The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-04
TIE SIGNAL SERVICE.
A History OF ITS Organization and
Sketch Of It's Duties.
Interesting and Instructive Lecture
by DIR. G.. III. Robe, Signai
".m5M5 Officer.

DIR, q. III. KOhs the AcGouIi'Sueu ~" -
Giant signal officer Mt this station. last even
inc delivered another of his entertaining ana
,nstruc,ivs lectures at the Academy OF Sci
| ences.
A large audience was In attendance, and
tho attention with which the lecture was re-
| ce,ved manifested the interest and apprecla-
| tIon Of those present. 5@-.5M
| DIR. Rohes subject was
THE SIGNAL SERVICE AND ITS DUT1Es,
+, and he spoke as follows:
| On the ninth OF February. 1870. the follow
Ing Joint resolution was passed without DIS
sent BY both houses OF the United States
Congress-. and with the approval Of the Pres
| ldent became u law: ....& .-=.m.-
| Re il Resoired bvtte Sensfe aud Hoafe ~ Rep
| reseut1fires ~ The United States ~ 3tn@,Ga. ~
| Compress assembled. That tho Seeroh,y ot War
| Is. ana he hereby Il, authorized ana radu.Iud
| TO provide Tor taking neteoroloRieal obser va,
lions Al Tho ID Hillary stations In tho interior OF
the continent, and ut other points ia the states
and Territories OF the United stahs "nn 10, ,ha
| ssacoast. by magnetic Telegraph ana marine
signals. of the approach and force Of storms.
The Secretary OF War immediately au-
thorized Gen. Albert j. Myef. chief signal
officer Of the army. to organize a division 81
the Signal Corps for the performance OF the
duties imposed on the War Department by
the above quoted resolution. Although
many difficulties wore In the way Of accom-
plishlng all that was required by the act Of
Congress, yet Cen Myer went energetieally
to work, and III tho course OF few months,
had organized and instructed the "Divlslon
OF kilograms and Reports for the Benefit 81
Commerce. and Agriculture OF the signal ser
vice On tho first of November, 1870, twenty
i've stations or observation and report had
been established, and the work had been
fairly begun At present there arc nearly
two hundred stations distributed over the
United States and Territories, from East-
port, Me, to Campo Santo. Cal. and from
the Florida keys to the coast OF Alaska, aud
It Ia not improbable that within tho next year
or awo stations will be established by thu
? United States ut Point Barrow. the northern
most point In Alaska. and at Indy FRANKLIN
Bay. ID latitude 81 40 north. thus approach
tnu within 500 miles OF the North Pole.
Tho manner Of carrying out the under
taking upon scale OF such magnitude az
that provided by the law quoted nbove ha'
hardly been contemplated even Ia this coun
try. Az General Myer said In his report t.
tho Secretary Of War, for the year 1870:
J The precedents which some experience ha'
, established in other countries w.re 2, hardly u
, presentei this flee was to provide In tbs
United ates for novel duty to be rerformat
| hy n nov org ,nia lion aud under rules which
TO n gren' extan, must h. vt once, Invented, fo
/, and proven by actual pr ctice. Ths general In
tereet evidenced and the aets % scientific mel
mono bsttar knew than tho experienced phyalo
Q ists consulted. must be spnringly promised
IL mi Htu tn ha mr. IN
could DO obtained. were vast and lasting. i
was not u subject for trivial contemplation
duty which should strs'Gh its branches n east ron
9 the Atlantic and the Gull coasts. thence owe
t the thousands If mites Of the states and Terri
> tories to the Pacific. and along Its coasts I ;
q gether wi b the adj d other thousands OF milo
4 of dbast limo 81 the northern lakes and navi
4 gable rivers. Il was work To- o. entered upot
4 with sense or grave responsibility.
A memorandum showing tho plans OF tn
:. initial organic .tion of tho service was sub
J mltted to the Secretary OF War and by hin
+ approved. On the first Of November, 1871
u the following stations began reporting thric
q daily by telegraph:
q Conn: New York City, N. Y; Philadelphil
' Pa: baltimore, Md: Washington, d. o.
/ Wilmington, N G.; Charleston. 5. G.; Az
Key West. Fla; Montgomery, Ala; Mobil'
q Msmphis. Tenn; Nashville. Tenn. Louis
!, Vile. Ky ;Cncinnati. Ohio; Rockville, Tenn
Albany u 0swego n " n MGohes ra'.d
\ Ohio; Detroit. Mich; Chicago, m; IL
dianapois, Ind; St Louis, Mo; milwaukee
Wis; st. Paul. Mimi; Duluth, MINI
4 Omaha, Neb.: Cheyenne. w. r.; Corinn
Utah; Santa Is, y, III III fpr t,at nnsoh M''
u To provide the observers at the diiferet
r. stations was q subject OF anxious considers
! tion. The observations to be made and u
y, REPORTS to be rendered were OF an Offici Il cha
"a actsr, and needed the stamp or official exac
ness. The observers must be Responsible e
Instruments; for reports; for the reRularit
\. and prOmptnesa In making reports Inc
81 must be under strict control The lahors
y, y amateur meteoroloRtsts, however fhsclnat'n
~ and however much OF value for statistical II
"a formation, would be useless where rapldit
~ and discipline were required. The labors
" irregular employees, wholly irresponsible, WI
would be willing to supplement- scanty pa
for other employment more enkrOsslng
or them. by such an allowance as could brotfsrt
IN for a partial attention to duty like thu
IN would be still more unsatisfactory. The
II ties must often be at military posts. They q
IL exact and unceasiug. The display OF signal
when that shall be- reached, would need to
by authority. Nor WAS there any portion
~. the work which could be safely cared for w.
- out rigid inspection and control. The law
Nv, its scope seemed to require that compete
~ and report them under such rules that tn
8 might stand safely IA standard. In some
M IA .tances of foreign experience the excellence
MI meteorological reports, made by non-conn
il stoned officers OF the British army haa
Inc tracted attention. The attempt was made
- secure q similar or better class OF men
IN this country. and was successful. BY the {
~ ercise OF the powers conided to the Sscreta
So of War, the privilege Of enlisting y
t1s made a subject TO competition. The dut
-. Of the service are in charge to-day OF N
he he who count among their number engtnee
~ dlvines students, scholars, almost all
whom aspire to tit themselves by study
NJ elevated professions. The observers are
W. ia quired to pass two examinations. They
w held to duty by their military oath; they |
subject to military penalties for any negl
of 1t; they obey military orders. corps '
provided, to pay which added not one dol
to the estimated expenditures Of the army
ind In the report before quoted Gen. Myer
ley pressed himself ia these words:
49,, Tn rapard To the d.yelOpmeDt of this duty.