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FITZ-ROY WEATHER FORECASTS. 
By G. F. CHAMBERS, F.R.A.S. 
I N the present article I propose to give a general account of 
that system of weather forecasting commonly associated 
with the name of the late Admiral Fitz-Roy, discussing it his- 
torically and practically. The importance of the subject can 
hardly be over estimated: all classes of the community are 
more or less benefited by fair weather and prejudiced by foul 
weather, and some prior knowledge, however general, of what is 
to be, would rarely fail to promote our convenience in the busi- 
ness and pleasures of daity life. 
Few sciences have been studied in a more desultory way than 
Meteorology, and though this remark is less true than it was a 
few years ago, the reproach is by no means removed. On this 
point Admiral Fitz-Roy felt very warmly and he seems to have 
been almost the first man who infused into the subject an 
element of practical application. In 1853 there was held at 
Brussels an international Maritime Congress at which Meteoro- 
logy as bearing on Navigation was discussed, and in 1859 the 
British Association recommended to the Board of Trade the 
adoption of storm-signals to be circulated by aid of the electric 
telegraph. This recital brings us at once to the question we 
have in hand. Consequent on the recommendation above 
alluded to, Admiral Fitz-Roy was directed by the Board to 
prepare a scheme for conveying to certain seaports, connected 
with London by telegraph, intelligence of approaching storms. 
Nothing in the way of prediction 'was contemplated, only 
announcements of storms at some places, which storms might 
be expected after short intervals of time to manifest themselves 
at others. The conductor of the new movement was not satis- 
fied with this moderate advance; he. thought that more could 
be done and ought to be done and that he would endeavour to 
do it ; in short that predictions or approximations to predictions 
two or three days in advance were fairly feasible. “ From the 
very first the project was more or less opposed by many, and the 
old sea-wolves of the North for some time looked upon it with 
contempt. One day however Admiral Fitz-Roy ordered up his 
‘ south cone ’ meaning that a storm was approaching from the 
