The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-04


departrn,s,t In making the service strictly
military one, where merit alone, and not po-
litical or personal Influence should decide tho
fitness of u candidate for admission, o. pro,
motion In the service, has been demonetratel
bv the TX Experience of tho nine years when
have elapsed since the orgBn'zaton o. the
service. The methods IN use a. present are,
with slight notifications. the same ahher
which this work of tho service WAS begun.
| There has been expansion aud Improvement.
certainly. hut no such radical change as re- |
CURED either remodelnR OF the orgaP'za-
| ton or OF the methods f doing US work.
| This duties of the mesnhefs ~ the service
| ut nil statioss forwarding Geographic reports
may b briefly summarMed MS follows An
observation i tfken tridally at liked times
corresponding to the hours OF q. M p "a.
and II ~ IN. Washington mean time. me
corresponding hours In New Orleans are 6i's
q. ri !. 2sos -. m. and 10 :os p. IN. The results
OF these observations are TRANSLATED lhVo
cipher ana filed with the operator :. "a inc .sl-
| euraph office, Cor Transmission to Washington
| within half An hour after the tttnn Tor De
uinriug the observation. Thus, IN New
Orleans, the time for taking the tlrst observe
ton zach day IL eight minutes after 81 IN the
| morning Protg pity at twenty-five ln,tlutes
| after tits time the operator at the ehs' signal
Office In Washington calls for the New Or-
leans report. This report embraces the read
Tugs OF the barometer, the thermometer, inc
/ yeIocj,v and direction of the wind, the rain
gauge. the relative humidity, the chhrMcter,
| amount and mOvesaent OF upper and sower
clouds and tho condition OF the weather.
When 1t III considered that each nf These re-
ports requires u certain amount Gs aflthtlet-
tsal calculation to make the vaaious eorree-
tIOns for tts,,perature elevation and instru-
mental error, as explained In nay frst !oc-
ture 1t will be- seen at once that there Is l'ttie
time for lotertDg when the ulns afTlVes ioi
making the report.
| The differences betwaen these fEsd times
and the local time at the various stations
cause IL to happen that at some stations the
InfVn n ~
hours Of the rnarn.ng, and at others IN tho
latest OF tho night Thus. ut ono OF the Alas
ka stations, the first observation ia the DAY
Is taken ut twelve minutes TO In the morn
Inv. white at Eastport. Me-. the last obsexva-
tion daily l. taken at fifteen minutes before
midnight The work thus practically extenda-
the differences Of time ut the different sts-
lions being taken into eonsdera1on-th through
ont the twe,,t T. four hours II thtl OF these OBJ
servations ia required to be carefully recorded
IN writing for future reference at the time at
which 1t Is taken Jhrs@ other observations.
to be taken ut the local times. 7 q. m, p. m
and ~ M arc also token and recorded az
each station, seventh observatlor IL taken
Ill II H. IN. Washington time, each day. In
4teeial cases this observation Is reported to
the eantral o'Ilce by telegraph.
Anplghth observation ls required to be taken
daily ut stlset The results of this observa-
. tlpn are Photographed to Washington WITH the
last report for the day
Ata time corresponding to Z :35 r. m, Wash
inRton time, m observation L. taken ann lo!
1 wart.d ta the chief Offices by mail twce q
month similar observation ls taken at the
same moment of time daily. on land and sea,
q throughout the world. A year ago the mum
: ber OF reports received regularly ut the chlei
, signal Office amounted to 1889 daily. The
amount OF work required to tabulnts and an
: alyza this mass oil infornation In order to
make IT Of value, both for practical ana scleIl-
titic purposes, may he Imagined
Y Al tho stations mt which cautlonnry signals
. n a liam observer must Es constantly
y "a duty tD receive the order and to show the
signal, which may be ordered AZ any moment
> At citations from which river reports arc tur-
pished an observation aud record OF tho
] depth of the water Is made and reported ut l
q o'clock. local time. daily. La tho cases OF
p threatening storms or dangerous freshets,
!, any station may be called upon to make hour
: y reports In cases Of violentstorms reports
r are sometimes required to be mace every
hour throughout the night
n The data thus collected on the lilies nj eacrl
b statlon are consolidated fest weekly, on
forms which are sent weekly Y" tne Ge, .h,,,s
j data la made and also forwarded to tho cen
I trail Office. The thorough study OF the
4 monthly work is then condensed in the FORM
u Of q monthly chart At stations where tiie
d population warrants 1t, those duties are In
II CREASED by the receipt and, record OF reports
: from other stations copies OF which are fur
: ni.ha Ia tho form OF written bulletins, TO t,'e
= | press for the Information of the puhllc. LII
: display at the rooms Ut the boards OF trades
com tnerrial exchanges and other similar
Y places, OF symbol maps on which the mete
} ORIG conditions are shown by symbols change
- able daily.
., There are to be prepared and posted N
% thess stations bulletins OF the storm warnlns
orders ~ received from the central oi1ice q
= which appear very frequently. In addition t.
y, this order brief notes as to the force OF TN
!, nntiopatsd storm, the direction In which /
" NAV bs moving, tho names OF places menace'
4 and other items OF information. al 81 Whlc,
!, require TO be carefully copied and posted will
:. dispatch. = a.. ,,,,,, so,,,oo A.
s. always places OF resort for Inquiry on tn
y part OF those desiring Information upon IN
y. effects or the weather on particular industrie
=, in which the populations OF tfose sect'oll
u may be engaged.
%, The stationary signal flag Is always whe
l., flown an official invitation to mariners an
., others Interested to visit tho Office Tor Ia
Z formation. Tho courtesies ana duties q y. IN
ON srs are not limited to the people OF tn
~ United States alone, but are rendered lreel
It. to the people Of all nationalities.
40 The officers ia charge OF stations are re
;. sponshe for the care, cleanliness aha goo
" working Of the instruments, the clearna53 Q
" the records the correctness and puuctualltl
ty the display of bulletins, and, In fine. FOR tn
y conduct aud good condition OF the station
W. general.
H. ton of the service Is military; that Its metn
~ bers are soldiers. and as such held strict
q accountable tor the perform tncs Of "a
no duties and tho care OF the property undt
" their charge by the stringent provisions
To military law, and that any member may b
eh with hardly days notice. ordered from
T. pleasant station like New Orleans, Phladt
n- pIhia or Nav York, to bravA ssln rlgors OF
,re winter on Pixies Peak or Mount Washingto
49, Ia times of dangerous pestlence they III
be nv their duties more exposed than other force
q These M = may be removed for sanitary reaso
~ TO ' pacns Of comp 4rative safety. Ia the sign
~ service it Is required that tho menos
W.. should remain III tn ir posts. even durll
'Ds snmp ar the worst visitations which ha
ICY devastated the country. They have done
III. without complaint, and In the majority
~ instances their SUCCESSORS have hai tho "a
al 80, ~ thnIr own fate in the black border
~ General Order" which Is the evidence
IN duty we'll done. During the summer OF Is
* three members Of the service died bravely