Meteorologist, born in New York City, New York, USA. He worked on the US Coast and Geodetic Survey before apprenticing himself in 1864 at the Russian Pulkovo Observatory, home of the then largest refracting telescope in the world. On his return (1866) he tried but failed to establish an observatory in New York City, and in 1868 became director of the Cincinnati Observatory. While there, he implemented a daily weather bulletin for the Chamber of Commerce using telegraphed reports of storms. He became scientific assistant to the Weather Bureau of the Signal Corps (1871) and continued forecasting until his death. In 1879 he proposed establishing time zones based on the system used by the railroads, and this was adopted (1883) when the US was divided into four zones. A writer and editor of many books on weather, he is credited with setting high standards for the new science of meteorology.