Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-08-29
THE SIGNAL SERVICE.
Progress of the Work Establishing
Territorial Weather Bureau
in New Mexico.
Widespread Interest In the Ente rprise-
Its Practical Benefits-A Letter
from tho Director.

The local U. s. signal officer, Mr.. H
B. Hersey, is getting on nicely in hi
work OF arranging the details for tb
proposed territorial weather bureau an(
New Mexico crop reports service of whicl
he is the director. Most of the mechan
ical apparatus necessary for carrying OIL
the service have now arrived from Wash
ington City and are being sent out to sub.
stations throughout the territory as fast
as competent volunteer observers are
designated to aid in the work. The di-
rector notes with no little satisfaction the
interest manifested by leading citizens in
many parts of New Mexico on this sub
ject, as evidenced by the numerous let
ters he has received since the announce
ment in these columns some weeks ago
and sought the cooperation OF the people
in every town and farming district in the
territory. He is impressed with the be-
lief that this new departure will prove a
success from the start. The following is
selfexplanatory
TERRIT'L WEATHER SERVICE OF N. NJ.
Cooperating with the U. s. Bureau.
Office of the Director.
To the Editor of the New Mexican.
SANTA FE, N. M, Aug. 2S.-It is intend
ed to establish a territorial weather serv-
ice in New Mexico to cooperate with the
national weather bureau of the agricul-
tural department by dissemination Of the
forecasts and warnings of the weather
bureau, so that the!people of the territory
at large may derive the benefits to be OBJ
tanned therefrom.
Stations of observations will also be
established in each county of the territory
under the supervision of reliable and in
telligent observers, who will report to this
office, and whose reports will be pub
lished and disseminated monthly.
A system Of weekly weather crop bull
letins will be leading feature Of the ter
ritorisl work during the growing season,
which will be valuable alike to the com
merce and agriculture OF the territory.
The instruments necessary for making
observations are the set of self-registering
maximum and minimum thermometers, q
rain-gauge, measuring stick and an in
strument shelter of lattice work for the
thermometers. Considering that the
whole work is at present voluntary, there
will be no pay attached to the making of
observations and the instrument will re-
quire to be purchased from private funds,
or by appropriations of the city and town
councils. The expense of the instruments
is trifling in comparison to the advantages
to be derived, being but about 500 for the
set as above enumerated.
The time that is to be. devoted to the
making and recording OF observations need
not exceed ten minutes each evening,
and the work being entertaining and OF
considerable benefit to physicians and
others, an intelligent observer can readily
be secured to give the matter proper at
tention.
1t is requested that persons desiring to
obtain the appointment of observer for
their counties file their applications at the
earliest practicable date.
The advantages to be derived from a
territorial bureau can be briefly summar-
lied as follows
l. 1t will lie the means of securing
better forecasts by having local data
to study in connection with storm move
ments.
2. 1t brings the benefits of the weather
bureau into every county of state by
having the flag system of displays to
warn the people Of coming weather
changes.
3. 1t will give to every county stan
dards of Temperature, rainfall, etc., sources
of ,oof,,l in forn fior, of oil tir,,ou
4. 1t places within reach of local agri-
cultural societies means of accurate OBJ
servstions, which in the course of years