The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-19
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
STORMS, WIND vELOCITIEs, AND HOW
THEY ARE CALCULATOR.

THEY ARE CALCULATED.
Remote Antiquity Of the Use of Signals
and Minute Description of the
thermometer.
Yesterday morning reporter OF the Dem
ocRAT having had his attention frequently at
tracted by the exact manner in which the sigma
officers report the changing wind velocities
during our local storms. and by many other
Incidents. determined to investigate the loca
signal office and the signal service generally
and to find out. for our readers
How heat and tempest mingle In maze
Why nfmble coruscatlons strike the eye.
And bold tornadoes buster in the sky"
The following is the result Of his labors. II
seems that the signal service was formerly an
undistinguished portion of our military es-
tablishment-at least not more distinguished
than the engineer corps or the ordnance corps
but public Joint resolution No. g. Of Congress.
approved February 9. 1870. by assigning to 1t
new duties of the most important kind, placed
1t on the road to distinction. This resolution
reads as follows:
Representatives of The United States Of A,ne,ica
sngCon0ress Assembled, That the Secretary Of
war be, and he hereby Is, authorized and re-
observations at the military stations in the in
terror of the continent, and at other points in
the States and Territories Of the United States,
and for giving notice on the northern lakes and
on the seacoast, by magnetic telegraph and
marine signals. of the approach and force Of
storms.
The direct effect of this act was to cause tn
establishment of signal Offices at each of which
constant record of the weather must be kept
The reason of this can be easily made plain. It
Is this: The weather itself consists Of a success
sion OF storms which follow one another like
the pillows and troughs of the ocean in storm
sweeping over this country. as general rule
from southwest to northeast. 1t fs quite evil
dent that picture Of the ocean in storm
would be ridiculously incomplete If the pillows
only were delineated and the holows or troughs
entirely left out So 1t Is with a weather record
intended as picture of the weather, it must
be continuously kept or it will be ridiculously
Incomplete and useless. When any one goes
into the surf for bath. even IL he closes his
eyes he can always tell how high the wave Is
and how deep the trough that follows It, because
ne feels the water it dashes or flows
against him. After Il little practice he can tell by
the height OF the water resting against or NOV
ing by him. how far away the next wave is and
how far beyond him the last-and this with his
eyes closed. Now in the same way must the
atmosphere be managed. We cannot see It,,
consequently we use feeler. and the feeer Is
the barometer Unless we attend to and record
continuously the warnings of this feeer we are
sure to be surprised by au atmospheric wave
The record of the weather must therefore. be
constantly and carefully kept or the provisions
OF the act OF Congress. cited above, cannot be
carried out. Consequently. the records of the
signal service are kept by authority Of and pur-
gresS. This Is q fact of interest to LAWYERS and
Judges, since. under the rules of evidence, it
makes the same records admissible as evidence
Organized signal services, 1t seems. existed
from very early times. We have heard It
rumored that Eve. In the garden. while up on
Adam This rumor is due to Milton who hints
that signals were made. and describes the rude
substitute for signal flag used by Eve
In her hand she held
New gathered, and am brosial smell diffused" |
not to, be wondered at. After her time, signals
would seem to have been disused for a long
Saes At sfRs s fd to 81 rs Sa unity Of ian
Confidence in them was gone, and no wonder
their, first success in the hands of Eve had en-
nothing about signals; but we are told by a late |
hlgn authority on the subject that 'Polybius 900
years years, = q mentions the wonderful, skill ac-
CURED by the signal corps of his day."
But 1t was not until after the invention of the
magnetic telegraph and the passage Of the act
esn a5ove that signal services
The signal service Of the United states is
equipped TO mai ntafn communication by sig
99als, by telegraph, or by semaphores between
different bodies OF troops. or between troops and
iiieets and an international signal code makes
Il possible Tor man who knows no language
mariners of any nation. The duties required
OF the signal service by the act of 1870 made It
ionally organize his command SO as to fit 1t for
us new duties.fi In consequence Of which no.
body can be admittedto the signal service with
Those who are admitted might be
said to be divided into three classes. viz: a. OBJ
Just admitted to the service. who immedi.
ately become candidates for admission to the
second second class Just mentioned. These last are
offices through the country until they have {
stIdied the regular course of instruction at the
segyoe School Of IT. stqaed
Lee ante-bellum residence. Here these can t
1idates are instructed in the use of meteorolog-
c ne t. the modes Of observing the
4 stations OF observation, and at stations for
ne display of storm signals. These candidates t
telegraph trains and lines. and many other
matters likely to be of use, in addition to the I
branches previously enumerated. When prof.
'ient In all these they are promoted to assistant
observers. and assigned to stations. Then after /
full year on station. land no less except in c
o observer, on going through a more extended r
course at the school of instruction These =
graduates are pOpul arly known as Young i
probs"- =
AT whose command the storms invade; d
The winds by his commission blow
Till with a nod he bids them cease" q
Admitting this, we will now see how he Il
operates to secure such perfect control. /
me stations at which cautionary signals are Il
displayed are equipped with flags and appa- +
atus for exhibiting the cautionary and eau a
Ionary off-shore signals. day and night. All b
L SGAf1Ong. ayppnt th0Sn a ri md l..
b, her most important signals, are established
olei With reference to the vallfebf their posi- s
Ions Tor meteorological observations. Each f,
tation forwards to the Chief Signal Officer once
very eight hours a full but brief Geographic n
eport OF the weather conditions at the place.
,orts. from other places What he receives he +
translates tfor they are all in cipher) makes up O
INTO bulletin and publishes. The following is G