Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-03-17
=" OLD PROB
How the Daily Weather Reports are Mad
In

The Signal Service proper ewes its
existence to the late war, at the close Of
which, like other kindred bodies, it sur
vived only III skeleton form. Its enter
prising chief, however, General Albert
j. Myer, could not or would not, rest
OH the laurels he had won in the field,
as the authorof the most perfect system
of signals known to civilization, but,
with characteristic skill and persever-
ance, undertook the hazardous task
which has perpetuated the organization,
though transferring it from war to
peace. 1t is but five years ago that
this officer, with few eminent aids,
acting under the authority OF an Act of
the Secretary of War, inaugurated the
system Of observations and reports by
signal and telegraph which enables us
daily, to impart valuable and interesting
information with regard to the weather,
the rise and fall Of all navigable rivers,
and, generally speaking, all unusual
phenomena within the domain of mete-
erology. ~#r
The new branch of the service-at
first intended to benefit our lake navi-
cation only soon extended it's useful
ness to the Atlantic coast, then to the
principal inland cities down to the gulf,
up the Mississippi to its source, and
across the continent to the Pacific
Ocean. untij-as is now the fact-we
can have daily reports of the state of
the weather at Portland, Oregon, and
San Francisco, Halifax and Father
Point, Key West and Galveston, and
Pembina and Duluth, with as much GER
tainty and accuracy as could be obtain
ed from places within the range of I'M
aided vision.
The sub offices are officially known as
stations" and are divided into two
classes, viz: Stations of observation
report, and distribution. Each class is
equally valuable and indispensable,
and bears the relation to each other and
to the chief office, in Washington, that
the veins and arteries do to the heart.
All stations are known by numbers,
whether located in the United states or
British America, and i'll transmitting
reports Geographically over the several
g circuits the names of stations are
understood by figures.
Seven regular observations are made
daily, VIZ: Three to be reported by
telegraph, three for local use, and a
special MONDAY observation, telegraph
ed to Washington only in the event Of a
sudden rise or fall of the barometer
The "synopsis" briefly recounts all that
has occurred during the preceding day,
while the Probabilities" announce the
meteoric condition to be expected for
the ensuing twenty -four hours. Az a
rule, the predictions are verified, but
the Signal Service-thus far-do not
claim to be infallible; they simply fore
shadow, from what Is know to exist, the
character of the weather which will nat
urally follow.
The instruments used and consulted
are: The barometer, standard Their
mometer (mercuriaD, hygrometer, ane-
mometer electro self-registering,) ane-
moscope, rain gauge, and maximum,
minimum (spirit), and water thermom-
eters; in addition to which the several
atmospheric phenomena must be care
fully noted, as, for instance, name,
amount, and direction Cmoving irony Of
upper and lower clouds; state of the
weather, amount of rainfall, snow,
sleet, or hail-in inches of water; all
electrical phenomena, halos, parhelia,
and mirage. When auroras occur,
every phase Of the display must be min
utely and accurately recorded, including
their duration, altitude, and azimuth.
On lake and coast stations ''cautionary
Signals" Or storm warnings, are dis
played when danger to shipping is APP
pretended. When observations are re.
ported by telegraph, the Signal Service
cipher is always employed. .e
The signal men, says the St. Louis
Globe, are the hardest worked and the
poorest paid in the public service
Sabbaths and holidays they know moth
ing of. Let us see how they are
rewarded. With the exception Of
Washington, D. c., three stations in
the extreme Southwest, and three or
four west of the Rocky Mountains the
pay and allowances of an Observer
Sergeant averages about $s76 per month,
and that Of assistants considerably less.
Furthermore, the man in charge OF a
signal station is personally responsible
for the safety and good condition Of
these delicate and costly instra-
ments, and for other public property,
the value Of which exceeds the, lncozae
OF a lifetime at the rate he is now paid.
The trouble seems to be that, unlike
the Engineer and Ordnance Corps, the
Signal Service has not been recognized
as part of the army proper, ror is 1t, at
all acknowledged as belonging to the
civil branch of our Government. Its
position is anomalous at present, aaad
since it's usefulness has been established
beyond doubt, we trust that. Congnass
will give it both name and aabitatlan.
Cost of the Sultan's Establishments