The Republican journal., 1901-05-02
cal, 20 inches high and inches in di-
ameter The water is poured from this


which it stands just 10 times as deep as
in the larger tank, and can thus be
measured by inches and hundredths
very accurately. The precipitation of
snowfall is obtained by melting the
snow and measuring the resulting
water
All barometer readings are reduced
to sea-level basis. The direction of
the wind is taken from vanes high
above the surrounding objects, and the
force of wind is measured by 5-minute
tests at different intervals
Voluntary observers record daily the
maximum and minimum, mean and
range of temperature; time of begin
ming and ending of each storm; amount
of snowfall; depth of snow on the
ground each day; direction of wind;
and general character of the weather.
The regular stations, in addition to these,
report the maximum and minimum
barometer readings; force and total
daily movement of the wind and
humidity. The monthly reports in
clude a summary of the above, the
dates of frosts, sleet, thunder, auroras,
halos, and any other facts that the
Bureau can use for the benefit of COM
merce or agriculture, such as the begin
ming of spring blowing, date of ice
leaving the rivers, lakes and ponds,
time of planting and harvesting the
different crops, migrations of wild fowl
and birds, greatest rise and lowest
water in the rivers, etc.
The system of disseminating in
formation and warnings is fully as
thorough and far-reaching as that of
collecting the data, and every part of
the country is promptly reached. The
most important points are along the
sea coast and on The great lakes, where
the timely display of storm signals
saves many lives and millions of dol
lars worth of property every year.
Two methods are employed, whistles
and flags. The whistle system consists
of a simple code of long and short
blasts, indicating all the different kinds
of weather. The flag system consists
of five flags, which when used singly or
in combination tell the mariner the
probabilities of the weather.
In regard to other method of dissent
mating the forecasts and warnings the
Bureau places the newspaper at the
head of the list, and telegraphs to the
press the fullest possible reports The
forecasts and warnings are distributed
by many other methods, chief among
which are the telegraph and the rail
road and telephone. The Bureau also
publishes more than 100000 bulletins
daily, chiefly postal cards, which are
sent to postmasters to be posted in
their offices. In many cities the fore
casts are posted ON letter-boxes and in
street cars, and in some instances, the
flags are displayed on the outside of the
cars. The new rural free delivery is be-
ing made use of to spread the weather
forecasts and storm warnings among
the farmers. The same division of dis
tricts prevails and the forecasts are
sent out from the same centres as those
which receive the reports of observers.
The Weather Bureaus observations
and predictions are general rather than
local, but even the general aspect may
be modified by local conditions and the
unexpected may happen. AS a rule,
however, the predictions of the Bureau
are reliable and are relied upon. and
many lives and many millions of dol
lars are saved every year both in COM
merce and agriculture, by the timely
needing of the storm and cold-wave
warnings. The courts have decided
that masters of vessels are in duty
bound to heed the storm warnings. and
marine insurance companies report
decreasing amount of losses of life and
property due to the increasing efficiency
OF the Weather Bureau and the more
careful needing of it's warnings.
Another important work of the
Bureau is the system of river and flood
warnings, which is being extended to
all the principal rivers where possibil-
ity of a flood exists. Losses from floods
in 1900 aggregated s12,OO0,Oo0 in the
United States, and the amount saved
by the warnings of the Bureau was
even greater. Eight new stations were
established in the country last year.
This work applies, of course, only to
floods caused by the natural rise of
rivers, and not to the breaking of dams
or log booms, as in the Johnstown flood
of 1889, or the more recent disaster at
Middlefeld, Mass. The department
keeps record of the amount of snow
on the hills, the water in the streams,
and all other necessary data, and when
the proper time comes, keep the peo-
pie in the endangered sections thorough
ly Informed as to the conditions and
probabilities.
The Bureau publishes a periodical
called the Monthly Weather Review, in
Washington, which gives the report of