Nalioiial Sciciilific ami luiitcalioiial fiislilitlions. 299 



nients for use in meteorological observations, which were continued until 

 about 1847. Those of New York were kept up until 1865 or later. 



In the meantime the idea of the preannouncement of storms by tele- 

 graph was suggested in 1847 by W. C Redfield, the discoverer of the 

 law of storms, while Lieutenant Maury, from 185 1 onward, and especially 

 at the International Meteorological Conference (held at his instance in 

 Belgium in 1853), was promoting the establishment of a system of agri- 

 cultural meteorology for farmers and of daily weather reports Ijy tele- 

 graph. ' 



In February, 1855, Leverrier obtained the sanction of the Emperor of 

 France for the creation of an extensive organization for the purpose of 

 distributing weather intelligence, though it was not till i860 that he felt 

 justified in making his work international.'' In 1 861 and in 1862 a similar 

 organization was begun in England, inider Admiral Fitzroy, which was 

 extended a little later to India. 



In the meantime all the essential features for the prediction of meteoro- 

 logical phenomena were in existence in the Smithsonian Institution as 

 early as 1856, having grown up as the result of an extensive series of 

 tabulations of obser\^ations recorded by volunteer observers in all parts 

 of the country. 



The following historical notes on weather telegraphy, prepared by Pro- 

 fessor Cleveland Abbe in 1871,^ give a summary of the progress of this 

 work: 



However frequently the idea may have been suggested of utilizing our knowledge 

 b)^ the employment of the electric telegraph, it is to Professor Henry and his assist- 

 ants in the Smithsonian Institution that the credit is due of having first actually 

 realized this suggestion. 



The practical utilization of the results of scientific study is well known to have 

 been in general greatly furthered by the labors of this noble Institution, and from 

 the very beginning Professor Henry has successfully advocated the feasibility of tele- 

 graphic storm warnings. The agitation of this subject in the United States during the 

 5'ears 1830-1855, may be safely presumed to have stinmlated the subsequent action of 

 the European meteorologists. It will be interesting to trace the gradual realization 

 of the earlier suggestions of Redfield and Looniis, in the following extracts from the 

 annual vSmithsonian Reports of the respective years: 



1847. The extended lines of telegraph will furnish a ready means of warning the 

 more northern and eastern observers to be on the watch for the first appearance of 

 an advancing storm. 



1848. As a part of the system of meteorology, it is proposed to employ, as far as 

 our funds will permit, the magnetic telegraph in the investigation of atmospherical 

 phenomena. . . . The advantage to agriculture and commerce to be derived 

 from a knowledge of the approach of a storm by means of the telegraph, has been 

 frequently referred to of late in the public journals; and this we think is a subject 

 deserving the attention of the Government. 



' Maury's Life, p. 77. 



" Scott, Storm Warnings, London, 1S83. 



^American Journal of Science, Jul}', 1871. 



