The New York herald., 1878-02-22
HERALD WEATHER SERVICE
AYear's Work in Warning the
Coasts Of Europe.
HOW THE STORMS ARRIVED.
I Complete List Of The Predictions with Their
Manner Of Fulfilmcnl.
TIMELY NOTICES OF DANGER

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The nrss years work OF the HERALD weather Bu-
reau ~ transmittips warnings and predictions by
cable the advent Of storms on the European coasts
has been completed, aud comparison OF the predic
irons changes OF the weather tho days they
announced gives tho most satisfactory results. This
special weather service for the bench, OF commerce,
navigation and agriculture was undertaken BY the
HERALD With view tho protection OF these impor.
tsns branches Industry from dangers created by the
violence OF The tempssts that sweep across the
ocean and which have carried destruction
10 the European coasts within the mcmory
OF man. The vastness OF the interests 10
bs guarded measures tho degree Of danger that
menaces them from q source over which no human
control could DO exercised. II has been long the de-
sire OF scientific surround commerce and agri-
culture, the most fruitful sources OF nations
wealth and prosperity, with all the safeguards that
human intelligence can create. Tho gravest dangers
from natural naturally arise from those violent
pcrturbations Of the atmosphere which react in 80
many ways the aud land ana cause those ter
riDe disasters that frequently the result OF want
oil forekno wledge Of the coming danger From tho
earliest pages VI history is gathered the rela-
ton OF instances whore the bodest plans and most
perfect organizations devised and created by mans
Intelligence have been 1t naught by powers and
forces ot nature unknown aud un ioreseen Naves
like tue Spanish Armada, organized with view 70 the
achievement OF the greatest desgns have been scat
tered destroyed by storms ~ tho very time when
SUCCESS appeared bcckon the leaders and their
followers 10 complete triumph. Who has not read
OF the general leading his enthusiastic troops
tory beiug suddenly halted by storm that renders
the roads impassabic nundates the vallcys sweeps
away the bridges that spanned the rivers aud
neutralizcs in icw hours all the calcula-
,ions OF tho most experienced strategists? 1t
unnecessary 90 back further than TO the beginning
OF tho present century, whom all Europe convulsed
by In those days no electric telegraph flashed
the instantaneously rom point to point Every
movement necessarily conducted III the most
methodical manner. and weeks often elapsed before
apy Intelligence could pass over distance OF few
hundred miles. Then IL was that those awful catas
trophies occurred, which, viewed IN the light OF the
science oi to-day, to regard their victims with
puying interest Yet the growth OF knowledge has
not been rapid enough TO guard succeeding genera.
tons from the perils OF and food until very
late day.
WEATHER EuRorE.
reference 10 the records Of tho many observa.
tories scattered Europe and examination Of
ths prevailing weather conditions continent
curing the changing seasons will show how entirely
dependent European peoples, especialy those OF .he
countries the meteorological inlorma.
ton afforded them from this continent to
mont OF storms. Except IN the lar south OF Europe
and the northern sections oil Africa the weather Of
the American continent dominates that OF regions
10 the eastward Nearly every orguuizsd
storm that strikes The Norwegian, British,
French ana spanish coasts has affected In its
course TIE weather OF some portion Of
the United States or Canadian territory. The excep
tons those whcrc tho tempests developed in
the mid-Atlantc during tho movements OF minor de-
hat m frum
which, by reason Of the peculiar and constantly
changing relations that exist between them and those
oi oi high pressure in their vicinity, sometimes
develop into organized storms eastward OF our coasts
Cyclonc storms originating IN the tropical zone soms
times make such short curves uortnward aud east
ward from their points OF development Affect
the wca her the Atlantic OF this continent,
but Of this kind comparatively rare,
can be easily determined by observation.
The storm centres that reach Europe generally
the OF that continent norlhward OF the
Bay OF Bscay travelling In norheasterly, eastery
or southeasterly direction. Those which como from
the southwestwsrd are usually, but not exclusively,
oi Equatorial origin or pass the American con
tinent by the southward route Of the Gulf from the
Pacidc Ocean. Such cyclon,c storms that VIII ch
devastated Indinnola aud Galveston In Sep
tcmber, 1875, take very direct tow
ard Europe from the southwest. But In.
stances by rare OF storms
that have passed The lake region from
tho Northwest IN Territories and the Pacific being
carried southeas ward to comparatively low latitudes
and then northeas,ward so as to reach Europe from
south westerly direction. On reaching the European
soast storms either Norway toward Norih h.
srn and Central Russia eastward over Denmark and
The Baltic to Northern Germany and Southern Russia,
or southeaslward over the English Channel, tho
Netherlands aud France TO Central Europe and tho
regions OF the Danube Valley and Asia Minor. Nearly
all the storms that affected the bcIIigereuts Bull
CARA during the recent active campaign In Turkey
were Of the latter class
HERALD WEATHER bureaus WORK.
BY OF close observations OF tue Transatlantic
movement Of storms during the period comm cncing
In August 1878, and conducted without interruption
Since then and aided BY the data collected from var
ous sources, including those Of tho United States
Signal Service the British, French Belgian aud Mex
services, and that collected specially
for the work by volunteer observers amorg the most
prominent commanders oil the Atlantic and Cult
steamships, by tho HERALD correspondents in
every quarter and through the HERALD ship
news department, the HERALD Weather Bureau
has succeeded In dcducing tho law OF
Atlantic storm movements from their various Oh
scrved phenomena, aud with tho measure OF success
presented below. Considering the amount OF labor
devoted to this and the difficulties that beset
investigation the percentage Of predictions verified
In whole or In part Is remarkably high for the 6rst
years. work 1t mas been necessary TO break loose
from the trammcs OF book theory altogether aud
work out the problem by original Investigation. Long
before February IA, 1871 the courses OF toward
Europe were noted In tho HERALD Weather Bnreau's
records unissued predictions, sndtno uIdlmcnt OF
psherw,sc OF these little by little suggested tho lines
OF research. When al last ana on the above date.
public prediction cabed Ave days anead OF the
rival oil the storm ia England, IL wus fulfilled TO th,
letter. as were consecutvcy tho Ars eleven warning
Of the scrics, covering February, March aud April
1871 From May TO July. both inclusive. the predc
iuy, generally or partly fulfilled with one
exception, and from August 1917, TO January, 1878
sut OF nineteen predictions cabled seventeen wore
somp,etely fulfilled one was generally fulfilled and