The times., 1898-11-23
WORK OF THE FoREcAsTERs.
Annual Report of Chief Moore. of
the Weather Bureau.

The doings of the Weather Bureau dur
ing the fiscal year that ended June 80. 1855.
are set forth in some detail in report
recently submitted by Chief Willis L.
Moore to Hon. James Wilson. the Secre-
tary of Agriculture.
The most prominent event chronicled in
Chief Moore's report was the extension of
the bureaus field of operations TO include
all of the West Indies the shores OF the
Gulf OF Mexico from Galveston TO Cam
peche Bay. thence around Yucatan and
along the shores of the Caribbean Sea
to Trinidad. In this movement on the
Antilles stations manned by expert OBJ
servers and equipped with the most i'm
proved forms of modern Instruments were
established at Kingston. the local mead
quarters of the service; Santiago de Cuba.
st. Thomas, Santo Domingo. Barbados,
Trinidad. Curacao. and Baranquila. while
arrangements were made for obtaining
observations from Colon; Merida in Yuca-
tan. and Coatzacoalcos, Vera Cruz and
Tampico on the Mexican coast.
Although the protection of the United
States naval forces was the primary OBJ
ject in organizing the new service other
considerations of scarcely less Importance
made the step a wise and beneficent one.
First and foremost of these was the very
material strengthening of the storm
warning system of the Gulf and South
Atlantic coasts that would result from
planting additional observing stations in
the West Indies and on the northern coast
of South America second; the improve
ment in the existing service that would
follow the substitution. of skilled observ-
ers for special agents in the West Indies.
and. finally, the need of efficient storm
warning service for the benefit of our
growing commercial interests throughout
the West Indies. Central and South
American countries.
The weather service has also been ex-
tended in our own country by the estao-
lishment of a climate and crop center in
Alaska and new observing stations in
Montana, Idaho. California. Arizona
Utah. Colorado. Texas. Mississippi Geor-
gia. Kentucky, West Virginia. and Micni-
gan.
In regard to experiments with kites that
have been conducted for several years
past Prof. Moore remarks:
kite work was prosecuted uninter-
ruptedly throughout the year. The larger
portion of the time was devoted to the
perfection of a complete working ou- fit
of aerial apparatus suitable for use in the
hands of observers of only average skill
and experience.
Sixteen stations had been fully equip
ped by the first week in June and 21S
actual ascensions. in all of which the ele-
vation attained exceeded 1900 feet. were
made during the remainder of the month";
Forecasts of atmOSDheric dis
turbanees including floods in rivers.
frosts and freezing weather in Floriua,
California and the truck growing regions
of the Gulf and South Atlantic States
were promptly and accurately made
over 23,000,0O0 forecasts were distributed
during the year exclusive of those printed
in the daily papers. Ohio received the
greatest number. 2.157, 800: New York the
next greatest. 2.0S3. 100. followed by Mich-
gan. l,53o,00o: Illinois. 1.is5000; Missouri, l.
Ss2, 600. and Pennsylvania, 1,219,2O0.