The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-22
BUREAU REPORTS.
General HaZen's Account of the Affairs of the
Signal Service.

| BUREAU REPORTS.
| General Hazen's Account of the Affairs of the
| Signal Service.
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 20-Gen. w. B. Hazen,
Chief Signal Officer, has transmitted to the Sec
rotary of War his annual report, showing the
| operations of his bureau during the last fsca
/ year. The report begins with statement of the
| value of the instruction afforded at Fort Myer,
and the services of the Signal Corps attached tc
General Miles's command during the Geronimo
campaign are cited as an evidence of the utility
and necessity of trained signal officers
Regret is expressed at the action of Congress
in failing to provide for continuance of For
Myer as post of instruction. 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 unit
much time and money is lost and the service
impaired"
Concerning the work of the meteorological di
thA-sp5rt says: Mans siiFaQartaCc
laws have been recently deduced theoretically,
and confirmed by observations and experiments.
Solar and terrestrial radiation. the conditions
determining temperature the relations between
the amount of solar heat received by different
parts of the earth's surface and the correspond
ing resulting temperature the effect OF the de-
fiectng forces of the esrths rotation the me-
chanics of atmosphere. and the theory of the gen
eral motion of the atmosphere, and OF cyclones.
tornadoes, ETC.. subjects which have recently
received much attention" 1t is stated that the
plan of securing as observers young men quail
fed by education for the pursuit of scientific
studies, and thus raising the standard of the en-
listed force of the Signal Corps. has now been in
operation five years, and of the 1913 enlistmeDts
made during that time ninety-seven were col
leee graduates, and 1t has proved of benefit to
the service.
Touching the weather forecasts and special
warnings issued during the year, it is said that
the increasing demand for these forecasts may
be taken as evidence of their value The Office
is unable to comply with the numerous requests
received from Cities towns, and corporations,
for the special warnings owing to the limited APP
preparation for this branch of the service. Gen.
Hazen says that the progress made in indicating
the approach of cold waves has been highly sat
isfactory, 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 orders from
the centra! office at 300 cities ard towns in the
United States, and from these points distributed
by telephone and railways to about twenty thou
sand stations An appropriation of So, 900 Is rec
commended for the extension of the service. and
| the opinion is expressed that no appropriation
| would be more acceptable to the people. Or the
| LOGS cold wave signals displayed during the
| year Oil, or s.. 5 per cent. were Justified Inc
number of signal-stations in operation June ~,
| 1885, in the United States was 402 These in
clude the telegraph stations, display, cotton
region, sunset. and twelve repair stations In
| addition reports are received from twenty-four
| Canadian stations, by the co operation OF the
| Canadian meteorological service The Office has
continued to cooperate with foreign observers In
/ collecting simultaneous meteorological reports,
| and in this work reports have been received from
| 294 foreign stations and GIG naval and merchant
| pnix Anotr nf art
the opinion of the public to the value of the
| system of warnings and indications by the
! display of flags. the Chief Signal officer
| says he addressed circular letter TO
| the persons in charge of the display OF these
| signals at various points, requesting that they
| report to what extent they give satisfaction
More than $50 replies were received, commend
ing in the highest terms this new feature OF the
Signal Service, which gives to many cities and
/ towns the advantages of Slgnal-servlce station
| without expense to the government. An appro-
prlation Of Sic. 900 is recommended to enable the
| bureau to furnish flags and transmit kilograms
| to these volunteer stations !,
OF the utility of the food warnings furnished
by the Signal Service the report says caret vi
| estimate shows that property valued at SlSo'UVo
| was saved at a single station NASHVILLE Tenn.
by the flood warning of the Signal Service on the
Cumberland river, during March and April OF
| the current year. The EXPENSE to the govern
ment in communicating the above warnings
| to all stations of that system, inciuolns
nav of river observers was $3.50 rms sfneie
example illustrates what is being done IN tn'
whole system. The system of seacoast telegraph
lines is said to be of great value, and It's exten
sion along the entire Atlantic coast is recon
mended. .
OF the State weather services. General Hazei
4 saws: .sThe plan of organizing State Weathe
services, cooperating with the Slgnai service
has met with encouragement during the year
and the evident value of such ORGANIZATIONS II
affording means for the rapid and economlca
distribution of the weather forecasts, ana iros
and cold wave warnings of this service mas e'
me to arrange for establishing OF similar serVic
| in States where they not now in operation.
The Chief Signal Officer hopes that congress
at lite rext session will recognize the successIn
worry nerformed by Lieutenant Greedy ana ~
rar.v nv proyiding promotions OF the survivor
and sunnort for the families OF those VINO los
their lives while serving with this expediton
The report closes with Recommendations iookih
- tho establishments of additional cautionar
stat;ons on the lakes and the purchase at cos
- sloo 600 of a new building for accommoda
| tion of the bureau.
, Bureau of Construction and Repair
WAsHISeToN Nov. 2L-The Cher Oh the n'
, reau Of Construction and Repair, in his annu'
report states that the steel cruisers Atlanta an
, Boston are at tho hayward, Brooklyn ~