Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-21
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Synopsis of the Annual Report OF the
Chief Signal Officer.

Signal Officer of the United States army,
is at hand. 1t is neat pamphlet OF thirty
pages, and complete report OF the WORK
ings of the Signal Service during the ilscal
year ending June 80, 1884. The amounts
appropriated for the support of the service
during the year was Stops, al 81, divided
as follows: Legislative, executive and judi
cial, $103, 1867 "a; civil expense, S2i2,ooo !;
maintenance and repair OF military teie-
graph lines, $35, 000 observations ana ex-
plorations in the Arctic Seas, $33, 900; pay
of signal corps. S235, 100; Subsistence De
partment, SIGHTS u; Quartermaster De-
partment, $57 651 rs; incidental expenses,
$1,475; transportation, S35, 275; barracks
and quarters, $50 90S; clothing. camp and
garrison equipage, So, 4S5 10; Medical De-
partment S., 700.
The weather forecasts and storm warn
| ines issued from the signal offices have
been sought for and published by the daily
| journals throughout the country, and the
increasing demands for special predictions
| in the interests of agriculture, special
| trades and commerce, indicate IN meas
ure the practical value OF the Signal Ser
| vice.
The Special Bulletin, which is new
feature of the weather forecasts, is issued
at 10 A. NJ daily, and contains general
! account of the meteorological conditions.
| The bulletins are intended to inform the
public of approaching cold waves, general
| storms frosts extreme temperature, ETC.,
| contain forecasts applicable to the succeed
| ing As hours from the date OF the bulletin.
| When practicable, the midnight indications
| close with a special forecast of the weather
and temperature for the day following that
| for which the regular indications are pre-
| pared
The sudden approach of storms from the
| Atlantic occasionally cause unexpected
| changes in the atmospheric conditions,
| leaving but limited time for warnings to
be issued The service is greatly aided in
| this feature of the work by the stations on
| the sea-coast telegraph line, and station
at the Bermudas would add greater secur-
| ity from the danger of this class of storms.
The abandonment of stations, rendered
| unavoidable by lack OF funds, necessarily
| interferes with weather prediction. The
statutes provide that warnings OF the APP
proach of storms shall be given by tele-
graph, yet the service was left for two
months last year without the means for
paying the necessary telegraph expenses.
As result, in addition to the reduction in
the number of stations, the office was de-
y
ports from the Pacific coast. The Western
Union Telegraph Company, however,
came to our relief and performed large
amount of service for which it received no
pay.
BOARDS OF TRADE.
The demand made by the commercial or
carnations in the various large cities
throughout the country for an increase of
the information furnished by this service
indicates the Importance of the work done,
and calls for more liberal support from
Congress, that the interests which these Or
carnations represent may not suffer. Com
mittees of the Boards of Trade, Chambers
of Commerce, ETC., appointed TO confer with
the Chief Signal Officer and the observers
in charge of stations suggest Improvements
in the work of this service, and through
these committees frequent calls have been
made for data which could not be supplied
owing to the limited appropriation.
The meteorological committees, distribut-
ed as they are il various sections of the
country, and representing every branch of
trade, are important auxiliaries to this ser
vice, and not only arc the observers on sta
tons directed to confer with them, but in
speeding officers of the service are required
to consult them as to the nature of the
work done by the observers, and the de-
mands for an increase CT usefulness of the
service.
The result of the Greedy expedition is
given in the minutest detail
TELEGRAPH LINES
The military telegraph lines built and
operated by the Signal Service in the un-
settled portions of the country have not
only proved of great service in operations,
but they have added much to the accuracy
of the Signal Service predictions and storm
warnings. 1t is the policy of this service
to discontinue these lines as soon as the
commercial lines take their place, and dur
ing the year 112 miles of the lines were
abandoned. The lines at present operated
are distributed as follows California and
Arizona division, $40 miles; Department
ofthe Missouri, 693 Northwestern Division
1893; Texas division, 1877; Washington and
Idaho, 500S San Francisco harbor, u. The
total number of miles in operation at the
end OF the year was 2,S05 miles. The total
line receipts during the year were $39, 003 rs.
Five hundred miles of military telegraph
lines were operated in the Washington and
Idaho division. The station at Tatoosh
Island was connected by cable, two miles
in length, with the land line terminating
at Cape Flattery. A second cable, four
miles in length, was laid across the mouth
joining part OF the military telegraph line,
connecting Astoria with Fort Stevens. The
points reached by these cables are of spe-
cial value to the system of Signal Service
reports intended for the Pacific coast
weather service.
The necessary cables to complete the tel
egraphic connection of the military posts
in San Francisco harbor have been success
fully laid during the year. In making these
connections Al miles Of cable and II miles
OF line were required.
STATIONS.
The number of stationsin operation jan
uary 80, 1884, in the United States was AGA.
These include the telegraph stations, print
ing stations, display, special river, cotton
region and sunset stations. This shows an
increase during the year of IS stations In
addition reports are received from twelve
Canadian stations by the cooperation of
the Canadian Meteorological Service.
Telegraphic reports are received at this
Office, daily, from i47 stations
During the year seven full reporting sta
tons have been established and five discon-
tinued.
PACIFIC COAST WEATHER SERVICE.
Attention is called to the necessity of
separate office, under charge of an instruct
ed officer, on the Pacific coast. The weather
conditions here differ so markedly from
those observed in other sections of the
country that special study by an officer on
this coast is required, in order that the cti-
Zens of this section of the country NAV re-
ceive the full benefits of the Signal Service
reports. 1t is now the intention to assign
an officer to duty at San Francisco the COM
ing autumn, 10 take charge of this import
ant work.
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