WEATHER BUREAU. 173 



at Des Moines, Iowa, and Sacramento, Cal., if the work of con- 

 structing the new bridges at those places shall have advanced suffi- 

 ciently. xV new river gauge of the inclined concrete type was in- 

 stalled at Henderson, Ky., and contracts have been let for similar 

 gauges at Portsmouth, Ohio, and jNIount Vernon, Ind. While the 

 original cost of these concrete gauges is considerable, it has been 

 found that their permanency insures a profitable investment. 



The uniform success that has attended the forecasting of the dis- 

 astrous floods that occur at times in the Grand River of Michigan has 

 led to the extension of the river service to the watershed of the Sagi- 

 naw River in the same State, and it is thought that after the accu- 

 mulation of some comparative data equally efficient service can be 

 afforded in that section. The river district of Hannibal, Mo., was 

 created during the year by assigning to it that portion of the St. Louis 

 district lying between Plannibal and the mouth of the Des Moines 

 River, and other changes of a minor character were made. 



The great floods of the year were those of July in the Missouri 

 River and its tributaries east of Kansas City and in the Mississippi 

 River from Hannibal, Mo., to Chester, 111. ; that of November and 

 December in the North Pacific States; and that of January in Utah 

 and southern California, the last named being one of those rare oc- 

 currences known as a '" desert flood." The floods of July overflowed 

 about 1,000,000 acres of farm lands, of which two-thirds were under 

 cultivation, with resulting loss of about $7,000,000, of which amount 

 $5,500,000 were in crops. Along the Grand River of Missouri the 

 flood was particularlv severe, and the stages of water were the highest 

 of record. The warnings issued by the Weather Bureau during this 

 flood saved property to the value of $1,000,000 that otherwise would 

 have been lost. The north Pacific floods of late November and early 

 December were in the main mountain floods, caused by continuous 

 warm heaA'y rains and rapidly melting snows, and did damage to the 

 amount of about $4,000,000. As it is not possible to maintain effective 

 flood .service along mountain streams, no specific warnings of these 

 floods were possible, but general warnings were issued as soon as the 

 conditions became threatening. The "desert flood" of January was 

 caused by warm rains falling upon the heavy December snows, and 

 the actual losses totaled at least $3,000,000, falling most heavily upon 

 the railroads. 



The spring flood in the Ohio River did not assume dangerous pro- 

 portions, although in January the Wolf Creek ice gorge for a time 

 created a very alarming situation below Louisville. 



The daily forecasts for the navigable rivers are still an indispen- 

 sable adjunct to the successful conduct of river steamboating. 



The accuracy and timeliness of the river forecasts and warnings 

 attained during previous years have been maintained, and there is 

 reason for the belief that during the year just ended the groundwork 

 was laid for still furtlier improvement. The comments of the press 

 and interested parties relative to the conduct of the work were uni- 

 formly commendatory, and their reproduction here would be but a 

 repetition of those of former years. 



The study of the Ohio River was continued, and forecast schemes 

 were completed for the entire river, except for the section from Mount 

 Vernon, Ind., to Cairo, Til. The schemes for the Cumberhmd and 

 Tennessee rivers are well under way, and hopes are entertained that 



