Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-09
BY E. DonoId Bell

Ia 4N1d1 YEARS AGO To-
L. day, the Federal Government de-
cided that the age-old conversation
opener, the weather, was of sufficient
Importance to warrant special Or
ganization to deal with it. BY joint
resolution of Congress, signed by the
President on February 9, 1870, the
United States Weather Service was in
augurated as part of the Signal Service
Of the Army.
Before that time, the job of taking
meteorological observations probably
was the most bandied-about chore ever
undertaken by the Government. The
Nation was slow in taking congressional
action to establish a specific weather
service, but various Government Of
ficials and agencies had shown interest
in weather recording as early as 1914.
Non-governmental interest dates back
even farther. Many private individuals
made observations of the weather dur
ing early Colonial times. Necessary in
struments were lacking, however, and
the observations resulted in very few
records of value. DR.. John Lining Of
Charleston, S. c., made instrumental
observations as early as 1888, and in
1853 postmasters and shipmasters OBJ
served weather conditions for the then
Postmaster General of the Colonies,
Benjamin Franklin, to aid his research
on cyclones and ocean currents.
Between 1880 and 1892. records show
that a comprehensive collection OF
weather observations was made by the
Meteorological Society of the Palati-
nate. These observations covered eleven
countries, which included observations
at two points in the United States, and
the records are still preserved.
The first recorded instance Of
meteorological observations on an Or
ganized basis dates back to 1854, when
the Duke of Tuscany distributed mete-
geological instruments, inept as they
must have been in that period, to CO.
operative observers in Italy and ada
cent countries. He maintained records
for about thirteen years.
The Federal Government entered the
picture in 1914, when it inaugurated
the first weather system on country
wide basis. James Tilton, physician
and surgeon Of the United States Army.
directed that weather diaries be main
tanned by all regimental, post and hos
pital surgeons It was the most COM
prehensive step yet taken, but its eff
fectiveness was hampered by the war
then in progress.
Surgeon General Joseph Lowell issued
a similar order in 1918. requiring every
Army surgeon to keep diary OF the
weather noting everything OF i'm
portance relating to the medical topog-
raphy of his station" including the
climate and complaints prevalent in
the vicinity. The plan still was not
effective, because Of lack OF equipment
and direction.
Surgeon General Thomas Lawson
(1836-61 is credited with improving
the system. Needing the recommended
lions of scientists, Lawson effected dis
tribution of more reliable instruments
and the establishment Of standards.
The only generally used Instruments
thermometers-were poorly constructed
and not standardized. After 1843, ther-
mometers were made by a New York
instrument maker. George Tagliabue,
on specifications furnished by the Depot
of Charts and Instruments. They were
not issued to observers until after COM
parison with the standard thermometer
at the depot tnow the Naval Observa-
tory. ill.,
The Army surgeons were faithful in
their performance Of weather-taking,
but it was difficult job for them. They
were already fully occupied with their
duties Of taking care Of the sick and
wounded Moreover, they had to con-
tend with wars and Indian raids. FIRE.
quently, their reports bore such nota-
tons as, Owing to the threatened out
break OF the Wallapais, the rain gauge
was abandoned for several days and
was only visited the second day after
the rains"
Overwhelmed as they were, Army
surgeons also were compelled to carry
meteorological instruments with them
when the Army was engaged in wars.
Thermometers. barometers and rain
gauges were carried along when the
Army invaded Mexico in 1886.
In the meantime, another ephemeral
Federal weather system had been estab-
lished in 1877 by Josiah Meigs, Com
missioner of the General Land Office.
Meigs ordered the Registers of the
Land Offices to maintain and submit
monthly records of temperature,
weather and wind, and miscellaneous
phenomena. Congress had Staunchly
refused to supply money for instru-
ments. so Meigs himself provided each
Register with equipment. It is not
known just when this venture ended.
The Smithsonian Institution became
interested in meteorological observa-
lions in 1847, and proceeded to estab-
lish the most important system Of the
10th Century, system which proved
to be the forerunner of that used sub
sequently by the Weather Service of
the Signal Office. and still later by the
United States Weather Bureau.
The system was based on securing
voluntary cooperation on the part of
private observers, and had it's origin
in the work of James P. Espy and
Joseph Henry. Espy had attained prom
inence in meteorological work while
chairman Of the Joint Committee on