The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-05


Mr.. Scott, r. n. B., and the Herald
Weather Predictions.
On February % we laid before our readers
detailed statement of the results Of our
undertaking in warning the coasts Of Europe
of the approach of storms. The basis Of
comparison between the predictions and
the European weather Of the days to which
they related rested chiefly on the bulletins
and charts issued daily to the press and
public BY the Meteorological Office, London,
and published in the Times with the utmost
regularity. Although we drew our data for
comparisons from other sources, such as
the Bulletin International OF the Observatory
of Paris, the British and the French
and other Continental press, the ship
ping reports of the HERALD and the meteor
illogical reports furnished by the captains
Of ocean steamers to the HERALD Weather
Bureau, the chief one was. for obvious rea-
sons, that which the British public recog-
time the statement was being prepared that
the secretary OF the Meteorological Council
in London, Mr.. Robert H. Scott, F. II. S.,
was engaged on similar comparison OF our
predictions, and which he has since pub
lished in the Nautical Magazine for March and
also in pamphlet form.
Recognizing from the commencement of
our undertaking that the supporters Of old
views on meteorology would probably take
exception to our system and its novel fea-
lures, and endeavor to discredit our claims
to success by a strictly legitimate criticism,
we took special care to limit these claims to
what was warranted by evidence, not OF
unquestionable sources as we have already
named. On the other hand, we were pre-
pared to defend our system of predictions
on the basis of the records to which we
have referred, expecting these only to be
used on the other side Of the question that
is to say, we were prepared to meet criti-
cism that was fortified by facts. Mr.. Scott
has, however, adopted treatment OF the
record, for the purpose Of sustaining his
views that appears to us to be wholly at va
rance with any Legitimate deductions which
can be drawn therefrom, iffigures and plain
English count for anything. What makes
this all the more remarkable is that these
correct enough for our purpose, have issued
from the office Of which Mr.. Scott is
the chief It is not that we read the
evidence in one way and Mr.. Scott in
another, but that that gentleman actually
contradicts point blank the statements Of
the bulletins and charts which have been
issued with his authority from time to time
to the press and published as official.
In another page Of to-day HERALD we have
devoted as much space as could be spared 10
the subject and cited particular instances
Of this conflict of opinion between Mr..
Scott, the Secretary of the Meteorological
Council, and the same gentleman as pri-
vatc individual criticising the HERALD
warnings. We should not have noticed his
effort to disparage our work but for the
weight his official position must necessarily
give to his statements, and which are
doubly misleading coming from such
source. We can only say that when tested
by the published records Mr.. SCOTS
opinions are mainly at variance with what
might be reasonably expected, and when
compared with the meteorological facts re-
lating to the predictions it is impossible to
perceive on what ground he can entertain
them. The HERALD. in spirit of journal
istic enterprise, has undertaken work in
which all unbiased persons recognize the
desire to lessen, if possible, the dangers Of
navigation and the losses to other interests
from storms So long as the predictions
prove correct SO long must they be ex-
tremely useful to all who receive them.
Whether the atmospheric laws on which they
are based meet the approval and acceptance
or otherwise Of scientific men matters very
little 50 long rs the results are beneficial to
those they are intended TO reach. Fortu-
nately, however, for the cause Of intelligent
investigation and progress, the merits and
success Of our predictions are freely ad-
mitted by nearly every scientist who has
taken the trouble to examine them, and we
can console ourselves with the belief that
they will continue to be appreciated by the
public, Mr.. SCOTS adverse opinions to the
contrary notwithstanding.
Local Methodism.
Our reports from the Methodist confer