New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-08

UEIIHER SIGNALS.
Although only Il few days have elapsed
since it, uso began, the ncw weather signal Of
a white flag with black centre by day. and II
white hight 10y night, has been so constantly
displayed that ii is becoming quite familiar.
4, winds from the west aud northwest are
the prevailing ones Of this region. and rs they
are apt 10 be- brisk, If not hi-h, for day or
two after. every storm, and may be cutie
lively ut almost any time during fair weather,
this new signal Is sure OF frequent Use.
Before It's adoption such winds had 10 be and
were indicated 10y the danger signal Of red
flag 10y day and rel light by night Since the
winds from westerly quarter blow of shore,
they are not specially dangerous 10 shipping
on our coast and the frequent use OF the
DANGER signal when such winds alone were
unprecedented. had "A tendency to bring storm
warnings into di~rcpujc. Shipma>tcrs might
naturally have inferred that little reliance
could he placed on danger signal which
might be iii played when there Was no danger;
and the consequence of crying wolf nccdlcSsly
has doubtless been that Che cry has been dis
REGARDED when the wolf was actually at hand.
The obvious success of this new signal should
cannot bc made in the same line of improve
mont. For military purposes great variety
of signals have been devised. The system for
using these devices is the chief business OF
the Signal Service i'll our army, and Is re-
g1rdcd ~ being more lugcnlouSly and otli
GENTLY developed here than IN any other
country. Ii seems H. though II should not be
difficult to adapt some of the signals used III
the army to the weather service. There is a
manifest absurdity in having only two classes
of signals for the weather, in which all the
people of the United States are Interested, and
a score or more of signals tor our little army.
To meet the needs of the community, IA signal
should indicate the probability OF rain or
snow. aud Of extremes of heat or cold, quite
as much as of mere wind. II may he said
that n thorough knowledge of the wind would
90 a long way toward determining the pros
pcct of weather. Bat 10 very great success
would be achieved by wcathcrprophct who
based his predictions solely upon the two sig
nails which now constitute the whole display
of the Government stations Ii the daily an
nounccmcnt4 in the newspapers supply all that
is ncedful Of knowledge rs to approaching
weather. the storm signals are supcllluous.
If lhc signals supply additional, LATER or more
accessible information, they ought to he, SO
far as is possible, full and definite in them
selves.
From time TO time there have been hints OF
an extension of the weather service in this
country for the benefit of the farming classes.
To them information about rain is of very
much greater importance than indications con-
corning wind I'm harvest time, especially,
knowledge n To coming rain may determine 4
farmers fortune for the whole year. lnfOrma-
tion rs TO the approach 0r Il severe frost might
often save ao1icuturists from heavy losses, and
would BE- of great service to florists nurscrymcn
and persons engaged in raising market vcgetl-
M,s. 4 Ncw-Jcrscy farmer, writing to Ihc
LIBiru HaeJmdman, complains with justice
that Il. present the Signal Service renders lit
lie help TO agriculture. He says that farmers
cannot in general drive five or ten miles to
ret morning weather report, and that those
who do may find il too late TO be Of value.
Quoting from THE TRIBUNE Il statement rs to
the systematic efforts OF the authorities in
France to supply weather warnings expressly
for the benefit Of agriculture, the Ncw-Jersey
farmer complains that in this country the work
of the Signal Service Is too exclusively in aid
Of the shipping interest. lie makes a suggcs-
ton that is probably worth considering: it i,
that all locomotives OF fast trains, when the
prospective approach of storm has been tel
ccIaphcd to prominent railway stations, should
carry storm signal which would be visible
to farmers along the route.
The proportion of farmers who arc near
enough to railways to be able to observe sig
mails on Il locomotive is, possibly, large enough
to Justify the small expense which such
scheme would involve. 1t would add much to
the populaiity of the Signal Service, and per-
hans would bring about an increase Of the
number of observing stations on the lines of
railroads. But 20 make this plan of real
service, the signals should be Mt least quite as
definite concerning rain and frost as they now
are with regard to high winds. There have
also been various suggestions for signals to be
placed on high elevations, such as Hill sum-
mits and mountain peaks. that can be seen
from great distances. The objection to such
plans is chiefly that they involve the expense
of stations at such points. Perhaps this could
be obyiated if some cnterprising inventor
would contrive automatic signals, which could