, 1878-04-19
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1878.
SIGNAL SERVICE STATION.

Some little interest Is being mani
fest at different places on the Sound
in regard to the proposition to have
our signal service extended to Port
Townsend. The people of Seattle,
and Mayor Weed in particular, seem
to be actively engaged in having the
matter properly brought before the
authorities at Washington.
The signal service so far in this
Territory is limited to a station in
Olympia, under the charge of Prof
Keubal, of that place. The object
of this station is to report the ap-
proach of storms to the signal sta
tions on the Atlantic coast, thereby
affording protection to shipping on
that side of the continent as intelli'
gence can be sent there by telegraph
of wind storms three or four days
sooner than the storms could reach
there. We understand that this sta
tion was located at Olympia on ac-
count of the belief that at that point
a more nearly correct index Of the
passage of currents of air across the
continent could there be obtained
than at any other point on the sound, it
being in the midst of a comparative.
ly fat scope Of country where
winds have free sweep, un-
affected by local causes. A few
thick.headed writer's, who believe
this station to have been intended
alone to suhserve the interests OF
shipping and commerce on Puget
Sound, have tried to ridicule the
idea of its being located at the head
Of navigation where few Of the dam.
aging winds OH che straits reach, OF
where they reach after doing all the
injury to shipping possible. For the
benefit of such, a brief explanation
seemed necessary.
But a proposition is started to
have local or reporting station es-
tablished at Port Townsend, it being
the lowest point on this side of the
Sound to which teTegraphic commu-
cation reaches. We conceive the
idea to be good one. In a paper on
"The meteorology of the coast Dor.
dering the north Pacific ocean, and
the region lying west of the Cascade
mountains" written by Judge J. G
Swan, of this place, and read on the
18th Of last month before the Acade.
my ofSciences at Olympia, by Hon
Elwood Evans, the writer gives a
very interesting desert ption of the
meteorology of the Sound, and ex
plains the causes which operate to
produce many results cited. The
Judge proposes to have signal stations
established at this point, at Dungen-
ess and also at Cape Flattery, alleg-
ing reasons therefor which have been
considered, by men Of experience
and ability, worthy of consideration.
However, as he says, the project will
not be practicable, except at this
place, until telegraphic communica-
tion is established to the other points
named.
Judge Swan, Capt. J. S. Lawson,
of the U. S. coast survey, Maj. Hay.
den, of Olympia, and other gen:le
men, recently made observations
from the summit of what is called
Morgan's Hill, just back of town, as
certained it to be 240 feet above
tide water and also that it affords a
view Of the straits half way to the
ocean. Capt. Lawson pronouncel
it one of the finest sites for an OBJ.
servatory on Puget Sound. Capt,
Ellicott, also of the coast survey,
says he considers Port Townsend
next to Cape Flattery, the most i'm
portant point on the Sound. From
an observatory on the point named
vessels can be signalled and their
safety telegraphed to owners and
underwriters long before they reach
our harbor. The benefit of such ar