The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-10-18

extensively aud becoming more impor.
tant every day. This is done by means
of "maps," bulletins" indications"
and various other publications, which,
through the generous cooperation Of
the press of the country, are made
available to the great mass of the peo-
pie. The amount Of these issued by
the various signal Offices throughout
the country is something enormous.
There is scarcely village or hamlet
in the land that they do not reach in
one way or another. The peculiarity
of the signal service observations is
their synchronous character. Four
times each day, at the same instant of
actual time, at every station in the
country, those observations are taken,
at 1886 o. M, II noon, 4:35 p. M, and
II D. m, Washington time. Three Of
these, the morning, afternoon and
night observations, ere Immediately
telegraphed to the chief officer at
Washington, and from these the "indi-
cations" are dcduccd aud telegraphed
ever ::;e country. Perhaps it is right
TO make some explanation regarding
those indications" for the benefit Of
those who read them in the newspa-
pers. The "indications" that appear
in the morning papers, arc dcduced
from the l. p. m. observation Of the
previous evening, and arc telegraphcd
from the Central Office ut a. m. of
the day of publication. In many in
stances people do not see those papers
till near noon, or perhaps later. which
is twelve hours or more after the intli-
cations have been dcduced. The con-
sequence is that many people think
they have not been verified, whereas
they may have been previously veri-
fed, and new set Of conditions may
be existing at the time they are read
in the newspapers. Another circum-
stance also requires notice, namely,
that they refer to lnrge tracts of coun-
try, SO TINT it is possible that, though
they are generally verified, there may
still be localities in which they are not
so. For instance, the Upper Lake re-
gion mems Lakes Superior, Huron
and Michigan and the adjoining terri
tory, and it is seldom indeed that the
same kind of weather is found to sub
.i't over this extent of country for any
length of time. When the indications
announce rain in this region, the Ohio
valley. or any other division, il does
not necessarily follow that it is going
to rain all over this extent of country,
but merely that rain will pretty exten-
sively prevail. Also, with regard TO
storm signals-whcn storm signal is
displayed ut any station it does not
necessarily imply that hurricane. is
coming, but that the atmospheric con-
ditions nre such within the neishho..
hood of the station as to demand pre-
caution from navigators and others in
terested.
Besides the four synchronous obscr-
vations referred To ahove, there are
three others taken at every station, at
Z n. M, 2 p. M. and 8 p. m., local
time, which makes even observations
each day. All these observations are
entered in forms especially prepared
for the purpose, and forwarded weekly
to Washington. The amount of labor
involved i'll correcting, arranging, and
tabulating those observations (for each
must be absolutely correct,) with q
great deal of miscellaneous Office work,
the public can have very little idea OF.
To perform this work with the accura-
cy and precision required, demand an
intelligence and Judgment of high or
der, even outside of the course Of spe-
cial training which those, who perform
it, are required to pass through. The
duties of this class of public servants
are very artluous, and, it must be said,
their remuneration is very inadequate,
but it is to be hoped our next Congress
will net with more generosity toward
them than did the last, and that their
labor will be properly recognized.
Then it will be no exaggeration to
state that the Signal Service will abe
a necessity ill peace as we'll as in war;"