The times., 1898-07-14
THE WEATHER BUREAU.
4 Score of stutions In the West
Indies 10 BE Added.

To ne -suued-
The Weather Bureau in keeping with
the political, commercial and territorial
growth of the American Republic is
about 10 undergo wonderful process of
expansion
The entire West Ipdles will be added
to the weather map and a score Of OBJ
servation stations added TO the present
list of the bureau. These stations will be
established in all the prominent islands,
from Curacao on the south, to Nassau on
the north. and from Valladoid in the
Yucatan Peninsula on the west to the
Barbados on the east.
Cuba and Porto Rico viii also be in
cluded and no less than four stations
Will be established III the former island.
namely Havana. r. Cienfuegos. Puerto
Principe and Santiago. although under
present political conditions these cannot
conveniently be Permanently established
until the Cubans have obtained their free
dom.
The undertaking Is one which will be
productive of more direct benefit to the
shipping and trading interests of the
country than anything that has been
done by this Governments for many years
The object is to have all the principal
and most advantageous points of obser-
vation in the West indies so completely
studded with these observation stations.
that the atmospheric and storm condi-
tions of the tropics, so dangerous to the
trade of our Southern coasts, may be
closely watched and observed and proper
notices given to the coast trading inter-
ests.
The most dangerous storms that the
American coast trade have to contend
with originate in the tropics and break
in all their tremendous fury off Hatteras
and other points along the South Atlantic
coasts. At present the most southern
weather stations are located at Key
West, Miami. New Orleans and Calves
ton, and this being so the track of
storms and hurricanes cannot be learned
until the storm appears and does its ter
rible damage. In order to assist the
American observers at these southern
points arrangements were made with the
Mexican telegraphers at Tampieo, Vera
Cruz Coatzacoales and Merida whereby
the approach of the most westerly of
vice was not complete and only indirect
results were obtainable.
When the new system is established the
entire region of the Indian Islands will
be completely covered and the stations
that are to be established at the Barba-
dos, Martinique, Guadeloupe and the
other doorways to the Atlantic in the
Windward group of islands, will be able
TO cable the approach of the storms to the
other stations in the great Indian chain
which will in turn notify the American
coast observers of the courses th,t ora
taken by them. Late in the Summer +besa
storms originate in the center of the Car
lopean sea, and the station that will be
established at Kingston will daily report
the conditions in that vicinity.
Before Congress adjourned an appronri
alton of $4,000 was made for the consI1m-
nation of the above work. The idea orig
mated with Professor Merrill Of the
washington bureau. and in accordance
with the recommendation of the Denart
ment OF Agriculture the bill which secur-
eo lne appropriation was introduced nv
chairman Wadsworth, of the Committee
on Agriculture.
Forecaster Dunn, of New York, was Of
fered the position of chief forecaster of
the West Indian station, but refused ~
accept It. He was then given his
choice between the West Indian station
and smaller station at Cleveland. but
desiring neither, he resigned under pro-
test several days ago.
Inc following is complete list of the
stations that are to be established:
Cuba-HaVana, Cienfuegos, Puerto
Principe and Santiago; Porto Rico-San
Juan; Jamaica-Kingston Haiti-Cape
Haitien; Dominican Republic-Santo Do
mingo; st. Thomas and ST. Kits ISL
ands; Guadeloupe Island; Martinique
Island; Barbados Island; Port of Spain;
Curacao Island; Barranquilla, on the
north coast of Venezuela; Colon, near
the entrance to the Suez Canal; TrujilIo.
on the east coast OF the Central Ameri-
can Republic; Falladolid,a in Yucatan, off
the Yucatan Passage; Merida. on the Yu-
catan Peninsula; Mexico-Coatzacoales
Vera Cruz and Tampico..
The Weather Bureau has prepared a
West Indian map similar in construction
and drawing to the regular weather maps
that are dhributed daily, but inclusive
only of the new fieldiof operations in the
East Indies. ~