The New York herald., 1877-10-19
ENTEhPRISE VERSUS ECONOMY.

THE EERALp WEATHER BUREAU DOING THE
SERVICE oP THE UNITED STATES sIGyAb
officR-oyEB TWO HUNDRED SIGNAL STA
TIoSs ABROAD HAVING sEMI-MoSTHLY IS-
TERcoURsE WITH wAsMNGToS-THE HERALD
ALONE FURsIsHISG DAILY REPORTS OF AP-
PGoAcHISG sroRMs-ISrEgvrIw WITH Mgns
CHANTS AND SIGNAL oFFIcERs
The extraordinary services rendered BY the HERALD
Meteorological Bureau in warning European signal +
stations OF approaching storms has ere this received
encomiums IRON foreign sauaas aud presses but IA
was not until the past low days that those Interested
IN such observations have been willing TO give the
HERALD due credit for what has been doue in this pc.
culary scientific enterprise, which has reduced all
the theories OF sdraHs TO practical test In order
that readers should thoroughly understand tho
scope and extent OF the HERALD Weather Bureau.
which Friday last, October L. notified all Great
Britain that great storm approaching its coast
and would worry likely reach there on or about
the 18th inst, IL must be remembered that tho
Signal Service Of the United States, though ex.
celent tar It goes nevertheless does 60 be-
yond certain limits. The service reaches the most
outer point Of Nova Scotia and docs extend ilscf
any further Where the washes the coasl there
Its operations II docs not so beyond that line,
the Atlantic, and takes for tha
welfare OF other hemispheres. Not because It doca
scientific and practical advantages TO be
derived rom daily intcrcommunicaton with the 2id
signal other parts OF tho globe. but because
tho means at hand not adequate 10 the require.
ments OF such a daily service. In fact gentle.
man said yesterday Congress does not appropriate
enough send four cable messages throughout
the year. hence the American Signal Service mu.t coD
tent itself With watching and warning tho American
coast only. and all It do is 10 embrace the Domn-
ION provinces within It's range. II can iurthcs
for the lack OF funds required 10 conduct ransatane
tic service.
rnE HERALD TAKES HOLD.
II 10 Just here that the HERALD takes up the service
thus rudey broken OF by the parsimony OF the gov.
crnmcnt OF tho United States, notwithstanding the
fact that during the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 grand
congress was held in the Austrian capital for tho
very purpose oil accomplishing what was originally
intcndcd-the mutual daily exchange OF mcteoroiogt-
cal observations throughout the civilized globe True
In accordance WITH resolutions there and adopted
uniform observation for tho preparation OF sy.
noptc charts taken daily has been recorded
since throughout tho word, but It's practical effect
amounts to very little. Tho chiefs oil the moteoro.
logical services representing the different countries
exchange their observations only monthly. They
largo extent OF territory including all leading
European countries, Japan and South America but
the daily printed bulletin DO vi
possible use practically by the time these
semimonthy reports are exchanged SCIENTISTS
no doubt derive their comfort from these
semi monthly reports, as deiineatod upon charts aud
printed IN oiicia documents, 30 as 10 add moro fuol
10 their peculiar studies but ships would have been
lost and thousands OF hyes sacrnced VA iniorim
but Tor the timely Interference OF the HERALD Weather
Bureau Taxing up tho thread Just where tho uuilcd
states signal Scrvcc It's Iabora. has nj
own expense, warned The mcrcantiie marine abroad
Of approachn ne storms and that just In the nick Of
time. On the 9TH OF this month tho HERALD Weather
Bureau warned us friends abroad OF an approaching
storm the British coast and again the night u
The l3th ms. told them almost tho very hour at
which the gale would sweep tho British Isles. Tho
night OF Sunday last showed how correctly these pre-
dctions were made. IL was the very night when tcle
graphic news regarding the The progress OF the French
elections WAS eagerly looked Tor by the American
people, Dut Monday mornings papers had
TO appear without about the great electoral
that then deciding tho political late of
great and friendly nation The cables ul intact,
they embedded safely bottom OF ocean
but tho land iinesn other words tue wires that CON-
bine ut Vacntiis on the IRISH coast-were u down.
Tor the simple that the storm predicted NY tho
HERALD Weather Bureau on the l3th two days pre-
viousy, then spcndng ts furious force over tho
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE poIsG oovEnsngSr WORK.
A gentleman Interested IN tho workings OF tho
United States Signal Bureau SAID only yesterday whcu
auding 10 this remarkable icat, ''fhe HERALD
Ing single handed what the uned States government
| ought 10 do Granted that we IN this country wcra
taking upou ourselves tho burden of THIS expense,
would tend 10 this country's glory and reDowD ana
| Is u shame that tnis should be lett TO pri-
vate enterprise. True VIC have done y great
deal among the nations OF the earth IN advancing
rneleorolog,caI observations we have succsrdrd 10
making them all take observations ". min
utes to eight A. NJ, Washington time, where only
lew years ago no scientific man Europe knew OF
an ythng else, would listen To nothing else, than
Greenwich time. still this Is not all we should am
at Our monthly reports are good tor ine uture
study OF sciensLs they comprise valuable statistics.
But this IS country OF action, oi PRACTICAL Immediate
results and the government should not withhold irom
the Signal Bureau tho wnerewithaI to acquaint its
spondcnts abroad OF what transporting thif
coast and remember, my friend our geographical
stion Is peculiar IL vs. selfsn OH our part not 10 do
for storms always travel eastward Thanks to the
HERALp's Efforts tho great result been achieved.
nevertheless and our friends abroad have been duly
warned OF approaching storms but that does not IA
the least loosen tho responsibility OF tho govern
mcnt."
ciRcUmLooUTioy oFFicE.
The gentleman Guar OF the Unitci States Signal
Office 10 this city wns called upon iur his opinion IN
regard The service rendered by the HERALD Or tho
benefit OF commerce and tigation. The sergeant IN
thuueh he Was willing TO- gave all The data III Ills pos
session bearing upon the storns of the past mouth.
He, course, officially had heard oi the HEkALr
Weather Bureau Of the existence OF thing be.
youd the line OF Nova Scotia AS siguai OIL.
Ger IN CHARGE he knew nothing OF such u country ~
Great Britain, much less vi the European Continent
IL came not under his baiiiwick The signal Bureau
took no observations after storm lct Nova Scotia,
anu hence it was unknown To hin. who're tho storm
TO alter IL left that coast. Being soldier, who
only obcys ORDERS OF course tho sergeant IN charge
had opinions whatever as to the direction OF Tho
storm alter II lett Nova scotia on the 9th inst lie
merely repeated the printed lines of the report Of
that day, that "tnc storm disappeared OF Nova scotia
on the 9th inst There ended his work, aud no de-
cncd peremptoriy TO say anotner WORD about stofms
cyclones or Europe.
These data show exactly the valuable services
cercd by the HkKALD Weather Bureau. II takes up
the course Of the signal Service leaves
OIL and though the last warnin. sent To England WAS
only two days ahead OF the storm IL was really the
shortest warning ever given by the HERALD Bureau.
the usual time being tour TO days In advance Of
great peru that may threaten lie anu proporty
the European coast