Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-25
WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY
REAR ADMIRAL MANNEY TELLS
OF STATIONS ESTABLISHED.
Recommendations as to the Naval OBJ
servatory-A Plea for
More Clerks.

Rear Admiral Manney. chief of the naval
bureau of equipment, in his annual report
says that the work of installing wireless
telegraph stations on shore and on ships
has continued during the year. until tota.
of fifty-eight have been established
In addition to the above, contract has
been made for the installation of two light
ships. which relieve each other on Nam
tucket shoal, and the work of installation
is under way. 1t is intended to communi-
cate from the lightship on her station d.
rectly to the torpedo station, Newport, X. l.
The contract guarantees chain of COM
munication from Cape Elizabeth, Maine
to Cape Cod. thence to Montauk Point and
thence to the highlands of Navesipk, with
out going through intermediate stations
The bureau hopes soon to add one or two
additional stations and bring the chain OF
communicate ton to Washington: also to con-
meet that city in a similar manner with the
southern Atlantic and gulf coasts OF the
United States. Porto Rico, Cuba and the
Panama canal.
1t is proposed to shortly establish time
signal station by wireless telegraphy In
connection with the naval observatory ana
wireless telegraph storm-warning signal
service In connection with the weather Du-
reau of the Department of Agriculture.
A contract has been entered into provid-
ing for the conversion of the stations at
Pensacola and Key West into long-distance
stations The same contract also provides
for the establishment of long-distance sta
tons with a maximum range of communl-
cation of about 1000 miles at the following
places, viz: Porto Rico, the naval reserva-
ton at Guantanamo bay and the Panama
canal zone. The bureau. however, has the
option of designating other locations If it
is considered advisable.
A total of 1896 tons of coal, costing
s., 519,929S2, at an average of $500 per ton
were purchased during the fiscal year.
OF this amount purchased 395,344 tons.
costing, with the transportation thereof,
81, res. %. at an average of s432 per ton,
were purchased within the limits of the
United States.
The balance. viz. 1903 232 tons. were pur-
chased by ships mostly abroad, costing
$S11. 1897, at an average of $I.S6 per ton.
The average cost of coal purchased in the
United States was Is cents per ton less than
during the preceding year. while the aver
age amount paid by ships abroad was So
cents per ton greater. the average cost on
the entire amount purchased for the service
being ) cents per ton greater than that OF
the previous year.
The amount of coal purchased for naval
use exceeded that of the preceding year by
II $40 tons. or this quantity 1927 tons
were domestic COAL while 1,213 tons were
purchased by ships abroad.
The bureau has effected agreements with
American agents of coal supplies In seven
ty-six foreign ports to supply ships of the
navy with coal
The Naval Observatory.
In a chapter devoted to the naval OBJ
servatory, Rear Admiral Nancy says that
the lack Of officers and skilled assistants.
particularly in connection with the depart
rnents of chronometers and nautical instru-
rnents. is continual source of embarrass-
nent to the observatory in the prosecution
OF it's work.
Especial attention is invited to the recon-
rnendation of the superintendent that the
compass office BE- transferred from the bu-
reau proper to the naval observatory, which
is approved as being for the best interests
of the service.
The recommendation that the government
participate in the total solar eclipse sched-
uled to occur IN August, 1905, is also APP
proved. and 1t Is requested that the funds
necessary for this purpose, viz, $4,000, be
provided
The daily noon time signals have been
continued with an appreciable increase in
accuracy. The absolute correctness of this
service IS chiefly necessary in connection
with the Geographic longitude determine
tons ratings OF chronometers. etc, and 1t
is consequently important, says Admiral
Manney, that 1t should be as accurate as
possible. 1t is therefore gratifying, he says,
to state that the average error for the year
was only fourteen hundredths of a second
1t is believed that the development of
wireless biography will enable these sig
nails to be distributed over water as well
over land, and that before long every ship
at sea, in addition to every land station. will
receive daily noon signals from the standard
observatory clock.
Admiral Manney expresses the hope that
some definite steps may be taken to secure
the acquisition of the land remaining to be
acquired to complete the tract lying within
a radius of LOCO feet of the observatory
clock room as contemplated by the act of
Congress, approved August 1. 1894. The
buildings of the industrial home of the Dis
trict are on the land desired by the officials
OF the observatory. The possession of this
land, Admiral Manney says, is regarded as
important to the efficiency and welfare of
the observatory He says also that a large
portion of the observatory grounds is still
undeveloped and that it is essential that the
necessary grading, filling, ETC., be under
taken without delay.