The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-05-31
RIVER GAUGES.
hat the Signal Service Propose to DO
in the Interest of Infant Com meree
List of stations at Which River
Gauges are tn Be Paced.


Gen. Albert J. Myer, Chief of the
Signal Service, has just put into opera
ton regular system of daily river re-
ports in connection with the weathe
report system, and its proposed con
nection with the lighthouse and life
saving stations. This will make the
signal service, in its peaceful operation,
about as perfect as IS contemplated for
the present. The new river report
system was commenced on the 1st day
of May. 1t involves the employment
of civilians as observers (the only civil
ians in the signal service), but it has
been found cheaper to adopt that plan.
Stations have been ordered at the fol-
lowing points: Adalusla, ILL., Bonneville,
Brownsville, Brunswick, Cairo, Gin
cinnati, Confluence, Davenport, Evans.
vile, Fort Is nton, Fort Smith, Fort
Sully, Freeport, Grafton, I'll. Hermann,
Mo. Jefferson, Mo. Kansas City,
keokuk, Leavenworth. Lexington,
LATHE Rock, Louisville, Marietta,
Memphis, Nashville, New Geneva, New
Orleans, Oil City. Omaha, Pittsburgh,
Shreveport, ST. Joseph, ST. Louis, st.
Paul, Vicksburg The usual river re-
ports have been based on standards OF
given years. understood by boatmen.
but the difficulty has Leen that they
lacked reliability, because boatmen, by
reason OF interested motives, frequent
ly gave false reports, and in many in
stances caused the delay or advance of
shipments to be held back OF stuck on
shoals while the party giving the in
formation took the benefit of his knowl-
edge. Under the new system guage
is planted IN the river bank ut each
station. 1t is made OF pine or
oak timber, two inches thick by
ten inches wide, and long
enough to cover the whole range be-
tween extreme low and extreme high
water This timber is placed edgewise
and firmly imbedded in the ground,
leaving one and a half inches exposed
above the surface. A scale o. measure
ment is furnished, being the extreme
standard of 1867 for the low water
mark, or bench mark, as it is techni-
cally called. The edge of the gauge is
planed, and after being placed Ill
position is graduated III feet and
X
by the test of an upright rod, and the
exact measure III feet ana inches is
determined by an ordinary spirlt-level
placed on a straight edge, reaching
from the vertical rod to The timber in
the bank. After this measurement has
been recorded III feet and inches, the
observer can tell at glance how
much water there IS in the river.
When the rise or fall of water is
gradual, one observation will be made
at O'Clock p. NJ. local time, from May
| to July 81 and Oct. | to Nov. 80 of
each year; but, when the change is
sudden and unusual III its character.
reports will be made every three hours
during such change until the river re-
sumes it's normal condition. These
reports are all sent III an ingenious
cypher, invented with view Of secrecy
and brevity, and securing both objects.
There is no appropriation for the
river report system. 1t has SO far taken
about S25, 900 from the weather signal
appropriation, and it is quite probable
that Congress will indorse the under
taking. Gen. Myers says that If Con-
gress would give him $1,000 year
to prosecute the work, he would furnish
to all the cities daily reports of the
condition of every navigable river Ill
the United States. Early news of an
approaching food or break of an ice
gorge would ordinarily save single
city the whole amount required to sup
port the whole system.