, 1874-01-20


There is n probability that. atuid tito somowtat
indiHcrimtnate cnttiug down OF expenses III Con-
eress. the United States Sigual-Soryico may DO
more or loss saeriticeta.a There arc punahos Of
men in Congress WHO have noybt rot been able
to bee wEpt good tint branch OF the service has
dono, and thero may bo, accordingly, .
tendency to dccry tie comparatively small
Approximation necessary to keep tho s'Enal
naent, n serious nistnke ii tho Rotronchment
Committee puts tho prunlng-kll!fo to this in-
poltalt department. Evory dollar that 1t has
coat thus far has beon saved oyoi AVID oyer again
III tho prevention Of costly disasters to shipping.
In order to make moro apparent tho yalNo OF
the weather-signala to mariners, let III compare
tho dasnsters OH tue lakes alone for three years
| previous to the establishment Ut tho Storm-Siy-
! l,nl Service with those Of tho threo ycasa aftor
| thu syatcm WIS in operatiol- The tota! number
| Of dlaasterH reported was;
In 16G7......... VII
N l8Gb ..''-....*-.-..'''. vsa
III nlsia...........'.... .......... ..,....".i.ooe
Total. .--.............-'."...a9l6
| Tho Stotm-Siynal Durenll established stations
along tho lnkas iu 1870. Marls tlo reoorl ot tho
years which succeeded:
ToE VI
Er 1T 49, o, aoo
~pi jill
Thero is an instructive point in tlleso last
figures. Tho storm siSunl was frat hung out ut
1870. l,eforo IL got vol At work tito Beasoa was
well advanced, and, moreover. Tie knowing
mariners could nut for some tI,nc. get 1t iuto
their heads tint the man with tho rod Aaga and
them anything. about navigating tho lakes.'
80, for most OF tho remainder Of the season
Of ls7o, the luke n'en paId very little
heed to tho, signals, mud tho conBo~
we're about tho same as In 1867 apd 1853. by
tue noxt your, however. tho lake Captains bosan
to aeo that thoro was something in tho signal
bli6incsa after all. The more closely they oboy-
less risks they 1an. and aceolsinEly waon tho
shtpwrooks for 1872 came to DO added up, they
reached total Of only 3il,-Isss tAan third Of
those Of 1909. It must also be Remembered
OIL tho ,lakos, ,aud was cut short al.
ruptly by. tho most sudden nad
aosoro freezlng~up tllat had ever boon seen in
November. soasch the figures anywhore md
favor Of the value of tho Signal Service, A aiu.
gle Telegram, to the station vt Savannah during
tl.o mouth Of September, 1871, cn,lsed the dis
play Of rod laE on bright and beautiful aftor-
noon. aud large tcet Of scssaa about to sall r.
oyclone OF that nlunsh bnrst upon onr
Southern coaHt, destroying neaIly ey-
cry. sailing vessel caught abs'nt from
sheltered nloorngs. That single telegram! saved,
Signal Duroau for dozen yoars. With al! theso
facts IL. view, we venture to hopo that auoh
members OF Congress as represent coast
districts will nco that The Woather Du-
from tic Interior. Tbs mombor from Hen
tuokg, for ,t,statlco, or Arkansas. or Missouri,
roproaeutH constituency entirely uaintores tod
In tho property which tho Sigma! Service
tliu!s tho Bureau sort Of fancy scientific play
tLiug which tho country might well get along
without T,oso who 1.-Two along tho coasts wlloHo
lives aud fortunes, often dorend upon the
gallo know better. llcal, ,.d'soreet, consistent
oc1uotny iu national expenditure was mover moro
imperatlvoly demanded tLan aow, but this ~ not
tue o tal ay so tHsnE tha y tue spgot s
ual HaIYioN would be.