Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-11-17
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Report of Chief Hazen.

III OincSr, contains many matters OF interest,"
among which the following may be noticed
~ have endesvored," he ssys, "to bring this
service INTO active sympathy and cooperation
with the ablest scientific intellecte Of the
country. In this direction and in RI ponse to
my request the National Academy of Sciences
has appointed an advisory committee OF con-
sulting specialists With which l may confer as
occasion demands. take pleasure in ac-
knowiedging this courtesy as showing the es.
Establishment OF more intimate relations between
the scientific interests Of the United States and
the Signal Service.
''Thls year has been distinguished bv addition
al progress and by decided impr3vemant.
which will briefly recite: The establishment
under your sanction OF o permanent school of
instruction at Fort Myer, Va; tho raising of
the standard OF the personnel Of tine Signal
Corps the systemization OF the duties OF the
signal service the preparation Of new instIue-
tons for observers of the service this pep
aratlon Of new and improved forms for the re-
coIdlng and preservation OF meteorological
data the preparn ion Of special bulletins for
the press, containing weather information OF
public interest; the forecasts OF weather Of
not or cold waves for periods. exceeding
twenty-four hours; the forecasts Of - north
ers for the interior plateau tho adoption Of
new storm-signal (the eautonaTy N)rthwest)
Tor the interior lakes the arrangement for the
increase of river service, and WIDE publications
OF warnings Of foods or ioo-golges the
changes aud improvements IN the pub
lcatlon OF the int irrational bulletin
and tho monthly weather review. with
their accompanying charts; the increased in
formation added to the farmers ard to the
railway bulletins; the organization of q service
for the special benefit of tie cotton interests OF
the South; the extension of special frost-warll-
ing to the fruit interests of the country; the
investigation into thermometric standards aud
into barometric standards; the preparation Of
newly grometrictabl containing correction log
altitude; the revised determinations of the alt-
tpdes OF signal service stations; the colnputa-
ton OF monthly constants for the reduction of
observed barometric pressures to sea leve {sthe
arrangements for original investigation IN at
mospEer1o electricity, III anemometry and ii
actInometTy, and Ill the last subject. especially
with reference to the importance OF solar II. liza
ton IN agriculture and the absorption OF the
suns heat by the atmosphere; the co operatloa
in an expedition to tine summit Of Mount Whit
ney, Cal, for the determination of pr0iletus
In solar physics; in neurology, the preparation
OF conversion tables for the English and
metric systems; the corporation III the drop
ping of time-balls at signal-seryice stations
the publication in qusrto form of special pro-
fesslonal papers the offering Of prizes for
essays Of great merit on meteorological sub
leots the organization of State weather SER
vices the new investigation of danger lines on
Western rivers; the organization and e1uip-
ment OF two expeditions for meteorological
observation and research in the Arctic regions
of America, one to DO stationed at Lady Frank
lin bay, tho other at Poet Barrow Alaska
both cooperating IL this work with o systen
OF stations established in the Polar region by
international conference; the establishment OF
system or stations OF observation III Alaska.
"A series OF experiments has been made with
sun-fiashes, with view OF improving upon tho
forms of Photograph to be adopted Tor the geil-
eral uses OF the army, and it Is believed that
the improved heliegraph selected combines
great simplicity with efficiency, and possesses
many practical advantages 80 far al known
over similar instruments in other services.
During the past year stations OF oDserva-
ton on the habits and ravages of the Rocky
Mountain loeusts or grasshoppers were es.
tabhshed In those sections that the experience
of past years has shown to be most exposed to
tho ravages OF those pests These stations
were at Omaha, Grand Island, North Platte
and Sidney, Neb. Cheyenne, w. T.; Denver
Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Col; Fort Sill
l. T.; Fort Elliott and ali other stations on tine
United States military telegraph lines IN
Northern, Central and Southern Texas, aud
those on the northwestern military TELEGRAPH
line IN Dakota and Montana. Where civilians
we're employed IN making the observations their
services were voluntary and without oompensa-
ton, the Government bearing the necessary
expenses for stationery and teiegraphlng
1t Is gratifying to state that not a single re-
port OF the rayages OF locusts has reached this
Office, and their presence has been announced
only at Grand Island, Neb, Fort Supply. l. T.,
and Fort Elliott, lex; but in no instance has
any danger been reported.
This year, for the first time, the Chief Sig
nal Officer has caused to be prepared and is
sued, twice daily, special bulletins for the press
containing meteorological information Of popu-
Lar interest to greater extent than can apsear
for want OF spaca III the official synopses and
indications. They treat especially of high winds
severe storms, tOrnad0es, heavy rainfalls
Hoods, extreme temperatures. sudden and great
changes III temperature, frosts temperatures
specially reported from health resort during the
season when frequented, and ~ L. The oondi-
tons sufficiently warrant far OF rainy weather as
the case may be, predicted for two DAYS in ad-
vance. There are also forecasted the move
ments of the so-oalled warm waves and cold
waves.
In addition, tho Chief Signal Officer causes
to be regularly made, daily. each morning by
all officers who are liable for detail in the fnd-
cations Division, forecg SITS or deductions of the
weather conditions for the day succeeding that
on which the forecasts are made. II The result
Of these studies is sufficiently successful, ndt.
cations will, In tine he isslied for all distrcta
for periods of more than one day.
"The river reports giving the average depth
OF water and notices OF the dangerous rises in
the different great rivers of the interior, fol-
the benefit of the river commerce and the pop
uations in tie river valleys, have been regu-
larry made, telegraphed bulletined in frames,
and also published by the press at the different
river ports and cities.
1.-The manner in which these reports are
prepai ed and used, and the mode by which
'danger-llne has been determined, with
water below which there is considered to be no
danger, while every rise above it is dangerous,
have been sufficiently explained in preceding
reports.
" The information published in reference &c
this dan8er-line in connection with the daily
reports of this Office has on the occurrence OF
river floods, enabled those interested to Judge
Of the probable limits OF the rises of water to
be expected at the different places ON the rivei
banks and Of the dangers to be anticipated
/ This knowledge has made possible necessary
| precautions for safety"