The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-08-21


All newspaper readers are familiar with
the invariable paragraph in their daily journal
headed "The Weather" with its "synopses
for the past twenty.four hours and its "Prob-
abilities" Generally the first portion Of the
paper consulted by the anxious housewife on
the morning of washing day, the merchant
setting out for his place Of business, the farm
er at haying or harvest time, the traveller
starting on journey, or the mariner about
to leave port.
The importance, nay the indispensable ne.
cessity for the information thus given can only
be realized by imagining the cessation of the
publication for ever SO short a period and the
consequent Inconvenience and loss that would
certainly ensue. And yet it has been only
little more than five years since the passage
Of the joint resolution in Congress by the
authority of which the Secretary of War es.
tablished in his department the ''Division Of
Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit Of
Commerce. and placed it under the charge
of Brigadier General Albert j. Myer, Chief
Signal Officer Of the Army, now familiarly
known throughout the length and breadth Of
the land as ''0ld Probabilities"
In order to give the readers Of the Ledger
some idea Of the history Of this important de-
partment of the Government, and the manner
of its working, particularly as refers to the
local station in Philadelphia, visit was paid
to Mr.. Charles NJ. Hobbs, the intelligent OBJ.
server in charge Of the station, and from
information received from him and and the
official publications of the War Department,
the facts in this article have been obtained.
Regular systems Of meteorological obserya.
ton and report were in use in Europe several
knf. 4, t.,t, =. a.
and in February, 1861, Admiral Etzroy, OF
the British Navy, displayed the first caution
ary signal. In the latter part of the same
year published forecasts, or, as we call them,
probabilities of the weather, were tried
with such success as to warrant the adoption
by the British Government in the spring of
1862 Of the system now in use Other nations,
stimulated by the success of the English ex.
pertinent, soon followed and on February
18th, 1870, the chief signal officer of the Uni.
ted States Army was charged with the organ.
iZation Of such service in this country.
Observations had been taken and reports
made for many years by the Smithsonian In.
stitute, by means Of volunteer observers in
various portions of the country, but these
were necessarily incomplete, owing to the
small number OF stations, and were practically
valueless for all precautionary purposes, rs
the results of the observations were forwarded
by mail and collated and published after the
occurrence OF the phenomena, which might
have been predicted. The fact that in the
United States in the North Temperate Zone
storms almost invariably travel from west to
east makes il possible, with proper telegraphic
notice, to give warning to places lying in their
tracks.
Hence, if a storm is noticed crossing the
Rocky Mountains or developing on the West
ern plains, and its course known by telegraph.
ic despatch, it becomes comparatively easy
matter to notify in advance places threatened.
To accomplish this Of course, it became me-
cessary to establish large number of stations
to cover as wide an area Of country as posi-.
BILE, and to connect them all by telegraph with
the central office, where the results Of obser.
yations taken at the same moment of absolute
time in each of the stations could be immedi.
ately collated, the results worked out, and
the consequent probabilities arrived at.
BIOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS.
These probabilities are calculated for fifteen
Departments or Geographical Districts known
as the North Atlantic States, Middle Atlantic
States, South Atlantic States, East Gulf
States, West Gulf States, Lower Lakes, Up.
per Lakes, North Western States, South
Western States, Pacific States, Ohio River
Valley, Upper Mississippi Valley, Lower Mis-.
sissippi Valley, Missouri River Valley, and
the extreme Northwest.
The boundaries Of these departments are
as follows.
North Atlantic States-M Maine, New Hamp.
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
and Connecticut.
Middle Atlantic Staies--New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia and District Of Columbia.
South Atlantic States--North and South
Carolina, Georgia and Northern and Eastern
Florida.
East Gulf States-E Eastern Mississippi, AL
ALBANIA and Northwestern and Western Flor.
ida.
West Gulf states-Wcstern Mississippi,
Louisiana and Eastern Texas.
The Lower Lakes-Lakes Erie and Ontario,
with the territory Immediately adjacent.
The Upper Lakes--Lakes Superior, Huron
and Michigan, with the territory Immediately
adjacent
Northwestern States-The territory lying
between the Mississippi and Missouri.
Southwestern States-That portion Of the
Gulf States west Of the Mississippi river, in.
cluding the State Of Arkansas.
eSinc otutto--ChittOfulAt OfenOu and
Washington Territory.
Ohio River Valley-A belt Of 100 miles Of
territory on each side Of the Ohio River from
Pittsburg 10 Cairo.
Upper Mississippi valley--A belt OF terri.
tory 200 miles wide, 100 miles on ench side
Of the Mississippi river from Saint Paul to
Cairo.
Lower Mississippi valley--A belt of terri
tory 200 miles wide, 100 miles on each side
Of the Mississippi River from Cairo to Vicks.
burg.
Missouri River yalley--A belt Of territory
200 miles wide, 100 miles on each side Of the
Missouri River from Fort Sully, Dakosah, 10
St. Charles.
Extreme Northwestern Stales--That nor.
ton Of Dakotah west Of the Missouri river
and the eastern portion Of Wyoming Terri.
tory.
There art now l02 stations IN the United
States. There are also II stations IN Canada
under the control Of Prof g. t. Kingston.
Director OF the Maenetin Ohsaryatr, 49,, - ma