215 



moment, all the more important meteorological conditions that pre- 

 vail over a very extensive area, and are therefore in a much better 

 position to predicate regarding the approach of storms. Now what I 

 would propose is, that we should, in the first place, endeavour always 

 to have a knowledge of the conditions referred to ; and secondly, that 

 having obtained such knowledge, we should lose no time in communi- 

 cating at least the more important items of it, to those less favourably 

 situated within sight of our coasts. 



The electric telegraph, the wires of which are now so exteDsirely 

 ramified over Britain and Ireland, furnishes the most perfect means of 

 ascertaining, almost instantaneously, at any station within its influence, 

 whatever is going on at any oth^r station. Let then meteorological stations, 

 with competent observers be appointed in various parts of the United 

 Kingdom, especially at the most southerly, westerly, and northerly 

 telegraphic termini. Let the observers at these stations communicate the 

 state of the barometer, the direction and force of the wind, and other 

 meteorological conditions, regularly three or four times daily, and in 

 case of dangerous storm symptoms becoming apparent, with much more 

 frequency, to a central station, such as Liverpool. Here the observations 

 could be compared and discussed, and in the event of cyclonic move- 

 ments of a threatening character being indicated, the nature of such 

 movements might be ascertained and the results telegraphed over the 

 country generally, and more particularly to the principal seaports. 



A simple apparatus for " Storm Sig- 

 nals " might be constructed in the form 

 in the subjoined figure. When un- 

 necessary to exhibit signals, a mast A 

 B would only appear. On the approach 

 of a storm, an arm could be afl&xed, so 

 as to revolve round the point C, fur- 

 nished with a ball D, which might be 

 moved nearer to or farther from the 

 centre, according as the storm was 

 likely to prove less or more violent. The 

 direction of the progressive motion of 

 the storm, could be shown by the posi- 

 tion of the arm C D. (In the figure 

 the storm is indicated as coming over 

 from S.W.) A ball E might also be 

 elevated above the head of the mast, 

 80 as to indicate the probable time of the 

 arrival of the storm, the number of its 

 own diameters intervening between the 

 baU and the mast-head indicating the 

 number of hours expected to elapee 

 before the storm should come on. 



NORTH 



E 



42 



WEST 



A 



♦^' 



EAST 



*<e 



SOUTH 



