The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-01-22
the SIGNAL SERVICE.
Oh Probabilities and His Prog
nOsticatiOns.

Tt dsily synopsis and weather probabili-
IL. furnished BY the signal Office in this city
I'D distributed by mail to over four hundred
slaf;oas in this State, Missouri, Iowa and
Nsheaska, have been perused ~tih great in
esesst BY the msjority of our readers. The
time when signs we're not read and prophesies
nade concerning the weather, il not within
he memory of this generation. The old
farmer believed in "what the Almanac said"
= implicitly rs be did in the family Bible,
odd every village and neighborhood had its
osacle, who fore,old the weather by certain
salo With which he was familiar, and hun
dssds believed in him.
His Was confined to the less intelligent
e1aas, however, or TO those Of q somevhat
0psuGisious turn of mind, while the better
o1om1sd and more intelligent would have
1nlgAsd to scorn the man who asserted that
H. Day would come when the weather would
- iass,old. coming storms announced and
et0ospheric changes delineated in advance,
90 that upon correct and scientific princi-
-. Especially in this western country,
OhEs the pedestrian who starts out for half
. days journey needs to "Provide himself
With IN overcoat and a fan. an umbrella
and . lightsiog rod" with the probability
that he would need them all before reaching
his joarney's end, would such scheme have
been looked upon Ms chimerical? The
weather 10 too much for even a daily
paper. 1t won't stay put willie
paragraph on the eubject is
bsinG put in type; and the man
Who starts for his Office in the morning wrap
ped in an overcoat and mufiler, is ss like
y 10 70 home to dinner in his shirt sleeves
and with his vest unbuttoned as any other
vay, and no one feels like holding himself
rssponsible for anything controlled by the
0sa1her.
This Is the wsy We have all felt until very
1a1sly, and the way great many view the
0alAes u the present day.
Ya il is true that even this coy and capri
eiso maid has been conquered, and that in
aepucdance with the laws of science. Little
nsss than three years ago the idea Of estab-
Ming signal stations in various portions OF
- country was conceived. and the subject
~ laid before Congress. The primary OBJ
ject Was TO aid in the advancement of science,
and by special &C, of Congress a small sp-
preparation was made to apply TO the expen-
- of meteorological observations upon the
iakes and seaboard. Signal stations were
-s.aahlisbed and put in charge of officers Of
a. engineer corps. At all Of these. obser-
va3isas we're taken at the same instant, three
sias day, and the result. WA telegrsphed
% Ne headquarters al Washington.
Il required but few months observation
soAsoous trate the fact that storms were gov
Onsd By certain laws, and could be predict
a With almost unerring certainty days in
AAvasce Of their coming. and that the YEA
Ahse sigual service could be made useful TO
navigstors in prsciiss! way, A system OF
Storm signals or warning signals was esiab-
bishsd 1t various points along the lakes and
"a noast, and although these were ridiculed
- oasy nasters and crews of vessels. and
pansd UNDECIDED 1t first, there were few
vho felt inclined 10 try the experiment and
hssd the signals. The result was 40 satisfac- |
essy that nov no skipper would think OF
aakiag his vessel out of port while the Storm
aienal was flying over the government sta
aioa. apy sooner than he would in the teeth |
al he most violent gale.
The List of disasters on the great lakes 10
de three years preceding and the
thses following these observations ia rs
follow: 1866, disasters recorded, 62l; in
1867. 9sl; in 1868, 9s3, and in 1869,
1902. Observations began to be taken
and warnings given during this year. In
1870 the lake disasters recorded were 96l
In 2S71, $50, and in 1872, 3l4. 1t will
therefore be seen that the system of CAUTION
Az signals adopted by the Signal Service
hn In three years reduced the number OF
disasters By storm more than two thirds, to
de unauestionable salvation Of commercial
property amounting to many millions OF
-dolian. Indeed, the utilitarian value OF
4his comparatively inexpensive branch OF
ahs public service can hardly be over estina-
I'D, and il ought on no account to be Grip
nd In its operations for want Of a sufficient
appropriation