Increase Allen Lapham. — Winchell. 11 
keep the matter in agitation. He finally made a direct appli- 
cation to Congressman H. E. Paine, from Wisconsin. This 
memorial calls attention to some predictions of on-coming 
storms which had been made by the astronomer Le Verrier, 
as reported bj" the president of the Toulon Chamber of Com- 
merce in 1863, and to the attempts of Capt, Fitz Roy in En- 
gland. He lays down the groundwork for a scheme of gov- 
ernmental weather service in the United States, based on tin- 
ascertained direction of movement of the great storms of the 
country, which is that which at the present time is in effect- 
ive execution. A similar appeal was made by Lapham to the 
National Board of Trade, through Hon. E. I). Holton, of Mil- 
waukee, who presented it, with a resolution, addressed to 
Congress, at the meeting of that Board at Richmond, Va., in 
1870. It was ably supported by Gen. Walbridge, of New 
York. It was unanimously adopted, and was immediately 
forwarded by Mr. Holton to Representative Paine, at Wash- 
ington. In an "incredibly short space of time for that august 
body it was passed, in- the course, I think, of three weeks; the 
Signal Service [weather bureau] was thus incorporated.' 1 * 
While the chief Signal Officer, at Washington, had general 
charge of this new bureau, Dr. Lapham was appointed as his 
assistant with office at Chicago. It was his duty to receive 
and summarize reports of the weather from more western sta- 
tions and telegraph his conclusions to Washington for the 
benefit of eastern shipping and agricultural interests. It was 
thus that the first official storm prediction in the United 
States was sent out by him from Chicago, Nov. 8, L870, as 
follows : 
To observers along the lakes (bulletin this at once): 
■ Noon, Chicago, Nov. 8,1870.— A high wind all day yesterday at Chey- 
enne and Omaha. A very high wind reported this morning at Omaha. 
Barometer falling, with high wind at Chicago and Milwaukee to-day. 
Barometer falling and thermometer rising at Chicago, Detroit, Toledo, 
Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester. High winds probable along the 
lakes. 
The result verified the prediction. High winds were re 
ported the next morning at the following lake ports: MEilwau 
*Speech of Hon. E. D. Holton, Insurance Hon itor, Vol. 23, p. 330 
(Sherman). The memorial of Lapham to Congress is published by the 
list Congress, Second Session, Dec. 11, 18G9, Misc. Docs. No. 10. 
