298 BULLETIN OF THE 



In 1870, a meteorological departmeut was established by the 

 Governiueut under the Signal Office of the War Department, 

 with enlarged facilities for systematic observation : and agree- 

 ably to the settled policy of the Institution, this important field 

 of research was in 1872, abandoned in favor of the new organiza- 

 tion.* Of the voluminous results of nearly a quarter of a cen- 

 tury of systematic records over a wide geographical area which 

 have been slowly digested and laboriously discussed, only a 

 small portion has yet been published. The publication of'^the 

 series when practicable, will yet prove an inestimable boon to 

 meteorological theory. 



Although our country can boast of many able meteorologists, 

 who have greatly promoted our knowledge of the laws of atmos- 

 pheric phenomena, it is safe to say that to no single worker in the 

 field is our nation more indebted for the advancement of this 

 branch of science to its present standing, than to Joseph Henry. 

 Quite as much by his incitement and encouragement of others 

 in such researches, as by his own exertions, does he merit this 

 award. To him is undoubtedly due the most inii)ortant step in 

 the modern system of observation, — the installation of the tele- 

 graph in the service of meteorological signals and predictions. f 

 While giving however his active supervision to the extensive 

 system he had himself inaugurated, publishing many important 

 reductions of particular features, as well as various circulars of 

 detailed instructions to observers, of the desiderata to be obtained 

 by those having the opportunities of arctic, oceanic, and south- 

 ern explorations, directing the constant observations recorded at 

 the Institution as an independent station, he made many per- 

 sonal investigations of allied subjects; — as of the Aurora, of 

 Atmospheric electricity and Thunder-storms, of the supposed 

 influence of the Moon on the weather, — and contributed a valu- 

 able series of Memoirs on Meteorology, embracing a wide range 

 of physical exposition, to the successive Agricultural Reports of 

 the Commissioner of Patents, during the years 1855, '56, '57, 



* As an illustration of the popular favor iu wliicla this Signal service 

 is held, it may be stated that the annual appropriation hy Government 

 for its support now exceeds not merely the entire Smithsonian income, 

 but sixteen times that amount; or in fact its whole endowment. 



f " However frequently the idea may have been suggested of utilizing 

 our knowledge by the employment of the electric telegraph, it is to Pro- 

 fessor Henry and his assistants in the Smithsonian Institution that the 

 credit is due of havinsr first actually realized this suggestion. ... It 

 will thus be seen that without material aid from the Government, but 

 through the enlightened policy of the telegraph companies, the Smith- 

 sonian Institution ^first in the world orj;anized a corapreheusire system of 

 telegraphic meteorology, and has thus given — first to Europe and Asia, 

 and now to the United States, that most beneficent national application 

 of modern science — the Storm Warnings." Article on " Weather Tele- 

 graphy" by Prof. Cleveland Abbe. {Am. Jour. Hci., Aug. 1871, vol. ii. 

 pp. 83, 85.) 



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