METEOROLOGY AND THE SIGNAL SERVICE. 397 
“In Germany and Denmark, where the telegraphs are under Government 
control, telegraphic announcement of the approach of storms is sent to all seaports 
by the operators who are especially charged with the performance of this duty. 
‘«The importance of regular meteorological reports was early recognized in 
this country, for the Medical Department, United States army, commenced taking 
observations in 1819. The States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio fol- 
lowed in 1825, 1837, and 1842, respectively, and the Smithsonian reports in 1849. 
The observations, while valuable to the scientific world as studies for future 
application, or in reference to the sanitary condition of localities, were at first of 
no immediate benefit, and it was only when the introduction of the telegraph made 
their rapid transmission possible that attention was drawn to the possibility of 
practical storm warnings. In 1857 the Smithsonian Institution in Washington 
was in the daily receipt of weather telegrams, transmitted gratuitously by the 
telegraph companies, from various places east of the Mississippi and as far north 
as New York, and published in the Washington Evening Star. In 1858 a map 
was hung up in the Institution, on which was shown daily the changes of weather 
reported by telegraph from different parts of the country. Reference was fre- 
quently made by Professor Henry and the able correspondents of the Institute to 
the practicability of more extended plans of this description. 
‘‘TIn the same year the American Association for the Advancement of Science 
appointed a committee for the organization of a national system of meteorolog- 
ical observations, and a plan was presented, which provided for the appointment 
of a superintendent in each State, who was to collect and collate all observations 
within its boundaries, and forward them monthly to Washington. The expense 
of maintaining such a system was to be borne by the different States. No action 
was taken in the matter, however, and the daily publication of reports of the 
Smithsonian continued until the breaking out of the war in 1861, when it was 
suspended, but renewed again temporarily in 1862; but finally discontinued, 
owing to the cessation of observations in the southwest, and the constant use by 
the Government of the telegraph lines. In 1863 the newly appointed Commis- 
sioner of Agriculture commenced the monthly publication of a bulletin, giving 
the state of the weather and condition of the crops throughout the country from 
data furnished by correspondents. This publication is still continued, and is of 
value to the agricultural interests of the country. In 1869 a daily bulletin of the 
weather was published for three months in Cincinnati, Ohio, under the direction 
of Professor Cleveland Abbe, and the experiment proved so successful that it was 
renewed during the present year. Since 1863 several persons have endeavored 
to get congressional assistance in organizing the national system suggested by the - 
Association in 1858. Mr. A. Watson, of Washington, has been earnest in advo- 
cating in the papers a system of storm signals for the benefit of agriculture. 
‘* Professor I. A. Lapham, LL. D., of Milwaukee, has been a persistent and 
successful advocate of the importance of some national system of weather reports, 
in which the telegraph was to play an important part, and he brought powerful 
