St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-06
SIGNAL SERVICE FEATURES.
Suggestions from the Chief Weather
i5se Prophet.
COLD WAVE PREDICTIONS.
"A Costly Line Of Government Telegraph
Precautions Taken to Forecast
Floods in Great Rivers.

Floods in Great Rivers.
m.ssS4
III;
., Ammong other features in the report
4 is that of river observations. 1.-THE dis
: astrous floods of the past few years"
remarks Gen. Greedy, shave emphasized
the Importance of careful and system
attic river observations, and have shown
the necessity of stations on all impor-
slant tributaries of our great rivers. A
properly arranged system Of river and
rainfall stations would enable a prac-
4ticed indications official to predict many
days in advance. with considerable GER
tainty, the extent and contln-
uance of any great flood, so
that. timely warnings would afford
ample opportunity for such precautions
as would mitigate the severity of such
disasters. At present seventy-eight
special river stations, with paid civilian
observers. are in operation. All the
important river gauges have been
placed in complete order, their ZeroS
carefully predetermined and every pre-
caution taken to insure the greatest
possible
ACCURACY OF OBSERVATIONS.
ga system of rainfall stations was in
stituted July l, 1887. These have been
carefully located at suitable points in
the great water sheds of the country,
near the sources of the principal tribu-
taries of our large rivers. The Observ-
ers at these stations are paid nominal
sum for their reports, which are mailed
weekly to designated centers, and in
case of heavy and excessive rainfall
this information is forwarded, by tele-
graph, to designated signal service
station, in order that the information
may be promptly disseminated through
out the section of country liable to be
affected by the rainfall.
Z. Government telegraph lines also come
in for a-share of consideration, and the
following statement is made concern
ing the Northwestern line:
1.-The extension of the st. Paul q
Minneapolis railroad to Poplar river
resulted in the abandonment and sale of
a section of 1876 miles of telegraph line,
from Poplar river via Fort Buford to
Glendive. The remaining section OF this
line, from Poplar river to Fort Magin-
MS, 232 miles in length, is the most
costly of all telegraph lines connected
with this service. The intervening
country is wild and desolate
in the extreme, and generally with
out inhabitants, so that at Gal
pin, the repair station. this service
is obliged to maintain, at an expense OF
$1,630 per year, two civilian repairmen,
since one will not live there alone. The
total receipts from the line during the
past year were S155.17, while the cost to
the government for maintaining and
fSV,fr M sc 4
nualIy. The policy will be continued
of abandoning and selling military tele-
graph lines whenever the advance of
railways or the extension of the gen.
| efal telegraph system affords the gov
ernment an opportunity of reaching
military stations over a private wire.
No lines are extended nor are any gen.
eeral repairs made without the recon-
mendatiOnS of tine commanding general
| of the army to the effect that such eX
penditures are necessary for military
purposes" .;.f
In his annual report recently sub
mitted to the secretary of. war, Gen.
Greedy, chief of the signal service, re-
ferring to the system of cold wave
warnings, says: at has continued in
Successful operation to the general sat-
iSfactiOn and frequently great advan-
tage of the public. 1t is now generally
understood that the exact meaning of
the term ''cOld wave" implies that the
temperature will fall below forty-fve
(45) degrees, and that in twenty-four
hours an abnormal fall of fifteen or
advantages Of knowing. sixteen to
twenty-four hours in advance that the
temerature will fall quickly ap
ply not only to manifold busl-
ness interests, but affect the
comfort,of thousands, and at times the
health and life of hundreds. The i'm
portanee of early and successful fore
casts of cold waves is greatest in the
Northwest. In order to meet the needs
of that section and to comply with the
earnest applications from citizens and
corporate bodies OF great vested values,
the chief signal officer stationed an in
dications officer. First Lieut.. Thomas
NJ. Woodruff, Fifth infantry, acting sig
nal officer, at st. Paul. MINI. This ar
rangement enabled that officer to re-
ceive his reports an hour earlier than in
Washington, and further enabled min
to send out warnings of cold waves from
two to five hours earlier than was be-
fore done. A warning earlier by two or
three hours, while not of special I'M
very much so to the Northwest. where
the earliest signs of a cold wave are
rarely more than twelve hours in adj
vance of
ITS FULL PREDOMINANCE
''This action of the chiefasignal officer
resulted in a marked improvement of
cold-waye warnings for Dakota, Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin; so
that the percentage of signals ordered
by Lieut.. Woodruff was considerably
greater than those for 1887. The relief
of this officer from duty with the signal
service has necessitated change. and
during the coming year the cold-wave
signals Will be ordered from the central
office. With view, however, to i'm
proving the character of cold-wave pre-
dictions, the chief signal officer has di
rected the study of this phenomenon by
Asst. Prof. Thomas Russell, whose as
signment to this work will follow some
time during the coming year."
Haytians Are Becoming Insolent.
Boston, Nov. 5.-The brig Richard
T. Green. Capt. Patrick, arrived here