Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1879 — THE SIGNAL SERVI [ARTICLE]

THE SIGNAL SERVI

The International Meteorologica Congress of April 14, 1879. The International Meteorological Congress, recently convened at Rome terminated its labors after a brief and rather hurried session, by referring much of the business for which it was convened to the discretion of a committee originated by the Congress itself have not been therefore numerous. The meeting was large, with quite a general enthusiasm on the subject of International Meteorology. The Congress has recommended that for each country daily synoptic weather-charts be made for study, as has been the daily practice for the United States since 1870; that storm tracks should be traced, weather notices given to farmers, winds, temperature, etc., studied by the mouth and by the year; instruments at all stations compared with each other; the general march of weather phenomena over the surface of the globe noted; uniformity of observations sought for, and other procedures, as has long been the customary plan on this side of the Atlantic. There are evidences of progress in this. On the subject of observations actually simultaneous, first originated and practically put in use by the United States in 1870,and the basis of observation on which the greatest advances and success have been made by this country, it was resolved, “that the Congress is of the opinion that the development of simultaneous observations contributes much to the progress of meteorology, and that all works which are undertaken in this direction ought to-be encouraged.” The publications of the Signal Office, such as the Monthly Weather Review, with the synoptic and international weather-charts, were referred to with approval, and with the recommendation, "that the Congress is of opinion that the publication of a similar review would contribute much to the advancement of meteorological study, and is therefore recommended to be made for Europe.” There can be no higher compliment. Finally, the Congress asks that the stations at Mount Washington and Pike’s Peak (the highest station on the earth), may be maintained, making even more observations than those now attempted, and that all the observations published for the use of all meteorologists everywhere, as an approval of those stations, the utility of which was once questioned. It is on these points only the acts of Congress have any special reference to the meteorologigal work of the United States. It is satisfactory to notice so much of approval and adoption and so general a wish for the continuance and extenof it. The Congress made no .practical suggestions as to weather predictions in Europe—a matter which it would seem might have been arranged with very little difficulty.