EXTENDING


A Series Of stations Established is.shc West
Indles - Anticipated BeneacisI Result
Along tho Gulf Coast and Atlantic sca-
beard-Pikc's Peak Also 10 be utilized
as astaiieu.
The stagnatlon which reigus In wsshin rton
during this present hot season Ia becoming daily
more apparent, and most Of the departmental
bureaus are moving at half speed. The weather
bureau having constituted itself the sleepless
sentinel Of the storm and sunshine and the never
quiet forces Of the atmospheric ocean, Ia, how
ever permitted no relsyatiou, and Its machinery
IL kept In untring activity. within the past few
weeks II has been maturing Its plans and arrang-
ing TO give extended usefulness and accuracy to
lts service. some Of those arrangements prom
ise to he so interesting to tho public that they
should be made widely known.
Among the most important OF these Is the or
ganization and equipment (Which L. now com.
pletedl Of a system Of signal stations In the
West Indies, designed TO connect with each
other by the submarine cables already laid and
| 10 working order, and also connecting, via Key
West, with the wires which run into the Gen.
tral signal offlce at Washington.
| These West Indian stations arc projected
enthusiastically to the island OF Btrbsdoes, and
/ will thus he able to give by telegraph the earliest
premonitions Of the autumnal hurricanes which
ssaso 'S our own oSf se soss AND All sea-
L
board.
The trained observers OF the signal service arc
tons, snd prepared at moments notice to com.
mence the transmission OF their reports. The
stations thus manned and equipped arc Havana,
and Guadalupe, while Antigua, ". Vincent and
| Barbailoes will soon be occupied.
Besides this new and Important arm OF ex-
tended observation, which will greatly lncrease
the efficiency Of the bureau by enabling u 10 give
surcr and much earlier warnings Of the cyclone,
the systematic usefulness OF their predictions Is
to be- greatly furthered by Geographically link
. ing the signal ofce with the ilfe.saving coast
. stations and with the lighthouses.
/ 10 give timely notice and warning Of danger
to coastinR vessels and also to all vessels passing
: In sight Of lighthouses aud iife-savng stations,
. viii then DO easy and practicable, aud such en-
dangered craft will usually have ample time 70
. | elude the approaching storm. On the Atlantic
coast especially there are often hundreds Of yes.
: sells which every day pass near the lighthouses
The esRe ana wv lo mus DC win ,ae scope
simultaneously with these horizontal expan.
sions Of Its research seaward the bureau Is aboul
, Peak, as Il has not long since done on Noun
] Mitchell In North Carolina. The latter noun
tain Is 6,TOI feet above the sea- and Is the highest
and most commanding peak of the entire eastern
coast range OF the Aleghanies, raising itself MOI
| 10 the spIre-llke form Of the volcanic cone, bu
, IN the grandeur OF vast natural citadel.
As this high point will command sort OF sci
cutinc outlook upon the Atlantic ocean and It,
seAboard so will Pixies Peak furnish the data To-
studying the marked meteorology aud clnatol
ogy Of the Pacific belt aud seaboard, whose skie
J | are meowed and whose air Is tempered by TIL
, moist westerly sea wind and by the powerful
I | agencies of the oceanic current which lave
them. A further addition Ii also Just ordered u
be made to the signal oi,servers' daily investiga
lions, which Is thc daily thermometric measure
ment Of the river and like depths. This will b
done by cylindrical instrument with thermom
eter attached, and after taking the temperatuf
OF the water at the surface OF the river or lake
!, the apparatus Is lowered and the temperature o
= the bottom water Is ascertained. These obser
vations, It III thought, will greatly assist In tn
: work Of stocking the rivers and lakes with ne,
species Of nsh, and will AFFORD other interessin
9 Inc river reports as now taken give the diur
. raj oscillations and changes OF height In all tn
navlgable streams Of the country, and are q
ready Of the greatest value to merchants, ship
pers aud steamboat men on all the rivers, G,
peclally on the great nuvlal arteries OF con
inerue In the Western states. They are ais
admirably adapted TO furnish timely intimation
OF every threatened flood or inundation In I'll
rainy seasons Of the year, when mood, are ofte
so sudden anti dangerous to the rural river va
The daily distribution Of the weather tel,
}, grams, storm warnings and river reports, by III
cooperation OF the postal and telegraph sys
TENS, already vastly extends the intelligence
difused by the bureau, and gives it each day I
hundreds Of thousands OF lpland farmers, cut o
i from the newspaper and Geographic facilities {
Where Is every reason TO congratulate the couI
try upon the manifold material benefits whc
win esnlt from the maturing Of these arIang'
mepts, II the splendid meteorological system, {
which they form part, Is sufficiently sustaine
by Congr,Ss.
NOTICES OF NEW ADVERTISEMENT
Aneat six.r pom brick house for sale.
I'll Russia Leaf her t-book has been lost.
5 Geo. NJ. Lanck 'on has desirable building lot
: for sale.
; valuable real estate in Cincinnati is ofrsre
: for sale