, 1873-11-21
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Report OF tho Chief Signal Officer,
Tho following ia a syuopgis Of Tho ronort ~
tho Chief Signal Officer for tho year ending Sent.


The whole numhor Of stations from which TIM of,cc
now receives ts atae 1nateorio renoyte il
Uncd arc in anada thrso IN tha n VIZ tnS
indies OF tho stations in tho United tates thlrteen
hayo been added during and of tho danaian.
exchange with the Dominion meteorological D,rsu,,
four aro nav; Tho regular tclegrapho reports rom
j.sss On aa apa Gn n9s s.iego
Sept ~ Thrae other points, in tho Islands Of Porto
nso amsa'lapo and barbados, yu be equipped
There y international arrangement tts'Ssfa Wiz
u, the sutaoritioa Of any ot theso Islands. nti4
The fact say 1sasGn T. sssey IT .ss ss
for q officially REQUESTED. Steps arc in contemplation
~ WHICH T. hoped necessary arrangements viii bo
It stations .e supply Of prompt and eratuitoua in
formation to tlo presn, and the exhibition at desig-
nnted nens Of ay Or night ,gnaa at times Of pro
comlnerc'a1 nerests, havo boon CONTINUED. Els total
number Of talulatcd bulletins iasucd and distributed
land cltcs have boon excluding tho riyer h,I.
lons Of changes in depth OF water Of principal rivers
Tho total number @ of weather charts issued and dis
sillnea) havo beon % ?2! Nno thousand four hun
and 100 Of tho Monthly eatheT Eevito haye been
aarshsd ana gratoasy Distributed to e rFeas
OF lcarning and scientific reraons.
WEATHER nEronTH FOR THE FARMERS,
ne oflco has, under the direction Of tho Secretary
cal bench. Of the agricultural 1ntcrests' tia nrobcm
Of giving promptly tho information continued il liz
daily weather reporta to tho many forming u1d othot
WHICH tho copies published by the press do not ar.
r1ve3n ti.ne for uae. The plan adopted has boon to
das ~ the te111ry Of ho United States into Districts
ccntre from which two printed copies of tho synorsis
ana probabilities are forwarded by nni to Ill post.
Offices within the DISTRICTS aud which can 10 reached
OF f81l, 6tGAfnET, mhil-EOaclt hy
operation on'r With tug cooperation OF tAo Post
oMco Department, tho bulletins being oxhibtled In
frsres by each Postmaster, ut each post-o1cc US soon
- rsee'yed and now provides fos tho rcsuiar disri-
port for display 1t 449i dstferont posoces II VII
b. offended % rapidly as cxprdicnt. The work has
given satiafacon to the farming and Interior popua-
tho olco evidence the fnct that il many localities
farming and other agricultural operations nre col-
Quoted with rcfercuco to tho atmospheric conuitiona
announced III these reports Us probable to occur TLs
Immense agricultural interests OF tho United States
and tho grea. results to bo attained IL they can DO thus
flying. Tho whole nunlbor Of these speclll bulletins
80 far printed aud distributed is a95,oli.
RIVER NEponrb.
There arc nineteen special river stations from which
reports 81 the depth u wafer ID the principal rivers Of
the United States da!y mado By telegraph at par
may bo anticipated. yer reports nrc also had from
two9ty Of the regular sat,ota. These data aro widely
published and distributed along tho lines Of ths Rivera
Tho reports thus had enable many dangers otherwise
against and contribute by lilo constant aud aeeurao ]
70 tho eonysnirnee and safety Of tho rTer eomaerco.
Tho benefits resulting from thcee rouors low In tho
second year Of their Issue, lavo bacu fully acknowl-
edged by The various interests they have adyauceii
Tic totsl number OF special river bulletins Issued hss
prrFUa1oN or THE INFORMATION.
by tho different molcs OF publication adonted for
the service, each of which has bccn arranged viii
.l'n 10nite nfpose and Including hat through tbs
enanating from this oico roaches daily oae-third Of
tlIc households in TIT Unitod s!atcs. Tho otilcs ia
IN rcgallar communieatlon wt lsl established
mcrcc Agriculture! Societies. mid Commercial Atao-
eiatiouB In addition Of ibis wlda tuslou tie wurbs
OF tho office Of mora scientific character, and not in.
tended for duly popular use, havo acquired a pro
eissen Of detail and fulncsu Of Illustration which
enables them to compare fyo1ably with those Of for
works are peculiar to tlliB country.
