CREDIT TO THE U.S. SIGNAL SERVICE> 7173 
to the sciences, which are allowed four hours a week. In the fifth class, where 
scientific instruction has been obviously deficient, the hours for Latin are reduced 
to five, and the sciences are given four hours. In the fourth class an hour is 
taken from Greek, and the hours for scientific instruction are increased to four. 
Scientific instruction will be continued in the third, second, and rhetorical classes 
without encroaching upon the other courses, an hour being taken from the study- 
hours for new subjects of natural history in the third class, for physics in the sec- 
ond class, and for subjects of physics which have not been previously entered 
upon by the pupils, in the rhetorical class. The Superior Council advises that 
the teaching of mathematics and the natural sciences in the grammar-classes be 
committed to special professors whenever the funds of the school will permit it 
and suitable teachers can be obtained; otherwise, professors of science in the 
higher classes may perform the duty for an additional compensation ; or, if there 
is no other way, the ordinary professor may provisionally give the special in- 
struction.—fopular Science Monthly, March, 1881. 
CREDIT TO THE U. S. SIGNAL SERVICE. 
The violent storm of the last two days, with its destructive gales and floods, 
naturally invites attention to the present condition of scientific weather wisdom 
in this country. On Tuesday last we published the following telegram from New 
York: ‘‘A dangerous storm is crossing north of latitude forty-five degrees ; will 
arrive on the British and Norwegian—possibly affecting the north French—coasts 
between the 27th and 2gth, attended by strong south winds, veering to north- 
west gales, rain and snow in north; low temperature follows. Atlantic very 
stormy.” This time, at least, the forecast has fulfilled itself almost to the letter, 
only the prophesied storm seems to have traveled across the Atlantic a little 
quicker’ than was calculated, for it began on Tuesday afternoon, and seems to 
have reached its utmost violence some time during the night of Wednesday. 
From all parts of the country reports reach us of the violence of the wind and the 
violence of the rain. Off the mouth of the Tyne, and even within its still treach- 
erous harbor, several wrecks have occurred, resulting in a lamentable loss of life. 
At Falmouth, at the other end of the kingdom, vessels are putting in almost dis- 
mantled by the terrible force of the sea. From Edinburg and Southampton, from 
Brighton and Liverpool, similar accounts are sent, while in the interior continuous 
rainfall is producing disastrous floods in all directions. At Wenlock, in Shrop- 
shire, the line of railway has been bodily washed away, and all traffic is suspended, 
while the gas supply of the town is cut off by an inundation which has invaded 
the gas works. Retford is threatened with the same fate. At Walsall, water lies 
seven or eight feet deep at the railway station, and the traffic of the trains is. 
stopped. Leeds is buried in snow and Leicester is overwhelmed with floods, 
while all over the Midlands water covers the meadows, and in some places the 
housetops are concealed beneath the floods. It is almost unnecessary to say that 
