Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1880-08-27
OLD PROBABILITIES.
He Answers tho Signal Of the Celes-
tial Weather Clerk.

Brig. Gen. Albert J., Myer, chief signal
officer of the army, known throughout
the length and breadth of the United
States as "Old Probs," died at his home
IN Buffalo, Tuesday of this week. The
cause of his death was a complication of
Bright's disease of the kidneys and an af.
fecti0n of the heart, with which he had
been. troubled some time. Gen. Myer
was native Of New York, from which
state he was appointed an assistant sur-
geon in the regular army Sept. 18th, 1854,
which commission he vacated in 1860 TO
accept the position of chief signal officer,
with the rank OF Major. In May, 1862,
Major Myer was promoted to lieuten
ant colonelcy for meritorlous service at
the battle OF Malvern Hill, and was made
full colonel July 4, 1864, and before the
close OF that eventful month in the his
tory OF the war was hreveted brigadier
general for distinguished services in or
ganizing, lnstructlng and commanding
the signal corps of the army, and for its
special service on Oct. 5, 1864, the day on
which the post and garrison at ALA
toona, Ga, and a most valuable deposit
ory of provisions there, attacked by the
rebel army, were saved by troops brought
up by signals just in time to defend it,
the messages being sent over the heads
of the enemy, and when communication
the close of the war, the signal corps was
lmpoltan branches Of the service. Gen
!, o1 rrix, Nf
study and was thoroughly conversant
with every known method of signaling,
and conceived the idea of establishing
the school of instruction at Fort Whip
pie, which has eliminated in the present
wonderful and beneficial system OF
weather reports from over 250 different
stations in the United States, upon which
are based the daily weather predictions
for all sections Of the country, and which
won for Gen. Myer the familiar title Of
"Old Probabilities" By congressional
legislation the signal corps was created
distinct department ranking the line,
being virtually the scientific corps Of the
army. Gen. Myer and four lieutenants
were The only officers belonging to the
corps proper, all other officers engaged
in his department being detailed for this
duty until such time when there shall
be a sufficient number Of officers COM
posed OF men promoted from the ranks of
the corps to fill the positions now occu-
pied by officers of the line. Congress
has made no provisions for the promotion
OF signal corps officers above the grade Of
second lieutenant, SO that the succession,
as the case now stands, will fall upon
Lieut.. James A. Swift, the ranking lieu
tenant 4o14the corps. There is no legisla-
tion aa<,scrmits officers of the line on
signal duty TO be transferred into that de-
partmeata It is expected that a regular
grade gof officers the same as that OF a
brigadezor regiment will he provided for
at thd*next session ef congress. Until
then Second Lieut.. James "A. Swift is
chief Signal officer of the army, an anom-
ally hitherto unknown in tie history of
the American army. Gen. Myer was
quite xealthy residing during the win:
ter in aspa1atlal residence in Washing
ton, ana during the summer at his home
near Hslalo, H. LIN laonor1of shis tlis-
guisHed Services in the advancement
of metcorolo logical science, he was elected
to malYSof the noted scientific assecia.
tons df Europe, and numbered among
his friends the scholastic celebrities OF
both this country and Europe.