WEATHER BUREAU. 49 



graphing them to the centriil offices of about 250 rural telephone 

 lines in the 13 central grain-growing States, by which they were 

 made available to all the subscribers on those lines by noon of the 

 day of issue. 



WEST INDIAN AND CARIBBEAN SEA SERVICE. 



The extension and improvement of the weather service in this 

 region w^as accomplished, at already established stations, by the per- 

 fecting of arrangements for taking and telegraphing two observa- 

 tions a day during the period June i to November -30, and the taking 

 of one observation a day during the remainder of the year. New 

 stations were established at Belize, British Honduras; Bluefields, 

 Nicaragua ; Colon, Canal Zone ; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba ; and St. 

 Thomas, Virgin Islands. The work of the extension of this service 

 is still in progress. 



ALASKAN SERVICE. 



A full meteorological station Avas established at Juneau, Alaska, 

 and arrangements effected whereby twice-daily reports are received 

 from all Alaskan stations. 



STORM-WARNING STATIONS. 



The number of storm-warning stations on June 30, 1917, was as 

 follows : 



Paid stations, 150 ; a decrease of 35 during the year. 



Cooperative stations, 145: an increase of 32. 



Weather Bureau stations displaying storm warnings, 58; a de- 

 crease of 2, 



The decrease in the paid stations and the increase in the coopera- 

 tive stations are almost wholly due to the taking over by the United 

 States Coast Guard Service of the duties of displaymen wherever 

 practicable. 



VESSEL WEATHER STATIONS, INCLUDING LIGHTSHIPS. 



At the close of the year 47 of these were in operation, somewhat 

 less than last year, owning to war conditions. Two lightship stations 

 Avere added ; namely, at Diamond Shoals and Heald Bank. The re- 

 ports from these vessel weather stations were of great value during 

 the hurricane season. 



SPECIAL METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS. 



Two special meteorological stations for forecast purposes were es- 

 tablished during the year, namely, at Needles, Cal., and at Midway 

 Island, in the Pacific Ocean. Reports from the last-named station 

 have been found to be of great value in connection with the prepara- 

 tion of the weekly forecasts. 



CONSOLIDATION OF FORECAST DISTRICTS. 



The San Francisco (Cal.) and Portland (Oreg.) forecast districts 

 were consolidated during the year, with headquarters at San Fran- 

 cisco, Cal. 



33382°— AGB 1917 4 



