'93 



attributed to the absence of signal stations farther west. 

 If earlier signals could be obtained from the Atlantic an 

 enormous amount of life and property might be saved. 

 He was there not long ago, and noticed that about ten 

 miles from the west coast of Ireland there was a sort of 

 table land where the water was only 900 ft. in depth, 

 and it appeared to him it would not be difficult to moor 

 a vessel there. 



Mr. BiRKBECK, M.P., proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. 

 Scott for his admirable paper, which would be, when 

 published, of the greatest value, not only to the fishing, 

 but also to the shipping interest. Living on the east 

 coast of England, he knew full well how often fishermen 

 were prevented going to sea in the face of an impending 

 storm by these warnings from the Meteorological Office, 

 and he could only hope that the system would be very 

 much extended. 



Mr. ABERCROMBIE, in seconding the motion, said there 

 was one point to which Mr. Scott had not done justice, 

 and that was the enormous amount of work which he 

 himself, in an unobtrusive way, had performed in the 

 Meteorological Office, and the researches in which he was 

 continually engaged with a view of increasing the already 

 large number about 83 per cent. of successful predictions. 

 There was no doubt that though this success was very 

 gratifying it would continue to increase from year to year. 



The CHAIRMAN, in putting the motion, said he could 

 speak from personal knowledge of the great care, energy, 

 and industry of the officials in the Meteorological Office. 

 The difficulties they had to contend with were very great, 

 owing mainly to the financial question, which was, from 

 the peculiar circumstances, almost impossible of solution. 

 It was practically impossible, on financial grounds, to keep 



VOL. VII. c. 



