1870.] "i <. [Emerson 



Such utilization of simultaneous meteorological observations, with 

 immediate transmission by the magnetic telegraph, is now carried on in 

 England and most parts of Europe, including Norway, Denmark, Holland, 

 Belgium, Prussia, Austria, France, Italy, and throughout the Russian 

 Empire. At your breakfast table in London, Paris, or any other of the 

 principal cities of Europe, you can now read in the Times, Oalignani, and 

 other leading newspapers, the condition of the weather almost at the 

 same hour in the morning, in every part of Europe. 



More than thirty years ago, a very active interest was taken in this 

 country, and especially in this city, in regard to meteorological investiga- 

 tions, and especially those relating to the origin and progression of storms. 

 Espy, Redfield, Loomis and Olmstead, on this side of the Atlantic, were 

 the most prominent leaders in the investigations carried on. 



The work was not, however, left entirely to individuals, but learned 

 societies engaged in it. In this city, a " Joint Committee on Meteorology'''' 

 was instituted, consisting of four members of this Society and five mem- 

 bers of the Franklin Institute, which for several years labored in the 

 collection of observations, and other measures calculated to promote the 

 advancement of meteorological knowledge, and the programme of their 

 plans was almost identical with that now proposed to be carried out under 

 the auspices of Government. 



The primary meeting of this "Joint Committee" was held on the 9th 

 of September, 1834, and the first project set on foot by it was the establish- 

 ment of competent observers, in different parts of our State and country, 

 to make simultaneous observations of the conditions of the weather, the 

 occurrence of storms of rain, hail or snow, the direction of the wind and 

 atmospheric currents, quantities of aqueous precipitations, movements of 

 the barometrical column, temperature, &c. 



Of the nine members of this " Joint Committee" when first appointed, 

 I find myself the only survivor ; and it seems to me a duty I owe to the 

 Society by which I was appointed, to bear testimony to its former efforts 

 for the advancement of meteorological science — efforts made at a time 

 when the only means of transmission was by the tardy and costly mail 

 service, now superseded by the marvellous capacities combined in the 

 magnetic telegraph. 



For carrying out the projects of the " Joint Committee" money was 

 needed. This could not be advanced by our Society, then in a condition 

 of pecuniary embarrassment, nor by the Franklin Institute, which, strange 

 to say, in this great city, where it should be cherished as a grand capitol 

 of the industrial arts creating most of wealth, has always been compara- 

 tively poor. 



In this dilemma, application was made to the Legislature of our Com- 

 monwealth, from which liberal appropriations in money were obtained for 

 oui'use, $4,000 at one session, and $3,000 at another. Some of this money 

 was used by the " Joint Committee" to defray expenses incurred in print- 

 ing, corresponding and collecting reports. The largest portion, however, 

 was spent in supplying each of the fifty-two counties then in the State, 



