ALLISON ON CANADIAN WEATHER TELEGRAPHY. 373 



stBtions, and I feel grateful to those gentleman who deserve the 

 thanks of the community for the assistance they rendered towards 

 taking even that preliminary step. 



But last year the greatest strides in telegraphic meteorology 

 were made by the Department of Marine and Fisheries utilizing a 

 portion of the Government grant in erecting storm signal staifs and 

 constructing drums at many points throughout the Dominion. 



In addition to the drum warning, a notice of the probable storm 

 is posted in the Merchants Exchange Reading Room, on receipt of 

 a cautionary telegram from the central office at Toronto. As yet 

 it is evident that the public do not recognize the full intent and use 

 of these notices. But that, from experience of other countries, was 

 to be expected ; and they will gradually learn, while we must work 

 on in patience, constantly endeavouring to gain knowledge and to 

 improve the system, so as to make its services more useful. 



Regarding Nova Scotia at least, that there are grave defects in 

 the present method of transmitting warnings must be allowed. 

 These I am labouring to remove, and have lately communicated my 

 ideas, as to improvement in that branch, to our Representatives in 

 Parliament ; thiat during the approaching Session at Ottawa, they 

 may urge them upon the Department of Marine and Fisheries, 

 under the control of which Canadian meteorology has been placed. 

 I have good hopes of their success. 



The present method of giving storm warnings is this, Washing- 

 ton warns Toronto from data collected throughout the Ccmtinent ; 

 and Toronto, in turn, forwards the Washington forecasts to Halifax. 

 Some of the objections to this mode are obvious, especially the 

 length of time necessary in the first place to collect and arrange 

 observations — many of which are ultimately useless for forecasting 

 in our district — and subsequently the roundabout route pursued by 

 the telegrams to us, subject to the frequent delays and defects 

 which accompany telegraphing on this Continent ; and particu- 

 larly liable to the detentions caused by the scarcity of night 

 oflfices. I have no hesitation in saying that the forecasts could be 

 better calculated for Halifax and other parts of this Province at this 

 station, were it put in frequent communication directly with the 

 proper points ; not from any imperfection in arranging data at 



