Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-12-12
The Work of the Signal Office.

The chief of the Signal OMce in liz an
nuai report, state, that the kilograms and
reports for the benefit of commerce and
agriculture have been continued upon the
plan deliberately described Ia last year : re-
port. the school Of Instruction near Wash
ington being maintained Ia a state of ri-id
efficiency a. the only means 81 securing
from the stations To which ii, graduate,
are assigned the accuracy absolutely essen
iial 10 useful and reliable weather reports.
The posting and publication of daily bulle-
tins. OF reports Of the rise aud fail of riv-
ers at river stations, the publications OF
weather maps and the display OF dav and
night danger signals have been extended
and ten new stations established. making
seventy-two observing and reporting sta
lions in all. with constant applications
from boards of trade and other official
bodies for more. Reports are exchanged
with seven stations established in Canada
By The Dominion government within the
past year. The yeriiicaiion of the daily
Probabilities. which last year reached six
iy-nine per cent, have hi, year reached
nearly .eTeuty-scycn per cent. and would
have gone higher but for the deficiencies
IN the telegraph service Three hundred
and hiiy-four cautiouarv signals, iudcat-
ing that the winds would blow a, strongly
~ twenty-five miles al hour within a radi-
~ Of a hundred miles. have been display
cd during The year, aud seventy out Teach
hundred proved to have been necessary.
A. an exceptional instance Of accuracy it
! mentioned that out OF siA signals dis
PLAYED al certain ports in anticipation OF
the same number Of storms. i've were fol-
lowed By destructive storms and one bs a
storm OF little destructive foice. A. the
result Of the storm signaling the Signal
ofhcer claims that no great aud coutiuu-
ous storm has traVcrsed thu country ui
ragged along the lakes without fair notice
given at the endangered points to all who
chose to heed. There i 4 complete ex.
change with the Canadian signal service
each service collecting and tabulatins 81
simultaneously. anu both sharing the benefit
OF the enlarged area OF observation. iii,
great Storm Of the last three days of Sep
tem0er was announced to Cauads iron
Washington with great advantage 70 til,
people Of the Dominion The bureau i.
III correspondence with the Governor @
Baroadoes, AMI is making other arrange
ments to establish telegraphlc exchange,
Win the West Indies. Blank foim,. too
are 70 be furnished 10 masters Of all YES
sells who will furnish copies Of their OBJ
>ervations. and a system OF exchange,
with foreign societies has gone into opera
ton. The daily reports When expande,
To proper dimensions are expected to af
ford material protection against damage
resulting from ice and fresbets aud tn,
breaking and Overlooking OF leyees. Eigh
ty-nine agricultural societies and thirty-tw,
boards OF trade and commerce are in reg
ular communication aud co-operBtiol
with the Signal bureau. Meteoric map
are traced at intervals OF eight hours. an,
weekly and monthly summaries and alb
stracts are now published. Much embar
rassmenI has been caused By the ref,lsa
of the Western Union COMPANY 10 trans
init the signal messages on what were re
garded as reasonable terms. As there i
not likely to be such serious embarrassment
in future as has been encountered tbi
year, the Signal Officer promises a still
better account in years to come. His La
bors have been supported by the press an,
public; the critics have been kind and th
men of science helpful. He alludes t,
the growing necessity of providing a suita
bic corps OF assistants. into which hi
temporarily civilians and detail
ed army officers may be transferred anc
thus retained.