The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-13
THE PORTO RICAN
WEATHER BUREAU
The United States Has Opened a
Branch Of the Service in San Juan.
OPENING OF THE P0ST0FFlCE.
IL Was Accomplished In Twcnty-Four
Hours Afser the Flag Was Raised.
Hard 20 Get the Natives Out or
Their Old Ruts.

fcarrspondence Of the Associated Fress)
SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO, oct "a
branch OF the West Indian and South
Arnertcan service Of the United States
weather bureau IS being established
IN san Juan DR.. NJ. w. Harringtonsis
,n charge OF this office; his assistant IN
the work Is MIR. Cylde Lomon, and Mr..
Y. r. Randolph Is aiding In the establish
ment OF the bureau. Mr.. Randolph has
been active IN the opening OF many OF
the offices OF the same service In other
parts OF the West indies, and as soon
az his work here Is completed he VIII
return home.
ONE OF MANY.
THIS San Juan Office is one OF a series
established at the following points win
headquarters at Kingston, Jamaica; san
tiago do Cuba; Santo Domingo CITY, III
Santo Domingo; St. Kits; BarDadoes'
Port OF Spain, Trinidad; Colon, COLOMBIA
and Ourazao. Dutch West Indies. Iherc
will also be anumber OF stations on inc
Caribbean sea coast and along the Mex
ican gulf. Thus San Juan station Will
report twice a day by telegraph to Nlng-
ston and Washington, and the main idea
of the entire West Indian service Is the
proper observation OF hurricanes ana
timely warning TO mariners or their
whereabouts.
DIR. Harrington has been allotted spa
cious offices in "a public building on
Forteleza street. near the palace. Inc
premises were formerly occupied by the
Spanish Weather Bureau. This institu-
ton has been established for some years,
and when DR.. Harrington took possession
OF their old quarters he was surprised
ct the fine instruments OF delicacy and
precision that the Spaniards had used
tn aid them in their work Their seiso-
meter, an instrument for the recording
and registering OF earthquake waves,
was the best the Doctor had ever seem
Under the Spanish regime this weather
bureau reported TO Madrid, Washington
and other similar concerns on the con-
tinent but by mail and only once
month.
An examination of the printed Wash
ington report of the San Juan observa-
lions shows many months with no re-
turns whatever; this would indicate an
inefficient service which, unfortunately,
existed. While the Spanish Weather Bu-
ye2u was well conceived, and with an
idea TO the public good, the actual SER
vice has been neglected during the re-
cent troubled political war years. They
have an excellent machine to measure the
rainfall. for example, and its guage is
SO arranged that the running public may
read at a glance what amount of water
has Ou Ilo IOuoC-NOP. Out tlilo
instrument as well as almost all the
others, Is out of repair. OF recent years
Porto Rico has had more important at
fairs TO consider than official reports
OF the weather, and IL is not surprising,
considering the want of appropriations
for salaries and lack Of general in
terest in so unimpOrtant a branch of
governmental service that the Weather.
bureau should have been neglected.
E.tt 81 act ia Qf
the installation of Dr. Harrington in
the new office and the SpaniaTds are
glad TO turn over their delicate instru-
ments to so efficient a custodian
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The establishment of the United States
postoffice in San Juan was effected twen-
ty-four hours after the flag wE raised
on October 18th. Before the day of oc-
cupation IL had been decided that the
offices of the old Porto Rican Lottery
Company were best adapted for the uses
OF our postal service, but the lottery
company with its numberless boxes Of
documents and much confusion, Wa still
in possession OF their quarters They
would not allow our postal mem inside
their doors TO take measurements for
the compartments necessary TO mail dis
tribution. so these men were forced TO
impatiently wait the stroke of noon Of
the 18th. The lottery Is n government
concern. Il occupies offices I'm a public
building which at noon Of that day
passed into American possession. The
pestoffice had a vast accumulation OF
mail TO distribute, and they were anx-
ious 20 get at It, But the lottery also
had still much work TO do. and they
were really very sorry. but they did not
see how they could leave the American
building for several DAYS To come Soon
ttfc CT ~ AnnarfqoO
officer from headquarters threw ludi-
crous CONSERVATION into the lottery COM
pany by the business remark that the
building would have To he vacated in
one hours time. Impossihlei The Of
fcer was joking. But he was not, and
when the lottery company found this
out they marched from their building in
brave Outbound uniforms injured 81
lence and within the hour. This was nj
o'clock on the afternoon OF the 18th
At noon OF the 10Th the American post
Office began To do rushing business
Among the new citizens who crowded
up 10 buy large quantities Of stamps was
one woman most anxious 20 have cashed
an old lottery ticket that in~days gone
by had drawn 5000
OLD CUSTOMS.
There is a class Of Porto Ricans wh'
are prone 10 kick they seek ever,
chance go 20 do tand the fact that Port,
Rico pays to-day a higher postal rat
than Il did under Spain has been an opcI
field for those who chemically object
Formerly Il cost five cents local money 4
send letter 10 countries in the PCsta
Union, and three cents for m island de
livery Now they must pay five cents
gold or ten cents local money for for
eign letter, and two cents gold or fou
cents local money for an island delivery
They DO not stop to realize that the,
will eventually get much better servic
than formerly a service worth TO then
much more than this difference in rates
So there have been unreasonable com
plants about the postal service. MI
Van Allstyne. postmaster at San Juan
and his assistants are doing excenen
work they have energstically taken hol
OF n difficult problem and there Is n
doubt that Mr.. Van Allstyne will shortl
organize ar excellent service. An apprt
citation OF some of our postmasters dit
dculties and an observance OF what he
doing to overcome them can now be see
among the more reasonable tOwnspeopls
they are disposed 70 give him a fair shoN
and hts ways and methods are alread
scoring.
Mr.. Henry X. Carroll. for many year
editor OF the Independent and now Pres
tdent McKinley's special commissions
TO this island arrived here last week
Mr.. Carroll viii do here what DIR. Porte
did In Cuba. Mr.. Carroll will max
a personal investigation into the law
customs and manners Of the countr,
he will study the agricultural. CONNER
cial and financial questions. he will II