THE SYSTEM OF STORM SIGNALS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4191, 26 August 1874, Page 3

THE SYSTEM OF STORM SIGNALS.

Amongst the latest additions to the library of the General Assembly, is the report of Bri-gadier-General Albert P. Slyer, chief signal officer of the United States army. The report is contained in a volume of nearly 300 pages of closely-printed matter, furnished with numerous illustrations, and contains copious and valuable information relative to the establishment and maintenance of telegraphic communication with the army when in the field. It also treats very fully of the manner in which the storm signal service is carried out. This latter portion of the book is that which has the most interest for us in New Zealaud, as it bears directly upon the system of storm warning signals, which has lately been placed experimentally in operation under the direction of the Hon. W. H. Reynolds, Commissioner of Customs. In the United States, the information collected by the officers of the signal service, is transmitted to the central office in New York three times during each twenty-four hours, viz., at 7.35 a.m. 4.35 p.m., and 11p.m.; it consists of the height of the barometer, corrected for temperature and elevation, the height of the thermometer, the amount of moisture in the air, the description of the weather—conveyed by the terms clear, cloudy, &c, the velocity of the wind in miles, the description and amount of upper and lower clouds, and the amount of rainfall —in addition to which stations situated upon rivers send the amount of rise or fall of the water. The whole of these observations are made at Washington time, and are forwarded in ten or twelve words by means of a very full but simplydevised cypher code, written upon a special form in duplicate, one copy being handed to the telegraph operator, the other posted to the central office upon the succeeding day. The reports thus received are published thrice daily in the form of elaborate maps, upon reference to which the atmospheric conditions prevalent over nearly the whole of the United States, at the time of observation, can 'be seen at a glance. The maps are published upon the spherical projection, and are shaded in lines so as to show the heights of the different districts above the sea. Pressure and temperature are shown by isobaric and isothermal lines; the direction of the wind is denoted by arrows placed at the point of observation ; whilst cloudy, clear, or fair weather, rain, and snow, are represented by symbols similarly situated. These maps are printed in manifold, and have to pass twice through the lithographic and once through the ordinary printing-press. Copies are distributed to all public bodies who may apply for them, and in various other ways; and some idea of the interest taken in these weather reports by the American public may be formed from the statement given in the report, that in New York alone, no less than 23,8-10 of these maps were distribute'd during the year 1871-2, in addition to 10,000 extra copies published during the fair of the American Institute, which took place during that period. This information is also published at all the more prominent stations, and principal cities, and full information is given to the Press of all changes which take place, in addition to which the daily and monthly means of the observations are furnished to such papers as may desire to make use of it. Statements of probable changes in the weather are prepared at and issued from the central office at 1 a.m., 10 am., and 10 p.m. in each day. The observations are in all cases made by carefully trained non-commissioned officers and men of the Signal Corps, who are fully supplied with standard instruments, and close inspections of the manner in which these instruments are kept; and also of the manner in which the whole of the duties are carried out are made twice in each year: each of these observers furnishes the chief signal officer with a report of the result of the storm warnings, and of any subject bearing upon the interest taken by the American public in the signal service. We subjoin a few extracts from these reports, which speak for themselves : At Knoxville, inTennessee, it is stated that "A very general interest has been and i 3 manifested in the weather reports by almost all classes of citizens, e.Q., contractors in charge of unfinished buildings, which are endangered by wind or rain ; people contemplating trips to the country ; men in charge of brick yards, where the hack is without roof (as it usually is) ; jobbers sending good 3 to country merchants by waggons, farmers who have some sort of exposed harvests ; road builders with loose earth dumped and liable to be cut away by water, unless protected by ditches ; ' Committees of Arrangement' on pic-nics, political meetings, camp meetings, &c; ladies who 'think of paying calls to-morrow,' &c. All these classes, and many more, have been observed to examine the probabilities and derive benefit therefrom." At Mobile, in Alabama, the observer reports that —"At present everything connected with this office is held in the highest estimation, especially by the cotton merchants and the general merchants of the city who place the utmost reliance upon the bulletins and probabilities, and they are eagerly read by numerous persons, especially in the morning when the reports are published." At Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, it is stated that—" The advantages of our service are now attracting the most earnest consideration at this place; the shipper, the manufacturer, the merchant, and in fact all business men haee accepted and employed the benefits of the system in an endless number of ways. . . . . That the value of the weather reports is recognised by business men in their transactions is evidenced by the fact that this office is daily in receipt of letters from parties desiring to be supplied with them." At Charleston, South Carolina, it is remarked that—" The cotton interested portion of the community, perhaps, more than any other class, take especial interest in the reports. Mr. Otton, a leading cotton broker, states that he has been governed to a great extent in his investments by the weather reports. . . . The agricultural, even more than the mercantile, population in this section is interested in the state of the weather." At Indianapolis, Indiana, it is stated that —"A practical use of the tabulated report is made by the agent of the Western Union Railroad and Transportation Company, and by other freight agents, in settling claims of damage to merchandise by rain, &c, during its ' transit over their railroads." The observer at Shrevepoint, Louisiana, states that he received a citation from the District Court to appear with the records of the weather from November 28 to 29,1871, and upon the information given by these records a verdict was given in a case of supposed murder. At Memphis, Tennessee, the officer inspecting the station reports that—" During my inspection a gentleman came into the office for information as to the state of the weather upon certain clays, having a lawsuit turning upon that point. The observer was able to give him all the information needed." The observer at this place remarks that the river steamers are enabled to avoid a delay of twelve hours by the state of the river being included in the reports. The Brigadier remarks that —"The percentage of cautionary signals verified by the occurrence of the winds described within » few hours after the display of the signal, either at the port at which the signal was exhibited or within the radius of 100 miles from that port, i« estimated to have been about 70 per cent." The remarks of the observer-sergeants show that great attention is paid to these signals by the sea-faring portion of the population of the United States, and they have been found to be of especial service in giving warning of tho approach of , storms upon the great American Lakes. From the foregoing extracts it will be seen that very great interest is attached to the signal service by nearly all classes of people, and the belief with which these reports are received shows that it is possible to foretell the -weather with very considerable success, though this, of course, depends upon tho number of reports available, and the care with which they are made. Enough has, however, been laid before our roaders to show them that the system of storm warnings which tho Hon. the Commissioner of Customs is now endeavoring to establish may be made a most valuable department, interesting not only to Beamen, but also to fill sections of the community.