St. Landry democrat., 1881-11-19
Report of the Chief Signal Officer.

|
The annual report of General Hazen,
Chief Signal Officer, has been completed.
General IL zen says the year last past has
keea distinguished by additional progress
and by the following marked improvements
The establishment Of a permanent school OF
instruction at Fort Myer, Va. the raising
OF he standard Of the personnel Of the Sig
nal Corps; the systemzation of the duties
OF the Signal Service; the preparation Of
new Instructions for observers Of the serv-
Ice; the preparation of new and improved
forms for the recording and preservation OF
meteorological data; the preparation OF
| special bulletins for the press, containing
weather information of public interest; the
forecasts OF weather, of hot or cold waves
for periods eXceedin. twenty four hours;
the forecasts of n0rthcrs' for the
interior plateau; the adoption of a
new storm signal (thc cautionary
Northwest for the interior lakes; the ar
rangement for the increase of river service,
and wider publications Of warnings of floods
or lce-gorges; the changes and improve
ments III the publication of the international
bulletin and the monthly weather review,
WIN their accompanying charts; the in
| creased information added to the farmers
and to the railway bulletins; the organiza-
ton OF service for the special benefit OF the
cotton interests Of the South; the extension
| OF special frost-warnng 10 the fruit inter-
ests OF the country; the investigation into
thermometric standards, and into barom-
etrlc standards; the preparation of new ny
pt ria toE1
altitude; the revised determinations of the
attitudes of Signal Service stations the
computation of monthly constants for the
reduction OF observed barometric pressures
to sea- level; the arrangements for original
investigation i'll atmospheric electricity,
III anemometry, and in actinometry, and,
IN the last subject, especially with ref
erence to the importance Of solar radiation
IN agriculture and the absorption of the
SUMS heat by the atmosphere; the coop
Grafton in an expedition TO the summit Of
Mount Whitney, California, for the deter
mlnation Of problems in solar physics; in
neurology, the preparation Of conversion
tables for the English ald metric systems;
the cooperation in the dropping of time
balls at signal Service stations; the publicl-
ton III quarto form OF special professional
papers; the Offering of priz IS for essays Of
great merit on meteorological subjects; the
organization OF State weather services: the
new investigation or danger lines on West
eEn rivers; the organization and equip
ment OF two expeditions for meteor
illogical observation and research in
the Arctic regions Of America, one
to be stationed at Lady Franklin Bay, the
other at Point Barrow. Alaska. both CO.
operating in this work with system OF sta
tions established in the Polar region by in
ternatl0nal conferences; the establishment
OF a system Of stations of observation III
Alaska.
In regard to the collection of data upon
which to predicate information of value to
the cotton interest, he had located stations
in the cotton belt. from which the rainfall
direction of winds. temperature, etc.,
would be telegrarheu daily to selected CEN
tiers, for distribution at tie expense Of the
Signal Service. to the Cotton Exchange,
in all important cities in the cotton
regiol1. Two hundred and forty -eight
auxiliary stations were promised, which
opened to the United States a very favorable
opportunity OF obtaining meteorological
data, at a very slight expense, from region
whose agricultural interests depend, to ali
unusual extent, on climatic conditions, moi
Vet as well understood as they should be.
Unfortunately Congress did not appropriate
the amount which had been carefully est-
mated as necessary TO meet the expense OF
the increased work proposed for the Signal
Service, and its Chief was unwiilingv COM
PEELED to reduce the number OF stations t.
be established to 100, selected from the 24s
stations promised, which are so situated as
to best cover he cotton belt.