54 ANNLTAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



OCEAN METEOROLOGY. 



Action has been taken during the year to increase materially the 

 number of vessels reporting over the North Pacific Ocean, where 

 hitherto but little information has been available. 



The charting of these reports has been taken up, and it is believed 

 a comprehensive study of the weather over this vast area will add 

 greatly to our knowledge of the origin, development, and progress 

 of the storms entering the western part of the country. 



TELEGRAPH SERVICE. 



Weather reports (in cipher) are transmitted to and from about 

 200 Weather Bureau stations twice daily — at 8 a. m. and 8 p. m. — 

 and approximately 800 forecast telegrams are sent daily from this 

 office. In addition, there are audited at the Weather Bureau all tele- 

 graph, telephone, and radio accounts, amounting to nearly $300,000 

 annually, dealing with about 60 companies, also all Weather Bureau 

 telegraph and telephone lines and other line tolls for commercial 

 business. Repairing and rebuilding of Weather Bureau lines is also 

 supervised by the central office of the bureau. 



Further revisions of circuits were made and put into operation 

 during the past year, by which a yearly saving of over $1,000 was 

 effected, in addition to increasing the number of reports to several 

 stations. A considerable saving also was effected by having certain 

 contracts reduced. 



BLOCK ISLAND-NARRAGANSETT SECTION. 



The Weather Bureau owns the cable, three conductors lOf miles in 

 length, and the land lines are owned by the Providence Telephone & 

 Telegraph Co. For the use of two conductors in the cable the 

 Providence Telephone & Telegraph Co. furnish 15 miles of land 

 lines, connecting with Narragansett Pier and Block Island ends of 

 the cable, in addition to paying $600 annual rental to the bureau. 



This line affords telegraphic communication between Narragansett 

 Pier and Block Island. Observational reports from the latter place 

 are of inestimable value to the bureau. Block Island is also a storm- 

 warning display station. 



A leak in the cable was repaired last August at a cost of $1,750. 



Telegraph receipts during the year: 



For commercial business $958. 29 



For rental of conductors (2) 600.00 



Total receipts 1, 558. 29 



Cost of repairs: 



Ordinary ^4. 00 



Repairing cable 1, 750. 00 



NORFOLK-HATTERAS SECTION. 



This line is 162* miles in length, hicluding three cables — one across 

 Pamlico Sound 3 miles in length, one three-fourths of a mile across 

 Oregon Inlet, and one three-fourths of a mile across New Inlet. 



