EXTENDING THE UTILITY OF THE SIGNAL SERVICE. 357 



EXTENDING THE UTILITY OF THE SIGNAL SERVICE. 



The suggestion has been made to extend the utility of our already very effi- 

 cient Signal Service by adding to its scientific labors the vi^ork of making system- 

 atic observations respecting the electrical condition of the atmosphere. The 

 proposal is that these observations shall be made, as meteorological observations 

 are now made, simultaneously by a large number of competent observers over 

 large areas, in order that the general laws respecting the connection of the elec- 

 trical state of the atmosphere with meteorological conditions — which connection 

 is known to exist, but is very imperfectly understood — may be worked out and 

 formulated. It is known, for example, that the prevalence of certain winds along 

 our coasts is usually accompanied by peculiar electrical states of the air; and the 

 coming of these winds can be predicted, even in the present imperfect state of 

 our knowledge, by observations on the electrical state of the air. With respect 

 again to thunder-storms, it has long been known that their advent is almost in- 

 variably preceded by jDronounced electrical disturbance, which could frequently, 

 if not always, be recorded upon delicate electrical apparatus, with a clear sky 

 and sunshine above. 



The important practical bearing of these facts upon the meteorological work 

 now being carried on so successfully by our Signal Service observers is too obvi- 

 ous to require explanation. The great progress in meteorology that has been 

 made during the past decade, has been almost entirely due to the adoption of the 

 plan of making systematic and simultaneous observations over very extended 

 areas ; and the little that we at present know of the relation subsisting between 

 the electrical state of the atmosphere and meteorological phenomena, is sufficient- 

 ly suggestive to justify the opinion that highly important scientific and practical 

 results would follow the establishment of electrical observing stations in connec- 

 tion with those of the Signal Service. 



The suggestion of extending the operations of the Signal Service by incor- 

 porating a system of electrical observations into the routine work of its numerous 

 observers, has frequently been mooted by scientific men and discussed at scien- 

 tific gatherings. While the great interest and almost certainty of valuable practi- 

 cal utility that would result from this extension of the work of the Signal Service 

 has been universally admitted, no steps have as yet been taken on the part of the 

 government to put the idea into practical shape. The proposed extension of the 

 duties of the Signal Service would entail a large increase in the annual expendi- 

 ture of the corps ; and it is plausibly argued that the government would not be 

 justified in incurring this yearly addition to its expenditures until the utility of 

 the new scientific observations to commerce and agriculture shall have been 

 demonstrated. In view of the very strong probability, in the light of our present 

 imperfect acquaintance with this interesting subject that great benefits would re- 

 sult from the new departure, the argument just stated appears to be exceedingly 

 weak; but happily a way has been found out of the difficulty which promises to 



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