, 1870-12-13
STORM SIGNALS.

Report OF the Cnfet Signal officer OF
tho AFmy-venther kilograms for
the Benefit OF Commerce.
General H. J. Myets, Chief Signal oticer Of
tho army, hiss submitted his annual report to
the SecretatY Of Var. No take from it the
following e1tracta:
The plans previously inAnSurated for the
instruction Of the Army in military signaling.
and for supplying 1t with the necessary signI
yta1. The design Of g1v1ng 10 Al oaieats, ~
rapidly - an opportunity permitted, sufficient
knowledge Of The signal service to en3b1o
them to avail themselves Of 1t for the benefit
Of their commands or the service In general,
whenever ooctniau should present itself. has
seemed to be Appreciated BY ofa,ers Of every
grade.
: Io ths ''Disia:on Of Tclesrams and Reports
for the Dene6t of Commerce" under 4 Joint
resolution of the last serEion Of Congress, tLe
work and responsibility hare been greatly ID
ere1eed.
The ongrosaing character Of those duties,
The brief limo in which it has seemed desira-
able they Eh1utd be pressed to results, and The
fact that they have seen accomplished 81 fr
wa5kput material addition to tho force, aud
~itR no ch1nge in the Organization Of tbs
Office, aro to be considered ia any eatimsse OF
its i.boss. At p5esent sEenty-fon. stations
are occupied, embracing the principal cities
on the Northern Lakes N tho West and South
xett.
6yncbronors observations Are taken and
fofH Rraea three tines dai1y, At about 8 a. H..
6 p. m. md u midnight, BY cArefu, ob-ers-
ers, under military control, and supplied With
the best instrumants+ viz: barometer, theE-
gauge. They are torxafaed BY telegraph, In
the ahlpc OF i nnme1u CIPHER, ths intelligence
eonveyed in sixty worts being sent in 1weu-
ty-woru report
Tho teleg1aphic transmission Of the regular
reports has presented a problem difficult Of
solution. The list Of stAtioaH of observation
and report exhibits 4 large number OF atations
Eo located tfxf, II reports aro to bs both ro-
cetycd from md sent to them stwo or three
tines 4 dag without N Organization Of work
ing especially designed for the purpose, the
delays would be great, md the Eepatitions,
each Of which involves chance Of e-1oE, nu-
n.efore.
The e1tensive lines Of tho Western Unioa
Telegraph Company, and the cooperating
! companies. the International Ocean CAblo
! Celupary, aud the Northwestern Telegraph
[ Company. hare been divided into Circuits.
| These circuits raAch In their courAe every sta
tion Of observation md report Zach carcnlt
thns provides for certaiR group Of stations.
This being arranged, ths working forms Of
circuits ret forth 1ninutely tho telegraphic Ia
tor needed for the movenaout OF the messa-
ges Of each group; for tho exchange
| o. neeeaHefelotta oeA"eeA uA4o1eoE SsuuPs
between different places IN different groups;
aud, finally. for the assembling Of Ill the dis
! patches in Warrington. II this pisa Is sue
ceestully carried out it does away At oucs With
tho greatest difficulty which has been pre-.
set.tad in the attempt to hAve the reports oi
observation not only taken Simultaneously. but
20 delivered ut their widely tepststed destiaa.
tiona ~ to be announced almost siiuultaue-
| Qus1y,
All tho telegraph companies have agreea tt
eend the reports for four months. with rlep
to determine the most economical, prompt
and satisfactory manner in which the report!
may lie transmitted over their lines no re
1nuneration being asked for this service, ex
ceEt such as The SECRETARY OF War msy, At TIL
termination af this experimental test, ap
prove, and which shall be auch part Of th
appropriation for this bratch as may then b.
decided by him - properly applicable to th
psymen. for ths telegraphic transmission Q
the discharge OF our duties for the euauiu
, year which Congress have authorized and &c
| quired.
In all negotiations will, tie telegraph, com
paniea Of the United States, this Office ha
met spifit Of liberalify and fairness, 50
Tanies to do their sharo in work thoS hav
: regarded as for tho cetunon good.
The publication Of efticia1 deductions O
: forecasts to be had from the maas of report
received At dt6c{ent cEctfes involves 80 mnc
Of responsibility. that, while it has been can
tidered, the office has not been willing t
| enter upon it until it ahall hayo pslchcAll
terted The promptness with which tho report
. will be received, and the fkcta 81 to tho ap
1 proach and force Of storms which syuchrpnpu
: reports. following each other in such clos
: rucceseion, will announce without any efoi
a | OF anticipation. The fact that an eIteusis
storm ID moving IN certain direction, n
+ it's movement and its force reported 1t intol
| sals Of few hours as it reaches the dihefet
. sts:ions ia its conrse, will, Of themselves, b
warning to points futthor in the track {
ita probab1e progress. aud little e1perienc
With the etudy Of the genera1izations
| which meteorological research his seemed
i establisb. ard which, it is proposed, ahall Y
!. COMPANY The bulletin reports, togcthet Wit
q the synoptic charts exhibited by the meteor
Q logical maps displayed, will enable couct
o Riona reasonably correct to be arrived 1t In Il
j. thseatened localities. It las been considar1
: wiEe BY this Office not to attempt mora thl
: thia at The outsat-
a The rules for observations require th1t res
r inga at tho intttunaenta ehould be made
d each station In ce1tain fixed succereion or {
d der OF precedence; that tho readings cot
d rnenco 1t the exme moment OF timo; that b
y foso they are reported the reductions sha1l
a made for Temperature &nd elevation, and t
: corrections had for the instrumental errc
q whIch hare been shown By comparison vi
q I the standard. The observer At each btati
q will be advietd Of the 1ntguetic va,iation
Il hla citation. and OF the baromclrie and tn
|r mometric monthly means. PrecAution is th
= had 10 recuIe col1cctEea-