Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-12
THE SIGNAL CORPS.
"A Years Work of Gen. Greely's De.
partment.


partment.
SUCCESS OF THE HELIodRAPH sIGyALIya-wHAT
THE WEATHER FORECASTS sHow-THE TOR
SADo ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FROM THE CHIEF
SIGNAL OFFICERS REPORT.
Gen. A. W. Greedy, chief signal officer in his
annual report, of which a synopsis was pub
llshed in yesterdays STAR, notes a decided i'm
Provement in the condition and efficiency of the
army as regards signal practice, which. he says
mas obtained to greater extent than for many
years. the records showing that no less than
1893 officers of the line have been under instruc-
tions during the year. representing for tho first
time In many years every regiment of the army.
1t appears that 40 per cent of the available Off
GERS of the line are extraordinarily proficient
II the transmission of messages by signaling
or have received instruction therein during the
past yea-. At least 1.5OO enlisted men have
been instructed, since during both December
and February nearly ], 100 enlisted men were
engaged in practice.
HELIoGRAPH SIGNALING.
Gen. Greedy says: BY far the most i'm
portant event in connection with the signal
corps OF the army has been the unprecedent-
edly successful establishment and maintenance
OF an elaborate system of Photograph signaling
this work deservedly belongs to Asst Adjt
Gen. VIM. j. Nolkmar. who. in addition to his
stall duties voluntarily assumed those of the
chief signal officer of the department The
value OF this work Is not ephemcra since it con-
sisted not alone IN testing the applicability of
the hefograph system a valuable supple
ment TO military movements III the field. but
also accumulated. in a graphic and permanent
form, a detailed knowledge of the physical con-
dltioEs of Arizona. which will be valuable in
all future military movements or operations in
that territory.
THE HELIoGRAPH EXPERIMENTS.
In one series of experiments last May in south
eastern Arizona about 2.O0O miles of heliograph
lines were operated Thirty-three officers and
129 enlisted men and operators took part in
this remarkable practice. during which nearly
1000 messages and about 100000 words were
exchanged The regular transmission and IN
terchanse OF messages wero had over greater
ranges than have ever before been known in
any military practice. or indeed By any meth
ods. Previously IS miles constituted an ex-
treme range for military heliograph work, but
In this practice messages were successfully sent
and answered over ranges, respectively. of
90. s., % and communication had at 125 miles.
The longest distance at which regular COM
mGulcatIOn has before been had by Photograph
Is believed TO be that between the islands of
MaIIrltIus and Reunion. a distance of III miles
The 1lauritlus-ReUniOn line was commercial
one. with permanent apparatus. costing over
$1,000, and having mirrors which displayed
upward OF 1900 square inches of rejecting
surface. These data indicate high degree of
skill III manufacture and of dizziness in manipu-
lat.on. whereby the extraordinary work of the
Maurltius- Reunion Photograph line has been
surpassed by the simple and portable signal
service hellCgrapE in use in the American
navy, which exposes barely twenty square
inches of rejecting surface, costs $40, and
proves to be sufficiently powerful for commu-
nication at distance of I25 miles.
The division having charge of military sig
mailing Is under the direction of First Lieut..
l. l. Thompson sixth infantry.
WEATHER FORECASTS.
Under the head of weather forecasts Gen
Greedy speaks of the inability of the over
worked force to furnish regularly the numerous
special predictions asked for 10y cities He
says that the duties devolvIng personally on
the forecast official permit less than one-quarter
OF a minute on an average III which to decide
formulate and express a forecast fer n state or
district. With a view of subscribing the public
interest by local forecasts, the chief signal Of
hcer has initiated the plan of permitting Of
hcers and Observers in charge of stations out
side OF Washington city TO make local forecasts
OF weather and temperature.
The percentages of successful forecasts are
81 Tor weather. 49, for temperature and SO
as a general average. During the year LIP
storm signals have been ordered of which
loo have been Justified as to direction COS
Justified wholly as to velocity and 80 partly as
W NCIOtAtN Inc accuracy OF weather ana tenn
perature predictions has increased IL per cent
over the previous year; that Of storm signals
remains practically the same rs last year. GIL
per cent Longtime forecasts of weather and
temperature have been issued at the discretion
OF the forecast official with successful percent
ages of SIG FOR fOrty-eight hours and sos for
seventy-twO hours. These forecasts are made
not Tor small areas. but Tor extensive sections
Those for seyo nty-two hours in advance were
somewhat lnfrequent, there being but l46
made during the year. Those for orty-eight
hours were quite frequent, and in number
Reached l.SS3.
The following officers have performed the
difficult and arduous work of forecastIng: Can't
James Allen. third cavalry. during the months
OF September, December and March; Capt H.
H. C. DunwOody fourth artillery, during An
gust and january; Second Lieutenant W. A.
GIaSSford. signal corps. during February and
May; Assistant Professor Ii. A. HaZen during
October and June; First Lieutenant Il. T.
thompson. sixth infantry, during July. No.
vember and April; Second Lieutenant ]. T. Max
held, signal corps, for the Pacific coast region
during the entire year. There is a difference
OF o per cent between the general average of
the least successful CAS- and the most success
ful (S5.s) official in forecasting weather and
temperature. The most successful forecaster
Is the official having the longest experience in
this class of work. AS has been pointed out in
previous reports, special qualities of mind are
essential for successful work of this character,
but IN addition to natural aptitude. experience
10 LCStccdIg. anu IL UlUSL inevitably lOllOW IN
the future, as it has in the past, that the intro
ductIon OF new forecast official means tenn
porariiy aless degree OF success than ordinarily
obtains.
COLD WAVES.
The chief signal officer pointed out in his
last annual report the necessity which devolved
upon him Of training some single official in the
important duties of forecastIng advancing cold
waves. In pursuance of this policy Assistant
Professor Thomas Russell was directed to in
vestigate and study this class of phenomena,
and shortly after. eighteen months since. was
assigned TO the work of forecasting. 1t fol-
lowed that Prof. Russell worked at a consider
able disadvantage from lack of practice He
also labored under the further disadvantage of
restriction thrown by the present chief signal
officer around these predictions. which had
formerly been treated and verified with a
lenIeney too great for the public good. In
prior years percentages had been dependent
only upon cold actually forecast.
Besides, no time limit was placed upon the dis
play and no penalty was attached to failure TO
forecast. no matter how severe sudden the
cold. nor how serious the resulting damage.
Prof. Russell has pursued a more cautious
course IN displays as cold waves occurred
counting the stations separately on 723 occa-
sions, yet there were but fourteen occasions on
which severe cold waves were not predicted.
In other words, IS per cent of all the impor tant