MouSTArN 8TATIoNs.
tor tue study OF tAs plnnomena OF the trnpr 1,or~
tiona Of tho atmosphere, 1u yiew of the benefit OF tt
deductions TO 10 had from them, and to ttntcrmint
moro accurately tho proper reductions to DO made for
great elevations, stations layo beou established ut fay-
orabe points. In addition to thoso On Mount wash
tngton, New Hampahirc, aud on Mount Mitchell, North
Carolina, tho difficult tank Of estubIahug pornaancnt
telegraph station tho summit Of pikpA Peak at au
elevation Of l4,26 feet, Las been accomplished with
sls sanction ef the Secretary Of Var telegraph no
Bprings, and It Is now in operation.
cAuT1oNAAY SIGNALS.
% tnG yeSr eaunoaary signals have been or.
probable sors In seventy Cases tho ator1a antici.
patea nanifcated their cneca at Of tho station,
giving warming to shipping and oher interests which
would otherwise, perhaps, havo bcen dangerously
p1asa Fotty esnonary kilograms we're aent to III.
years, when there las boon Of display II hus hee
on tho stdo Of caution. Whilo occasions tho 6iCual.
ported nnverihcd, OIL the other land no extensive
storms havo occurred In tho regions Included In the
system Of cauto,ary signals without warning Of ita
course. This public confidence e1hihitod ii tic heed
given to the warnings when they arc shown Las
evidenced tAolr general utility.
VEHIEIcATIoN or THE PROBABILITIES.
The nscettainoa eotapsrstive aocracy Of tho deduo
Hons from reports Blylcd probabilities" hna been
Tho percentage Of yeycatona 1las Geen mathe1uatt.
caly eoputed for each Of tho geographical stricta
aa n tue rapgrs Tae ysrago Of ver
South Ai'ants, 79os; Iower Lakes, .7sS9; Eastern
9ppr @ sse Norx... @ "iites2 f. w aa 49,; ,oa9;
rigid aud scrutinizlng moaa Of calculation tlaa
psof0 ss The psrcetsEe IT yeshs9
work indicates clearly, at oncs tie wisdom ot
'udclouAlt increasing tho number OF atntious aud
3D. The perstetaHe VI yeriacatops fur eao t,lstrict
exhibits regular proportion to thu number Of stas
tsonR froM WHICH reDorta lsing referc:e to- the at-
tion haye bcou recorded It ia thus to certain OK
tent mathoaaticaly demonstrated tint tho ruloa ap-
pod for tho announcement os the deductions 0f ths
forecast practically eorrect and that with uoreas
[ng facilities tho percentage Of Notifications eau bt
increased. It Is not known that lelnousra
EIgu Of lh!s csvau!er has baAn before attano Tno
oleo as stll 70 regret tat1s telcgsRphic facilities ara
not ~ complete tho best iscllurEe Ut t!e duties ID
its would retfurt. Tho hn,o Ii entertained {bst
Ilta source Of difficulty will be reraoye1,
'T1n atErEoRnl1aIEAL t1oNtAi:ss.
Thg Lhnf AgAa!t lilcer retcra Ia tlo psocoIngs Of
Tho meteorological Qonlress nf Yienna l,c In illr
,nee Ut invitations officially itsus4 by tho Aairlap
for a convention III rcrsol9 cl,arertl
wlh meteorological duties III l!fcreut eouutriey Tho
adoption by te ullanlInons yoa OF tho Congress pfs
proposition to the cEcot that It IL dss!yc with Wow,
@ thcr exchange that at least QUO uniform ohserva-
Ion at such character to bo suitable for tia
pr0Hrtttou Ut sYnoltiv u!layts aorld 10 taken nud
recorded daily, and sIhluitauaol,s.y at nv many
tstions % practicable throughout TIM world " ID
,ardea , ~ of ,spSs!al hllertanta " reference t9
Sor3s oi tue k1nd Anw untcrtahon ly tha UnlteH
states. IAia !or,al announcement, With sNch aane.
Ion, tends directly to tic establishment Of eyaoa o
|gnh!a and weather 1epors common among oFsil2ed
auti9a. 4tla nnttone1 III caApnctlon with tfs aaG-
eSt t4gt atrangolncHta have already lsou mAtsn Wt1
Russia AndV urkey tn commence a4 lan. !oIA, t8S
exchange with the United Satoa of one t{Ay report
afcn simultaneously nt ttltcs0nt ststnns thro1tGh.
out tue groat territorial extent Of tho lshtau and
rurliali Empires a,,s tho Unted 6!ato'. Tho eo-oh
,ration OF tho oynlom Of other nations IL o1ussod.
frI,n raro~{ That 1,t.11> nf.pco {t,n rotaA