After writing these, it was suggested that some remarks might be added
for the benefit of many persons, especially young officers at sea, and
the suggestion was complied with; yet not so as to diminish the
portability of this compilation, or increase its price.
These remarks, derived from the combined observation, study, and
personal experience of various individuals, are in accordance,
generally, with the results obtained by eminent philosophers.
The works of Humboldt, Herschel, Dove, Sabine, Reid, Redfield, Espy, and
others, are appealed to in confirmation of this statement.
To obviate any charge of undue haste, or an insufficiently considered
plan--which may be fairly brought against many novelties--the following
testimony to the first published suggestion of such a measure is
submitted.
In the First Report of the Committee on Shipwrecks (1843), at pages 1,
2, 3, the following evidence was printed by order of the House of
Commons.
"I think that the neglect of the use of the barometer has led to the
loss of many ships. From a want of attention to the barometer, they
have either closed the land (if at sea), or have put to sea (being
in harbour in safety) at improper times; and in consequence of such
want of precaution the ships have been lost, owing to bad weather
coming on suddenly, which might have been avoided had proper
attention been paid to that very simple instrument. While alluding
to the use of barometers, I may remark, that if such weather-glasses
were put in charge of the Coast-guard, at the principal stations
round the coast, so placed as to allow any one passing by to look at
them, they might be the means, not only of preventing ships from
going to sea just before bad weather was coming on, but of
preventing the great losses of life which take place every year on
our coasts (particularly in the Orkney Islands and on the coasts of
Scotland and Ireland), owing to fishing vessels and boats going to
sea when bad weather is impending. No bad weather ever comes on our
coasts without timely warning being given by the barometer. The
oldest seaman are often deceived by the look of the weather, but
there is no instance on record of very bad weather, such as would
have involved loss of life to the extent we have heard of in several
years, having come on without the barometer having given timely
warning. By the very small expense of an establishment of
barometers, so placed as to be accessible to any fishermen, boatmen,
or others on the coasts, much loss of life, as well as loss of
boats, and even shipping, might be prevented.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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