The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-11-26
THE WEATHER BUREAU.

interesting Excerpts From the Annual Re-
port of General w. Z. Hazen, Chief Signal
Oh1cer-The Value of the Service as Indi-
Gated by Practical ResuIts-Further EX
tensions Desirable.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-General W. b.
dazen, Chief Signal officer, has transmit
ted to the Secretary Of War his annual re
port, showing the operations of his bureau
during the last fiscal year. The report
begins with a statement of the value of
The instruction afforded at Fort Myer, and
The service of the signal corps attached to
Fenearl Miles command during the Gero-
nimO campaign are cited as evidence of the
Utility and necessity of trained signal OIL
cers. Regret is expressed at the action Of
Congress in failing to provide for a contin-
uance of Fort Myer a post of instruc-
ton. On this subject General Hazen says:
''The present plan must inevitably bring
INTO the service many men not fit for it,
and this fact cannot be learned until much
time and money is lost, and the service i'm
paired"
Concerning the work of the meteoroIogi-
eal division the report says: ''Many very
important laws have been recently de-
1uced theoretically and confirmed by OBJ
generations and experiments. Solar and
terrestrial radiation, the conditions deter
mining temperature; the relations be
tween the amount of solar heat received
by different parts of the earth's surface
and the corresponding resulting temperar
ture; the effect of the DETECTING forces OF
the earth's rotation on the mechanics OF
atmosphere. and the theory of the general
motion of the atmosphere, and of cyclones,
tornadOes, etc, are subjects which have
recently received much attention.
''It is stated that the plan Of securing as
observers young men qualified by educa-
ton for the pursuit Of scientific studies,
and thus raising the standard of the enlist
ed force of the signal corps, has now been
in operation five years, and of the 33o en-
listments made during that time ninety
seven We're college graduates; and 1t has
proved of benefit to the service"
WEATHER FORECASTS.
Touching the weather forecasts and
special warnings issued during the year, 1t
is said that the increasing demand for
these forecasts may be taken as evidence
Of their value. The officers are unable to
comply with the numerous requests re
| ceived from cities, towns and corporations
for the special warnings, owing to the linn
tied appropriations for this branch OF the
service.
General Hazen says that the progress
made in indicating the approach of cold
waves has been highly satisfactory and
he is convinced that property to the value
of many millions of dollars has been saved
through the agency of this service. The
cold wave signal is now displayed by or
ders from the central Office at 300 cities
and towns in the United States, and from
these points distributed by telephone and
and railways to about 10000 stations. An
appropriation of 5000 is recommended
for the extension of the service and the
opinion is expressed that no appropriation
would be more acceptable to the people
Of the 1,O65 cold wave signals displayed
| during the year, 81, or S5.5 per cent. were
justified.
The number of signal stations in opera
ton June 80. 1886. in the United States was
452. These include the telegraph stations,
display, special river, cotton region and
twelve repair stations In addition. re
ports are received from twenty-four Cana
dian stations by the cooperation of the
Canadian neurological service. The Office
has continued to cooperate with foreign
observers in collecting simultaneous me
/ teOrOlOgical reports, and in this work re
! ports have been received from 294 foreign
stations and Gle naval and merchant mar
/ inc vessels.
SYSTEM OF WARNING.
| Being desirous of ascertaining the opin
/ ION of the public as to the value of the sys-
/ tenn of warnings and indications by the dis
! play of flags, the chief signal officer says
! he addressed circular letter to those in
/ charge of the display of those signals at
| various points requesting that they report
| to what extent they give satisfaction.
! More than $50 replies were received com
/ mending in the highest terms this new
/ fe ature of the signal service which gives
/ to many cities and towns the advantages
! of a signal service station without expense
! to the Government. An appropriation OF
/ $1,000 Is recommended to enable the bu-
reau to furnish flags and transmit tele-
! grams to these volunteer stations.
Of the utility of the flood warnings fur
nished by the Signal Service, the report
says a careful estimate shows that prop
erty valued at S12S,000 was saved at a
single station NASHVILLE, Tenn.), by the
food warnings of the Signal Service in the
| Cumberland river during March and April
! of the current year. The expense to the
| Government in communicating the above
| warnings to all stations of that system, in
/ Guiding pay of river observers. was $3.50
| This single example illustrates what is
being done in the whole system.
The system of seacOast telegraph lines
is said to be of great value, and its ex-
tension along the entire Atlantic coast is
recommended.
! Of the State weather services, General
Hazen says: "The plan of organizing State
| weather services, cooperating with the
Signal Service has met with encourage
| ment during the year. and the evident
| value of such organizations in affOrding
means for the rapid and economical dis
| tribution of the weather forecasts and
frost and cold wave warnings of this serv-
! ice has led me to arrange for establishment
Of similar service in States where they are
| not now in operation.
The chief signal officer hopes that Con
gress at its next session will recognize the
successful work performed by Lieutenant
Greedy and his party in providing promo
tions of the survivors and support for the
families of those who lost their lives while
serving with this expedition.
The report closes with recommendations
looking to the establishment of additional
cautionary stations on the lakes and the
purchase, at a cost of S108,O00, of a new
building for the accommodation of the bu
reau.
-E-