178 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Tlie bureau is indebted to the Weather Bureau of the PhiJij^pine 

 Islands and to the Hongkono; Observatory for storm tracks of the 

 western portion of the JS'ortli Pacific Ocean; and to Prof. Froc, of the 

 Zi-ka-\vei Observatory (Pere H. Gautliier, compiler), for approxi- 

 mate tracks of storms of the middle and high latitudes of that ocean. 

 Other valuable data have been contributed by the Indian Meteoro- 

 logical Department; the Australian Meteorological Service; the 

 Meteorological Office, London, England; the Meteorological Service 

 of Canada; and the Deutsche Seewarte, Germany. 



WIRELESS TELEGRAPH SERVICE. 



San Francisco received 206 and Portland, Oreg., 244 wireless 

 reports of observations during the year. These messages are sent 

 and received without expense to the bureau through the courtesy 

 of the vessel captains, the United Wireless Telegraph Co., and the 

 naval wireless stations. Many of these reports are received at 

 KataUa or Cordova, Alaska, and forwarded by the Signal Corps 

 cable free of cost. 



It is expected that the number of observations reported by wireless 

 telegraph -wall be increased during the coming year as a result of 

 the regulations, effective July 1, 1911, requiring all vessels of a 

 certain class to be equipped with sufficient apparatus for radio- 

 communication. 



VESSEL-REPORTING STATIONS. 



The Weather Bureau stations at Block Island, Cape Henry, Sand 

 Key, Southeast Farallon Island, Point Reyes Light, North Head^ 

 Port Crescent, and Tatoosh Island, in addition to their meteorological 

 work, are required to report all passing vessels, wrecks, marine disas- 

 ters, and casualties, ana to transmit communications between mas- 

 ters, owners, underwriters, and others interested. A total of 28,098 

 vessels were reported and notice of 47 casualties was given during the 

 year. 



The stations at Cape Henry, Sand Key, Southeast Farallon Island, 

 Point Reyes Light, North Head, and Tatoosh Island are equipped 

 for day signaling by international code, and are prepared to transmit 

 messages by telegraph. Cape Henry and Sand Key are also equipped 

 for night communications by flashlight (Morse code). An acetylene 

 plant for this purpose was installed at Cape Henry during the year. 



The station at Jupiter was closed as a vessel-reporting station on 

 April 20, 1911. 



Cape Henry uses the telephone and telegraph in reporting to Nor- 

 folk and Ne^vport News. A list of vessels passing that station is sent 

 daily to the Norfolk press and the New York Maritime Exchange. 

 AH naval vessels are reported to Norfolk and in some cases to the 

 Navy Department at Washington. The Maryland and Virginia 

 pilot associations cooperate with this station, and such vessels as do 

 not burn night signals or can not be seen on account of fog are 

 reported each morning by the pilot boats. A time flag is dropped 

 daily at noon for the benefit of the pilot boats and other vessels in 

 the offing. 



Wlien the wireless telegraph regulations become effective, an 

 effort will be made to have the captains and operators on all approach- 



