Year: 1874

It is announced that the Meteorological Commit
tee the Board of Trade of London have decided to
return to the of the storm signals of Admiral
Fitzroy. These signals, which have for some years
past since the death of that eminent meteorologst.
been discontinued. gave formerly great satisfaction
to those directly interested in the navigation Of the
sea; although many landsmen were found who
harped upon the occasional mistakes that occurred.
The success of Admiral Fitzroy and the necessity
of similar work to secure the safety of the ship
ping in American ports had great weight with Con-
gress in the deliberations incident to the establish
ment of the system OF storm warnings OF the Army
Weather Bureau Indeed, thesystem OF Admiral tltz-
roy has been so far followed that there Is not now
throughout the civilized world single seaport OF
any Importance that does not provide for the pre-
dcton Of approaching storms as carefully as 1t
provides for the preservation of its channels or the
maintenance of efficient lighthouses. In Great
Britain the plan adopted is to let the Governments
provide the meteorological observers. the elegraphy
and the storm predictions; while the individual
seaports provide for the display of the warning
signals. BY this arrangement the expense of the
system is very uniformly distributed. In this
country the army provides for all the expenses in
cluding the signals an arrangement that Increases
very materially the necessary appropriations
made by Congress; but that is said to insure
more perfect performance of the work In one
point however the English system is manlfesty su-
peror to our own, viz in that the signal adopted In
that country indicates the direction from which the
approaching gale is expected to blow. IL is well
known that the signal displayed at NewYork tells
us merely that high winds expected. but gives
us no further hint to their character whether they
are to come from the North, South. East or West.
Many vessel is consequently detained for fear lest
northeast wind is approaching, only to find that
the gale is westerly and would have been
helpful had she put out to 1t surely cannot DO
that the Signal Office has not the information neces


sary to justify the display of such signals as are
used in England. Would it not be an Improvement
If throughout the world a uniform system of storm
signals should he adopted such the English system


which is already well known and highly appreciatedf


Some indiscreet friend or subtle enemy OF tho
Hon. John A. Bingham, United States Minister 10
Japan, published in Washington newspaper ah
extract from private letter written by the s'er'
The quotation duly found its way back 10 JAPAN
and as II asserted that English influence was do
clining in that Empire, 1t seems 10 nave cfe''eo"
Croat st;r among the foreign residents who on
account of the smallness OF their numbers and the


;oolated nosition constitute very excitable Little
PedlinQton indeed. The Japan Mail the organ Of
the pro- British party, makes Judge Binghams art
less gossip the text for tremendous editorial
"crlsher" which is amusingly in excess of the
demands of the occasion. We must confess that the
natural thing TO expect would be the publication OK
the Minister'S confidential reports TO the state
Department. But in this instance the sin. such a
1t was, consisted in Judge Bingham's trusting his
crude NOTIONS Of thinGs " private correspondents