The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-14
THE sIGNAL SERVICE.
Some Interesting Information from nm r,rp..,
and Persistent Mnn.

and Persistent alan.
To THR EDITOR OF THH SUN-iyir, In 1869
Admiral Fitzroy OF the British Navy eetabl oh cd
his system of weather warnings by means OF
the telegraph. the barometer. Thermometer
weather maps newspaper notices. and caution
airy signals. the system being intended mninly
for the benefit OF commerce. as fully drscribod
In his large Weather Book" to be found in
most librarics Soon nfcrward the Same sys-
TEN was established NIL over Europe.
Having studied this system thoroughly. and
while believing II Of some utility in general
gales. but susceptible Of great Improvement in
most respects. | devised and published In 1867
my universal plan of storm and food signals
by the telegraph and cannon. TO give certain
instant. and general warning OF tornadoos. hail
storms. gales. and rain storms for tho benefit OF
farmers in haying and harvest mud sudden
Hoods on rapid rivers. | continued 10 publish
TINS system generally in the papers Tor three
years; Ia ls72 an ct was b,ssed by Congress
tRev. Stat. soc 1927:
The secretary oi war il authorized to establish me.
ror OF tho continent and the NORTHERN lakes and sea
signals Of the course and force oi storms
Under this net while the Fitzroy European
system could BE- established. its wording makes
u more especial nnplieable to my, plan. The
nrtwas referred by the Secretary OF War to Gen
Myer OF the signal Service for execution, and
he Immediately requested an interview with
me. lie told me that he knew nothing what.
ever OF meieorology. had never read n book on
inc subject, aud asked The names Of the most
NOTABLE, o,Inahiee, writer's ! gaye Fiiztoy, fspy Reid
ihken down. and sent To- the Compression Ii
brary Tor the books. H. told mo that he had
seen my numerous publications on the subject
III thc newspapers Tor years; he had never seen
case Of persistence which equnled II he re-
garded my lnD9r7 as me principal cause 9f the
my SYSTEM and lo invited me to call ON ever,
possible OCCASION"
This was only frank and fair hut having
learned that Myers word was Of but little value
and that he was addicted to nppruprinting tho
labors and inventions OF others TO his own hon
or ANA pront. wrote him. and obtained writ
ten promise that he would test my system Sub
srduently | called 10 soc what was being done
"a the matter. when to my utter astonishmcnt.
hc refused me an Interview. And hevstablishcd
the Fitzroy system. which he has repeatedly
claimed, and which, last March. before an in
Ncstuhting committee he swore was his own
invention
-, While my plan needed no central o.rlce. and
the expense would be- smnll on The contrary lin,
other did need central Office. and. as has boon
seen Tor years, the cost has been great. and mil
lions have passed through Myers hands with
NO. one io question the expenditure.
But IN the establishment OF the European sys-
tem Nyer lYtaliy ignored the law. Tor he never
aslngle Observer signal att mill
Wry station. as expressly required 10y the MT.
hhd he done this. the cost would have been
much less. and the service more efficient At
every military station there are several intelli-
gent officers who could note tie barometer thor-
mom"tcr and other instruments. and send their
reports To- the telegraph office. AMI they could
also display the cautionnry signal 81 coming
gales. But TINS military station system wl, r..
cannon are used for signalling WIS uly p'nn NJ
ignored at whnteycr cost Anl again. thcsrmii-
itary on Gers could not bee used fpr Myers tv-
ra a. r9rpDse aud 80 h" enlisted. without
authority ~ law. some 200 observer srrgcdlIt@,
nni placed two together IN al-ut 100 cities and
towns, hiring III" corkuit oi high buildings.
thr7. two observer Serg"ants to have the ourr-
Gus duty OF watching the instruments and tine
clouds. To carry their readings To- the telegraph
on 'r. and about once "a month to hoist fh,' att.
U1nhrv siEnnl Thrs" unnecessary o. Eirtrs hnVr
cost about s4uuOOJ annually: while in Eng and
nc Observers are tie telegraph station agents
with over loo stations. and paving the cost uf
graph serNic" me "Npense for many years
has boon only sju.pu0 annually And Tho scr
vice IN England and Europe has boon consider
ab'y Improved. while in this country Mycr has
made no lmpr"Xem.nt. nor win he permit
oth"rs 10 do 50. Yet he might explain how his
predictions, published in the Newspapers
come under the head Of marine signals. rs
Though had thus lost my three years labor
IN Ne passage ~ the act. and had even been
insuted by Myer for this service. still believed
I" persist. | had been through u similar mill. |
ana nag finally triumphcd. During two Sos
passage OF an act 10 adopt NV invention II |
STAMPED newspaper wrappers. and. when pass-
e. v" wrnnpers wer" nine times r"I"rtcd by !
NE foTt onlcn Department but persistence /
finally won They have been On snlr for seyrn- /
teen years. with convenience To the public and /
proN 70 the department. The wrappers have I
/. nee been adopted hy all the Government. IF /
Enrope and the world
Win tbs experience in rejections and nnal 4
su''' ~, sent circulars OF my plan L. uuuy /
Interested lrrsons and experienced mcteorOln- I
slst-, and obtained strong endorsements from /
I'VE Coverings II States. ten Mayors oi princi-
lnl cities. thirteen state agricultural socicfies
i've Animals IN command Of navy yards and /
aStly from Samuel /. u. Morse. inventor ~ tho (
lel'graph. But perhaps the strongest rerum-
u 'ndntlon was from the Hon. William orion
resident ol the Western Union Telegrnrh /
.ompany, with III louOuO mites ~ telcErIih .
mos and S.W1 station agents who offered 10 b
~" government and all citi', and towns which /
would establish IN" signals free telegram, Of /
'9ming storms md floods o. test my system
These recommendntiO seemed Ia ha over
Nh"luing, nud especially the offer Of tn. t,.l..
graph company. which would mako tho cost ~
, t'st oi nay plan n few charges of powder nj
"a" military ant naval stations annually Nst !
ill we're rejected 10y Myer. And when only last !
summer the plan wis twice strongly en- ors.l /
y IA" { commissioner oi Agriculture. AMI the /
nor ~ Tree kilograms 10 to~t the system, was
tn"wcd by Mr.. Ortun the test WIS twice r..
e'ted 10y Myrr uhun the most fimsy prrieNt-
Agan, recently. when the uflDr uf the Int Mr. /
)lton was renewed for the third tiine hv tho
rlegraph company. the plan was insultingly
retled by Gen. Myer But The end is not Vt.
So AUGUSTUS WATSON.
WASHINGTON. u. C.. June ~ 1875.