New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-13
Old Probabilities.

Brigadief General Myers, chief signal
officer of the army, in his annual report.
which has been submitted 60 the Secretary
Of War, says:
Since the date Of the last annual report,
sixteen additional stations of observation
and report have been established. Of this
number seven are within the territory of
tho United States, near the one hundredth
meridian, and nine are upon the Atlantic
coast, being stations of the coast service of
the office connected with the life saving
stations. Reports by courtesy of ex.
change received from six additional
of the Dominion of Canada, and
within the Dominion. The total numbses
of daily reports now had by exchange from
the Dominion 10 fifteen. In pursuance of
the plan entered upon. at the request of the
chief of the Dominion meteorological Office,
warnings of approaching dangerous storms
are habituallv telegraphed from this Office
to Toronto. The display OF signals by the
Dominion authorities is based upon these
kilograms. The friendly relations thus main.
tanned between the two services are to bene.
fit both. The stations this year established
in the West Indies are extended far south
ward and eastward to the Barbados and
the Wind ward islands. Thence the long line
Of guardian points runs with few breake,
and these each month decreasing past
the capes of Florida, and, following the At
lantic coast, stretches to the distant north.
east of Farther Point and Halifax, near the
southern extremity of this line. The expe-
rience Of meteOrOlogists has located the fire.
quent origin of cyclones which sometimes
sweep in q single course through the islands
and over the whole eastern portion Of the
United States in the vicinity Of the seas.
The service OF the West Indian stations has
yet something of tho imperfecti0n due to
their recent establishment. The telegraphic
communication by cable between them has
been but for short time accomplished,
and it is frequently interrupted. The OBJ
servers can not b. held to that rigid rule
which makes the regular reports of the ser
vice throughout the United States at once
prompt and reliable. The delay of the dis
tant reports, even for day, does not, how.
ever, always destroy their usefulness. The
time OF the movement of any storm may
last for days after its rayages have
commenced and been reported. As time
goes on and the work takes permanent
shape, when reports shall be regularly re-.
ceived at the hours due. and their indica- |
ti0ns understood by tried experience, it |
seems almost impossible that the great hur-
ricanes which pass the stations, and are |
watched thus from the beginning of their !
course, should precipitate themselves un.
heralded on our coast, or reach them with |
out such warnings given as will enable |
those who heed them to shun their force. !
The display Of cautionary signals at Key |
those stations. and is ordered. The accuracy |
Of similar displays will be increased at all |
the coast stations thence nOrthward. The |
class of tempests which have their origin !
at sec or among the West Indies, seem to |
pass thence upon the Gulf OF Mexico, and |
cOursing north ward ever the Cult coast of |
the United States to move over the south. |
eastern interior of the sea coast, or, reaching |
the valley of the Mississippi, are traced in |
their course until they reach the great |
lakes. will sometimes equally evoke ut their
origin and in their first movement the warn
ing reports of these stations. Later the |
changing reports of the Gulf coast stations |
ought to give indications OF their coming. |
storm once originated and on it's course,
once fairly within the scope of the stations
OF the interior. the study charts OF the office
can hardly fail to indicate in their ceasel6ss
sequence the place of its extent and some
thing OF its probable march. On the east
ern coast itself, the sea coast, the service
stations OF this Office, in connection with
the life saving service. and located in the
life saving service stations, have been
established during the year at intervals
upon the sea shore from Sandy Hook to
SNPO AAhN, SnU IIUM tu0 OEcaU6O VAp6 d8G-
tefas to Cape Henry, the telegraphic wires
each station with this office. In !
to the regular tri-daily meteoric
reports these stations report trldaily the
condition and character of the sea swell and
its direction from the time storm in move
ment upon or near the coast reaches one of |
these stations, or the sea swell, which some
times so far foreruns the storm, begins to
break there with notable violence. 1t 10
possible to hear of the storm q progress from
hour to hour. 1t is during the past year
and 1t these stations that the study of the
sea swell has been first commenced in the
United States for such purposes of Fremont
ton. There has been, until the establish
ment of this service, these stations and
these lines, no facilities by which such
could be made available, or
the facts carefully and systematically
studied, IN reference to their possible
practical value. The hope is not with.
,ut foundation that as this chain of
stations extends, and the stations are per.
ected. such . knowledge Of premonitory
acts, and Of conditions actually existing ON
he sea cost, will be had - viii enable the
,oasting trade of tho United States, ~ we'll
V the seA commerce from the larger ports,
o b warned in time sgainst dangers Of the
tn ~hiS4Y thnv FThn 1