[ i08 ] (38 



To Joseph Henry, LL.D., 



Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution : 



Sir : I herewith present to you the report of operations duiing the year 

 1851, relative to the meteorolop-ical correspondence enti'usted to my charge 

 as Geneial Assistant. 



\'ery respectfully, vonr obciiient servant, 



E. FOREMAN. 



METEOROLOGICAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



The plan adopted for obtaining a corps of meteorological observers for 

 the Smithsonian Institution consisted in issuing a circular letter of date 

 November 1, 1848, which was signed by the Secretary anfl Prof. Espy, 

 requesting the co-operation of those interested in the subject. This was 

 distributed by members of Congress during the winter of 1848-9, to such 

 of their constituents as were judged by them to be favorable to the under- 

 taking. 



A L^rge number of communications in reply accumulated during the win- 

 ter, and in February, 1849, the correspondence was arranged, the neces- 

 sary answers prepared and sent with blank forms for the registers of the 

 weather, and a copy of the annual report of 1849, which contained com- 

 munications on meteorology. An address book for this special correspond- 

 ence was also prepared., 



The number of persons who offered their assistance at that time, or from 

 whom we were informed that co-operation might be expected, may be stated 

 as follows : 



Maine 2') 



New Hampshire 8 



Vermont 7 



Massaclnisetts 18 



Rhode Island T) 



Connecticut 10 



New York 56 



New Jersey 12 



Pennsylvania 55 



Delaware 2 



Alabama 14 



Mississippi 17 



Louisiana 4 



Texas 3 



Arkansas ; 1 



Missouri 5 



Tennessee 11 



Kentuckv 12 



Ohio... I 27 



Michigan 10 



Maryland , 11 j Indiana 16 



Virginia 22 I Illinois 11 



North Carolina. 8 I Iowa 4 



South Carolina 4 j Wisconsin 14 



Georgia'' 7 



Florida,' 5; Total : 412 



Of this number, one hundred and forty-three were correspondents o^ 

 Prof. Espy, w4io had been previously engaged in collecting observations 

 vmder the direction of the Navy Department. To these also a circular and 

 documents were sent, as it was desirable to retain the assistance of prac- 

 ticed observers. From nineteen of this number we have received records 

 of observations, and ten of them still continue to make monthly returns to 

 the Institution. 



Oilers of service are continrially made, and in accordance with our plan 

 and at the request of the applicant, meteorological blank forms and direc- 

 tions are invariably sent. The regular conduct of a journal, however, re- 



