National Republican., 1883-11-09
WORK OF WEATHER PROPHETS.

Complaints OF Insufficient ApprOprla-
tIons-Incrensed Accuracy in Prcdic-
tlons-soientific Investigations Made and
Proposed.
The report of the chief signal officer of the
army calls attention to the injurious curtail-
ment of the service rendered necessary on
account of diminished appropriations by
congress. He urges increased appropriations
for tho future, and reports q deficiency bill
to enable him TO continue work already be-
gun.
Referring to the weather indications he
says The abandonment of stations made
necessary by lack of funds must Interfere
with the weather predictions made by this
office.
He gives numerous details of tho fitting
out of the Greedy relief expedition and of
the instructions issued for its guidance, but
makes no allusion to its failure.
Gen. Hazen says tho scientific work of the
bureau has been steadily carried forward.
During the year an investigation has been
made into the standard of thermometry
adopted by the service which appeared open
to objection. This resulted in tho adoption
of a new standard which no longer agrees
with that of the Yale college observatory, but
approaches more nearly to that of the inter-
national bureau of weights and measures.
Attention is called to the necessity of o
charge of an instructed officer, and the report
says: If a weather service for the country is
to be maintained, this important region should
not bo neglected as it has been"
The number of stations in operation on
Juno 3, 1888, was 376-a decrease during the
year Of Is.
The report shows that the service has made
q slight gain in accuracy. OF the cautionary
signals displayed $50 per cent were justified
by results against SO per cent. last year.
Eighty-eight per cent. of the weather indica-
tions furnished the press wero verified as
against S6.6 last year. On the Pacific coast
the veriication of weather predictions was
00.5 per cent Commercial bodies throughout
the country have greatly aided the weather
bureau. In ffty-four cities meteorological
committees have been appointed and have
furnished suggestions and advice.
The bureau has made an investigation as to
the relation between rainfall and growth of
population in tho northwest. There was also
u careful study of the river floods in 1882 in
order to discover some means of predicting
such phenomena. Preliminary steps were
taken toward better study of cloud formation
by tho aid of photography and the study of
atmospheric electricity with q view to pre-
dieting local tornadoes.
The service has suffered from the lack of
officers capable of making weather predic-
tions. Two years training is requisite, and
there arc not enough capable officers to make
the predictions and mako scientific study
of the vast collection of meteorological data
now on hand.
The number of stations in operation at the
I close of the year was 37G, or lis less than mt
the close of the preceding year. Tho number
of stations from which telegraphic reports
have been received is $780, decrease Of 13.
Daily reports have also been received from
335 foreign stations, including 10 in British
North America. and irregular reports at in
torvals from 605 steamships of 80 different
lines. Monthly reports have also been mado
to tho chief signal officer by $50 voluntary
observersin various parts of the United States.
The work of the service has been done by
10 officers and 500 enlisted men.
During the last two years an attempt has
been made to secure the enlistment of young
college graduates, and it has met thus far
with gratifying success. Out of 172 enlist
monts made within the period mentioned, SO
have been graduates of colleges
Among the improved methods of distribu-
ting gweather predictions introduced during the
year is that by means of railway trains. The
Cleveland, Akron aud Columbus railway has
adopted system of weather signals which
arc displayed on their cars, and which thus
give warning to the farmers of the country
through which the limo passes. A red ball
denotes higher temperature; rcd
crescent lower temperature; red
star, stationery temperature; blue ball, gem
eral rain or snow blue crescent fair weather !;
blue star, local rain or snow. The pre-
dictions are sent to tho road at midnight
The average per centago of accuracy of the
warnings given in this way, as determined by
persons not connected with tho service, has
been over so per cent. Arrangements are
now making to extend this system to all lines
of railway operated by the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad company.