Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-11-19
The Signal Service.

The annual report OF General uazen,
Chief Signal Officer, has been completed.
General Hlzen says the year last past has
been distinguished by additional progress
and by the following marked improvements:
The establishment Of permanent school Of
instruction at Fort Myer, Va; the raising
OF the standard OF the personnel OF the Sig
nal Corps; the systemlzation 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 exceeding twenty-four hours;
the forecasts of 'northcrs' for the
interior plateau; the adoption of
new storm signal (the cautiOnary
Northwest) for the interior lakes; the ar
rangement for the incresso sofFiver service,
and publications OF warnings Of floods
or ice-gorgeS; the changes and improve
ments in the publication Of the international
bulletin and the monthly weather review,
with their accompanying charts; the in
creased information added to the farmers
and to the railway bulletins; the organiza-
tion of Il service for the special benefit Of the
cotton interests Of the South; the extension
OF special frost-warning TO the fruit inter-
ests OF the country; the investigation into
thermometric standards, and into barom-
ntrip standards. n ion ~ no bV-
grometric tables containing correction for
altitude; the revised determinations OF the
attitudes Of Signal Service stations I; the
computation Of monthly constants for the
reduction Of observed barOmetric preSsures
10 sea-level; the arrangements for original
investigation in atmospheric electricity,
in 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
mination Of problems in solar physics; in
neurology, the preparation OF conversion
tables for the English and metric systems; /;
the cooperation in the dropping OF time
balls at Signal Service stations; the publica-
tion in quarto form Of special professional
papers; the Offering Of prizes for essays OF
great merit on meteorological subjects; the
organization Of State weather services; the
new investigation or danger lines on West
ern 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 a system Of sta
tions established in the Polar region by in
ternational conference; the establishment
of system Of stations OF observation il
Alaska.
In regard to the collection of data upoi
which to predicate information of value Il
the cotton interest, he had located stations
In the cotton belt, from which the rain
direction Of winds, temperature, etc.
would be telegraphed daily to selected cen
tiers, for distribution at the expense Of tn
Signal Service, to the Cotton Exchange
in all important cities in the cotto
region. Two hundred and forty-eigh
auxiliary stations were promised, whic
opened to the United States very favOrabl
opportunity Of obtaining meteOroogica
data, at a very slight expense, from rego
whose agricultural interests depend, TO a
unusual extent, on climatic conditions, nc
vet as well understood as they should be
Unfortunately Congress did not appropriat
the amount which had been carefully esti
mated as necessary TO meet the expense {
the increased work proposed for the Signi
Service, and its Chief was unwillingly com
PEELED to reduce the number Of stations
be established to 100, selected from the a
stations promised, which are so situated I
to best cover the cotton belt.