Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-04-05
A LOCAL WEATHER BUREAU.
Meteorological Reports win he Hereafter
Kept in This City--Itepor,. to he Made
to Washington Monthly.

hEpt IN liaiA NttE--btrufNs TO We fhSut
to Washington Monthly.
A United States weather bureau has
been established in Wilmington AMI I
frcra this time ON meteorological reports /
will be regularly kept in this locality by .
the local observed. The newly an !
pointed official is Ferdinand c. d. /
Mckay. a clerk OF the Pullman palace
car shops, residing at No. 1927 Railroad |
avenue Mr.. Mckay received his ap- (
poin'ment Sunday and At once began
his duties in conrc2tion with the
meteorological table which will be for
warded to Washington at the end Of
every month.
Mr.. Mckay has not yet received all OF
his instruments from Washington,
although some Of them arrived Monday.
They consist Of rain gauge, maximum
and minimum Thermometers, hvgrone-
ter and standard Thermometer. Mr..
Mckay is erecting an observatory on
top of his house. from which point the
observations viii he made. He will note
the rainfall, keep an accurate watch
over the temperature. note the force and
direction of the wind, together with its
velocity and the general appearance Of
the sky, and will faniliarize himself
Will tue names of visible clouds and
observe their direction.
In case of hurricane, the force and
direction of the phenomena will be
taken, and besides Mr.. Mckay will keep
correct report of the condition Of
rivers and streams, note the highest and
lowest depths obtained during the year;
observe when the frogs first open and
close by their croaking; watch the halo
about the sun or moon; report certain
conditions OF the atmosphere and climate
| in connection with the harvesting of
crops, and in fact he will be required TO
] make yoluminous monthly reports on
matters pertaining to horticulture, agri-
| culture and navigation. Information of
this kind is extensively gathered ny the
| corpse of officials attached to the Smith.
/ sonian Institute at Washington and the
| data is considered of the greatest i'm
| pOrtance to manufacturers and others
| who depend largely upon the depart
ment Is furnish them with reports OF
various localities togetner with their ex-
isting conditions.
OF course the local station is still in
embryo, as Mr.. Mckay mas only Just
| began his local observance. He expects
to establish his meridian In the course of
| d few days in order that a record of the
| MONDAY sun may be fully and accu
| rately kept. When the rest OF his in
struments arrive he will be full
iledged and fully equipped observer.
Mr.. Mckay has been . great observer
all his life. In the SO years which he
has lived he has stored up wealth of
useful and interesting information and
is well posted on all matters pertaining
to the duties he will shortly be called
upon to perform. When, seen at the
Pullman shops yesterday, he impressed
his interviewer as q person who has un-
doubtedly seen better days, ana when
asked in regard 10 pursuits of the past
stated that he was al one time q manu-
facturer of thermometers, barometers
and all instruments relating to metero-
logical purposes at Elmira, N. Y, but
owing to financial reyerses he was out
Of business at present and had been in
Wilmington for period of about five
years.
Mr.. Mckay talked at considerable
length upon the establishment of the
new local bureau and stated that there
was no permanently located station in
Delaware He received his appointment
: from Mark w. Harrington, chief of the
, Weather Bureau at Washington, in
whose department the records Of thou
sands of observers are kept. Sometime
ago lie wrote to the Smithsonian Insti
2 tute in regard to some data relating Il
the classification Of shells. The depart
2 ment referred his letter to DR.. G. p
Cronk of Baltimore, who referred i
back to the department with sug
e gestions. Subsequently it was dis
3 covered that Mr.. Mckay was just til,
man for the position of observer il
Wilmington, and not long afterward
he was appointed.
g While there is sufficient remuneration
g in the position TO pay Mr.. Mckay TO
I. time and labor spent in the interest o
I science, it is no sinecure by any means
d The new observer is content to ill tn
n office, however, and will look upon it a
g a stepping stone to higher fortune. i
e case Of vacancy OF considerable i'm
portance which may occurat some othe
point, he may be considered in the ligh
e of person admirably qualified to ii
a the bill. at any rate he will remain d
N local observer at present, nourishing h
If ambition with the hope of making sti
greater meteorological observations i
broader scientific fields.