Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-12
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Gen. Greeley Reports on The
YeH's Operations.



GfeeIy. Chief Signal Officer, submitted To
the Secretary Of War his annual report of
the operations OF the corps during the last
fiscal year. The reports show q decided
improvement in the condition and efficience
of the army ~ regards to the signal
practice. Three hundred ninety three off,
GERS in line have been under instruction
during the year, represe nting every regi-
BILE officers Of the line have either been
moderately proficient 10 the trans mis- sion of
messages by signaling or have received in
struction therein during the past year, and
at lesst 1850 enlisted men have been in-
structed. Gen. Greely, continuing. says:
By far the most important event in con-
nection with the signal corps of the army
has been the unprecedentedly successful
esIablishment and maintenance Of the elsb-
crate system Of heliograph signalling in the
de partment in Arizona. The value of this
work consisted not alone in the testing ap.
plicahility of the heliograph system as .
valuable supplement to the military move
ment in the field, but accumulated in q
graphic and permanent form . detailed
knowledge of the physical conditions of
Arizona which will be valuable in all the
fuure military movements or operations in
that Territory. Under the head of weather
forecasts, the chief signal officer speaks of
the inability of the overworked fore to
furnish regularly the numerous special pre-
dictions asked for by the cities. lie says
duties are devolving personally on the
forecast official and permit less than quar-
ter of minute on the average in which to
decide, formulate and express the forecast
for the State or district.
With a view of subserving the public in
terest by local forecasts. the chief signal
officer has initiated plan for permitting
officers and observers in charge of stations
outside of Washington city to make local
forecasts Of the weather and temperature.
Percentages of successful forecasts, "a I
for weather, 1877 for temperature, and 50 6
for general average. During the year
HIP storm signals were ordered, of which
1910 were justified as to direction, 695
justified wholly as to velocity, aud 80
partly as to velocity. The accuracy of the
weather and temperature predictions in
creased IL per cent. over the previous
year. Storm signals remain practically the
same as last year, 611 per cent. For a
long time forecasts of the weather and tenn
peratnre were issued at the discretion of
the forecast official, with successful per
centages of 81 8 for iS hours and so for
~ hours.
These forecasts were made for more ex-
tensive sections. Those for ~ hours in
advance was somewhat infrequent. but lag
has been made during the year. those for
As bours reached 1888. The reference was
made to a disadvantage under which Prof.
Russell who has been assigned the special
duty of forecasting cold waves labored by
reason of more stringent restrictions i'm
posed. Gep. Greely says that the percent
age of verifications (55) relates to cold
waves forecast under the present rigid
rules. To this might be added in compari-
son with preceding years II per cent, of
other waves which would have been yeri-
fed under previous rules.
Prof. Rp<sell pursued a more cautious
course in displays As the cold waves oc-
cured, counting the stations separately on
1876 occasions, all but IA occasions on
which severe cold waves were not predict
ed; in other words 9S per cent. of all the
important waves were forecast. The num-
ber of weather. maps issued during the
year was 063, ,J3i, against l7S,2iS in
1877. The report SAYS that no feature of
this service has met with such universal
favor and been 30 highly valued as the
weather crop bulletin. 1t also reviews the
work done by Prof III. A. Hazen: in inves-
tigating tornadoes.
Prof. IIazen has divided tornadocs into
three classes: lst, violent storms causing
destruction 3D. all other known violent
storms. There were about 900 tornadoes
each in Glasses and 2, causing the death
of OH people and loss of about S23,-
COO 900 in property, yet there were but IS
tornadoes Of very violent character, kill
7j5 people and destroying property to the
amount of $ll 1874 700, an average loss Of
Is lives and over 100000 of property to
each storm. Glass 3 appears in no State
where q destructive tornado may be ex-
pected oftener on an average than once in
two years. ard tue area in which total de-
struction can be~expected is exceedingly
small, even in the States most liable to
these violent storms.
The Chief Signal officer desires to i'm
press upon the peoele how small are the
chances of personal ipjnry or loss of prop
erty in this connection. 1t is well settled
that in the last IL years the annual casul-
ties from tornadoes average ls2 annually.
While this is q large number it does not
appear to be so great as the death casuliy
from lightning. for since during the pres
ent year of March 10 August, inclusive.
1902 lives were lost by lightning and in COM
pilng this record the list is incomplete, es-
pec:slly as regards the Southern Stats. 1t
may be safely assumed that tornadoes are
not so destructive to life ~ thunder storms