Evening star., 1921-10-02

many cases meant the removal Of the
delicate instrument to the local tele-
ton fails to send its daily time mes
sage. letters from jewelers. are al
ways received. 1t is estimated that
thousands of them throughout the
country make use of the service and
are grateful to the accommodating
service is considered one of the most
valuable functions of the station.
THE photographic service Of the
station at Arlington is sent out
daily and is available to every ship
on the high seas. Briefly described.
1t is warning to all mariners of any
danger to navigation. If schooner
becomes dismasted in a storm, turns
over and becomes awash in a few feet
OF water. it is a danger to all ships
that pass nearby, for unless the YES
sells are warned of its presence moth
ing could be more simple than for
one of them to ram the sunken hull
with resulting damage. When a dere-
lict or other danger is sighted by a
geographic Office in Washington by
relayed wireless messages. The ip-
formation containing the approx
mate latitude, longitude and other
facts is given to the Navy Depart
ment. and from Arlington are flashed
the news and the warning.
These messages are picked UP by
coast guard stations in whose zone
the menace has appeared. and a cutter
is sent out to locate the danger. If
it happens to be an abandoned
schooner or floating hull. it is put in
tow and taken to the nearest landing
point.
In addition, the coast guard main
tains an ice patrol. which watches out
for and reports floating ice which is
liable to come into the steamer lanes
between this country and Europe. Ar
lington receives the report Of these
bergs and sends out the warning to
shippers. This service was instituted
after the disastrous wreck of the
Titanic. Had it been in force then.
the accident which ranks with the
worlds greatest disaster might have
been averted.
Other detailed information inval-
liable to sea folk is sent out from
Arlington in the daily routine, in
GLIDING warnings OF lightships out of
position, changes in the lightships'
position floating buoys and otter such
data
Storm warnings and weather fore
casts are sent out from the weather
bureau daily through the Navy De-
partment and the Arlington station.
These reports are gathered by tsle-
graph from the different stations OF
the weather bureau and sent out from
Arlington to different areas on land
ing in the Gulf Of Mexico which may
develop into hurricane the weather
bureau Immediately transmits a
warning to Arlington, which flashes
the news to ships, advising them to
seek cover or stay in port. With the
storm warnings are sent forecasts s
weather warnings are sent out by all
coastal wireless stations, which re-
ceive them from Arlington four
times a day. at am, noon, pm.
and at pm.
The weather service was another
feature inaugurated at Arlington
which has since proved OF great value
to the public ashore. When the serv-
ice was begun inquiries were received
at the Navy Department asking per-
mission to receive weather forecasts
and storm warnings, sent out IN code
to abbreviate the length OF the mes
sage, and the Navy readily granted
permission. The weather reports are
considered public property ana any
body with q receiving set can pick
them up from Arlington.
y + X X
TT was found that the farmers, espe-
cially those in the middle west,
showed great interest in the weather
reports. Many of them have pur-
chased wireless sets Of their own. and
today the farmer boy will be found
in the barn. with a pair Of receivers
strapped on his head, patiently wait
ing for Arlington to notify father
whether it is safe to begin harvest.
ing tomorrow, or whether he had
better walt until q few days for that
storm, brewing in his state and head
ed south, to pass by.
Those farmers who have not gone
SO far as to arrange for receiving the
reports from Arlington with their
own sets usually manage to get In
touch with some amateur in the
neiEhborhood who possesses the nee.
essary equipment. and the news ts
transmitted through them to all who
want 1t. 1t has gotten to be quite a
profitable business for some ener-
getfc small boys in middle western
Territory to purchase sets of their
own and furnish the farmers with
the latest weather DOPE" hot from
Washington. And the local weather
prophet, who used to suck wheat
straw and gaze at the sky and pre-
Hicf ali sorts of dire things on the