WEATHER BUREAU. 13 



to correct some well-kuowu imperfections in the construction of the 

 dail}' weather maps and the other sea-level data used in general work, 

 but to take advantage of the facts derived througli the records of a 

 long series of years. The work will require another year to complete. 



ECLIPSE OBSERVATIONS. 



Prof. F. H. Bigelow conducted a survey of the track traversed by 

 the shadow of the total eclipse of May 28, 1900, for probable cloudi- 

 ness, and a suitable report was prepared for the use of observers on 

 that occasion. Suitable observations were also secured during the 

 eclipse of the meteorological conditions, especially for a study of the 

 shadow bands and the absorption of the sun's heat in the atmosphere 

 as affected by the shadow. The eclipse was observed by Professors 

 Bigelow and Abbe, at Newberry, S. C, and a report is being prepared 

 which promises to contain some new and desirable information regard- 

 ing the effect of solar action upon the earth's atmosphere. 



LAKE MARINE SERVICE. 



Constant attention has been given to the very large interests cen- 

 tered about the lake marine. While the size and staunchness of the 

 vessels that navigate the Great Lakes have greatly increased during 

 recent years, a considerable number of vessels are wrecked or seri- 

 ously damaged each year. During the season of navigation of 1899 

 30 vessels, representing a money value of $328,900, were lost through 

 causes directly connected with the w^eather, and damages to the 

 amount of $284,850 were sustained by 57 other vessels, due to the 

 same causes. 



Ninety-one persons lost their lives by shipwreck on the Great Lakes 

 during 1899. It is not eas}^ to determine what percentage of this 

 number is properly chargeable to the weather, or to what extent bad 

 seamanship and unseaworthj' vessels contributed to the total number 

 of persons lost. 



The arrangements for distributing the forecasts and warnings of 

 the Weather Bureau to vessels navigating the Great Lakes were never 

 before so complete as at the present time. During the season of nav- 

 igation each of the 20,000 or more vessels that pass Detroit receives 

 the latest information available with regard to the force and direction 

 of the wind and the location and jjrobable movement of storms. Sim- 

 ilar information for the use of vessels bound northward from Chicago 

 and other jjorts on Lake Michigan is distributed by the Weather 

 Bureau officials in Chicago, while vessels entering or leaving Lake 

 Superior receive the latest advices from the official in charge of the 

 Weather Bureau office at Sault Ste. ]\Iarie. 



IMPROVEMENT OF STATION EQUIPMENT. 



A systematic plan for the improvement of the instrumental equip- 

 ment and the office furnishings of Weather Bureau stations was put 

 into operation a few years ago. The instrumental equipment of the 

 different stations was fixed according to the varying needs of each 

 locality. If the local station happened to be within the sphere of 

 influence of large educational institutions, its instrumental equip- 

 ment was enlarged and so displayed as to be easily accessible to visit- 

 ing students and classes. A systematic plan for the betterment of 



