The Portland daily press., 1884-03-07
BOARD OF TRADE.
Discussion of the Report Of the ElescSro
logical Committee.

Discussion of the Repcrt Of the MescOro.
logical Committee.
The monthly meeting of the managers of
the Board of Trade was held yesterday morn
ing, Vice President Mclaughlin in the chair.
The first business of the meeting was the
presentation of the reports OF The m eteorologi-
Cal committee; a majority repclt signed by
Messrs. Senter and Rich. aud the minority re-
port signed by the chairman, Mr.. Farley. The
following is the majority report:
The signal office at this station has been Wis
tied by the committee of the Board OF Trade
several time during the year aud found to be
in neat and orderly condition. The reports
have been posted promptly and regularly, and
the officer in charge polite and attentive to all
inquiries for information. We find that Oh
versity of opinion sill exists to the value OF
the display of the 'off shore" signal at this
port siDce, from the situation of Portland. an
off shore wind of 25 or 80 miles is not regarded
as dangerous for able vessels to go to sea Yet
to do so, with danger signals up, hazards risk
OF litigation for insurance in case of disaster
under such circumstances. Thence II is a
"vexed question" with some as to the real
value OF such signals and II is hoped that some
method may yet be devised to overcome this
objection, and also TO remove the danger sig
nal, after 1t is entirely clear that the storm
has passed which might prevent still further
delay sometimes of perhaps FIVE or six hours
of vessels ready for sea.
The sIndications' are still regarded with
much interest and of great value to the gem
eral public, and we hope to see the system still
further improved. There is a strong desire
with some to see the signal service placed in
charge OF the engineers department.
Portland Feb. 7tb, 1884
VIM. SENTER, Meteorological
M. N. RICH, Committee.
The minority report was then read and is az
follows:
To the 01icers and Members Of the Board Of
Trade:
The signal Office at this port has continued
the past year under the charge of Mr. Elchel
berger and all the duties have been performed
IN faithful and satisfactory manner. A full
and correct record of the weather is OF general
interest and often of much value.
Before the signal service was established il
was the custom with managers of steamboat
lines and shpowners in doubtful state of the
weather, to get information by telegraph OF the
weather prevailing at certain points west and
south as an indication of the changes very
likely to follow at this port. This trouble aud
expense to which individuals were put, has
been largely but rot entirely avoided by the
work OF the signal service which gives by its
bulletins information on larger scale, and &C.
| cessible to all. The value of this information
| is recognized by everyone. The weather prob.
| abilities though often indefinite and unrelia-
| Bile are considered on the whole of great con-
| venieDce to navigation.
In addition to this work the chief signal
officer some years ago established system of
signals with which you are all familiar, giving
warning of storms and dangerous off shore
windssI he of shore signals have nottmet with
the appreciation OF the nautical classes and are
now generally ignored. Nevertheless they ere
regarded as an annoyance for they are display
cd by authority of the government, and every
violation OF such a warning which is followed
by disaster is reported to HEADQUARTERS and pub-
| lished for its moral effect. In the minds OF
many such violation of an official warn
| ing is regarded as proof of carelessness or
| incompetency. 9ut most Of these warnings
| must be disregarded or vessels cannot be
moved with promptness or profit. Many of
| our shipmasters of long experience will tell
| you that they have never known an off-shore
| wind at this port that was dangerous to a sea-
worthy vessel bound off the coast.
| AS this committee was appointed at the re-
| quest OF the Chief Signal Officer TO make such
suggestions IN relation to this service as we
| deemed necessary, it seems our duty to say
that the rules which govern the display Of
these signals are based upon insufficient
| grounds, causing the signals to be hoisted with
| such frequency that they cannot be accepted
as d reliable guide by those responsible for the
movement OF sailing and ST. am vessels.
G. 81. FARLEY,
Chairman Meteorological Committee Board o.
| Trade.
| Mr. s. j. Anderson said he could not dstin
| guish any decided difference between the two
reports Both seemed to concede that the off.
shore signals, with a twenty-five mile an hour
wind, were not of much importance TO Port
land. FartherRore, be couldn't see as the
Board of Trade had much to do with thi
matter, if the bureau at Washington had re-
| quested advice from the meteorological com
mittee alone, and not from the board.
Mr.. Rich seemed to think that as all stand
ing committees reported TO the board, the me.
| neurological committee should prove no excep
| ton.
| Capt. Dsnnison said one trouble was tina
the signals for storm were too often hois'et
| after the storm was over. He said he usual,
| exercised his own judgment in noting thu
storm signals. He always had the weather, a
several points east and west, reported to him
| on the evenings when the steamer had to sail
and from these reports went or stayed. He
thought passengers were often unnecessarily
deferred from taking passage by predicted
storms.
Capt. j. s. Winslow thought the signal,
were too often used as an excuse by masters Of
vessels TO stay day longer in port.
Finally, on motion of Mr.. Anderson, it wa.
voted to recc mmit the reports to the commit
tee, and that they try to unite on report with
recommendations upon which the board in it
capacity as a Board of Trade could act under
| standingly.
| A request that the Board unite in recon-
mending the breakwater at Sunday Bay, Rock
| port hsrbor, was laid on the table.
A letter from Hon. W. W. Thomas, oul
minister to Sweden, wishing the Board 81
happy new year." was ordered on record, apd
the secretary requested to reply to it, Mr.
Thomas forwarded code list, containing
names Of Swedish ships to which signal letter,
of the commercial code have been allotted.