Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-20
Sagzesttons for the Extension of the Fa.
cIIIIies of the signal Service.
SIGNAL OFFICE, No. 26O Front STREET.
MEaIrHIs. lEsEN. Tune Is. lSSa.


tory of the Merchants Exchange.
Suggestions for the Extension of the Fa.
cilities of the signal Service.
| SIGNAL OFFICE, No. 260 FRONT STREET
MEMPHIS, TESN., June 10, 1888. (
SIR-As-observer in chafge of the Signal
station at this point, L have the honor to in.
| form you that it is desired to obtain the
views of business men on any change in the
reports of this service, required by recent in
| creasiDg business.
| A succinct statement Of the advantages TO
any industry or industries, by any recon-
mended change, or changes, necessarily pre-
cedes, in the matter, an adoption of the
| changes proposed.
The following suggestions bearing on this
| subject are respectfully submitted for your
| consideration and action:
/. blackboard map of river stations,
| plan-of which is inclosed. Business men
| can save time, avoid confusion in gathering
| at glance the Information about the rivers
graphically presented on this board. 10 be
| done and furnished at expense of Exchange.
2. The introduction and use of telephone
| In Signal Office to facilitate communication
between this Office and business men. Bust
ness men, in addition to delay, lose the time
and services of man when desiring, as they
| frequently DO, informant from this Office
| SO, also, the officers of the exchange. A
| telephone removes these disadvantages. To
| be put in and retained at expense of Ex-
| change.
8. Cotton-Belt map IF Memphis district,
| simllar IN place to the present Cotton-Bslt
map, but to give that information for the
Memphis district, which is now given by the
present map for entire Cotton Belt. Map 20
be furnished by Exchange. Plan of map in
| closed.
4. Publication of reports in local press.
| The value OF weather reports is most readily
unaffected through the press. The iuforma-
ton Is widely given, and its accuracy is test
| ed by persons whose number is only limited
by the circulation of the papers. The press
should be requested by business men through
their regularly constituted organizations to
| publish all obtainable weather data; always
| to put 1t all together in certain part OF the
| paper, thereby saving time and removing in
| convenience, which do not now obtain while
searching different parts Of the paper for
| weather information; to publish daily the
location of Signal Service bulletin boards, in
which are daily pla led the reports of this
office, so that the public would know where
| to seek such Information which Is received
since publication OF the papers, and always
to have regular form in which to publish
| weather reports. 1t is believed the papers
| Will do this for the convenience and sdvan-
| tage of the business community when the
need is shown them.
3. Additional assist ance should be asked
| of the Chief Signal Officer for this station on
| the ground Of the importance of the station
and the business needs; or, which is the same
| thing, that the amount and importance of
| work done are such that three men at this
station are necessary to do it. Moreover,
| during sickness or accidents, reports are
| necessarily discontinued, because one man
cannot do the work. Isolated reports have
lit,le value; necessarily, the value Of me-
theological repotls depends on their con-
iinuity or regularity.
6. Cnapges in River Reports. During the
prevalence OF food, or when they are an
ticipated, river reports should be sent with
morning observations; and the rainfall for
the preceding twenty-four hours should be
given on all river reports aud at ali times.
The great fluctuations Of the river result
from precip itations, which, when known to
business men enable them TO act promptly
and intelligently. The Chief Signal Officer
should be asked to make the above CD anges.
| z. Uniformity in location of zeros OF river
gauges at the loS-water mark or bench
mark. Many of the gauges used by tue Sig.
nal Service are above the bench mark; and
corrections being applied the result Is puh-
llshed as above low-water mark. But many
who read these gauges, some papers notices.
bly, the Ledger of TINS ethyl, and the United
States Engineer bulletin board OF the river,
take the gauge readings alone, without the
| correction necessary to reduce 10 loI-water.
The consequent confusion, as it leads TO want
of confidence because of discrepancy in re-
ports, may be avoided by requesting the
Chief Signal Officer to correct the evil.
In conclusion, l would respectfully request
that the entire relations of this service to
business be brought before the Exchange for
i tfallu
your obedient servant,
Observer in charge of Station
RIVER.
1. Dsnger-line to be given in form 1GS
dsily river bulletin.
2. Rainfall during twenty-f iur hours in
form los.
3. Morning river report during or antici-
patsd food.
4. Blackboard map for river porte.
b. Zero OF gauges at bench mark.
6. Any new stations or any other changes
WEATHER.
l. Use of tags.
, g New stations,
, 8. Frost symbol.
4. Blackboard map OF storms.
5. Calendar.
.. Symbol changes.
z. Map support and protection.
s. Any other changes.
COTTON BELT.
]. New stations.
2. District blackboard map.
e 3. Frost reports.
e 4. Destructive storms.
5. Condition Of crops
6. Time of report
I T. ANY other changes.
;. PAPERS.
}. l. Publish daily location OF frames.
= Publish reports in regular form.
8. Publish ali reports in stated place.
l. 4. Publish all obtainable reports.
y 5. Publish any other changes.
SIGNAL OFFICE.
/. Telephone Use OF TO enable bushes
men to communicate.
2. Printing indication
!, 8. Printing rainfall reports.
4. Additional assistance on the ground c
:, new Industries, amount and value of WORK
IL sickness, and man always on duty.
e 5. Any other changes.
BULLETIN BOARD LOCATIONS.
/. Cotton Exchange.
y 2. Merchant Exchange.
a. 3. Memphis City Fire and General In gu
- ance Company.
n 4. Western Union Telegraph Office.
a 5. Postoffice.
6. County courthouse.
z. Any other change.
MISCELLANEOUS SUGGESTIONS
!. Supply the weather case, or Farmer
j. Weather Indicator, for the Exchange
2. Any other change not above considered
n
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE