Meteorology 65 1 



ogy than to any other branch of physical science." * Then he 

 unfolds his plan : " It is proposed to organize a system of 

 observations which shall extend as far as possible over the 

 North American continent." 2 



In the accomplishment of this purpose he wisely calls to 

 his assistance " the most experienced American meteorolo- 

 gists," 3 Espy and Loomis, both of whom prepared reports 

 on the subject, which are given as appendices two and three 

 to the first annual Report. The first, by Loomis, is a mas- 

 terly summary of all the knowledge then possessed on the 

 subject. He showed what advantages might be expected 

 from the study of storms, what had been already done in this 

 country toward making the necessary observations, and finally, 

 what encouragement there was to a further prosecution of the 

 same researches. He then presented in detail a plan for uni- 

 fying the work done by existing observers, and for supple- 

 menting it by that of new observers at needed points, for a 

 systematic supervision, and, finally for a thorough discussion 

 of the observations collected. 4 



The communication from Espy is a shorter one, but it is 

 of much value and specially pertinent in that it refers to his 

 " circular to the friends of science " sent out from the Sur- 

 geon-General's office before 1843, m which he urged the 

 keeping of meteorological journals upon voluntary observers, 

 and requested cooperation in his efforts to develop the phases 

 of storms. It was also in this letter that he announced his 

 " intention to lay down on skeleton maps of the United States, 

 by appropriate symbols, all the most important phases of 

 great storms which might come within the range of our sim- 

 ultaneous observations ; and thus it was hoped that we 

 should be able to determine the shape and size of all storms ; 



1" Smithsonian Report," 1846, page 25. Work of the Smithsonian Institution." Page 



^Ibidem. 2 17, "Bulletin No. nof the Weather Bureau." 



3 Langley, S. P., "The Meteorological *" Smithsonian Report," 1846, page 28. 



