40 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



telegraph, telephone, and mail service, the total number of persons 

 receiving]: the forecasts daily by telephone alone being estimated at 

 more than r),000,000 at the close of the year. 



The distribution of daily weather information by means of 

 weather maps was largely increased through the extension of the 

 publication of weather maps in the daily newspapers. This form 

 of issue is now being made in 147 papers, with a total daily circula- 

 tion to nearly 3,000,000 subscribers. 



MARINE AVORK. 



The AVeather Bureau has continued the preparation of meteoro- 

 logical charts of the North and South Atlantic, North and South 

 Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and of the Great Lakes. These are 

 published monthly, except the South Atlantic and South Pacific, 

 which are issued quarterly. The charts portray graphically the 

 meteorological elements over the oceans and contain much addi- 

 tional information of interest to mariners. The meteorological data 

 upon which they are based are collected from vessels of all national- 

 ities. During the past year 2,291 vessels, representing 24 different 

 nationalities, cooperated with the Weather Bureau by furnishing 

 reports of observations; reports were also received from 2G1 land 

 stations, making a total of 2,552 cooperating marine observers. 



On April 1, 1912, the Weather Bureau inaugurated on the Atlantic 

 and Gulf coasts a vessel weather service on 30 vessels sailing between 

 New York and New Orleans and points in the West Indies. These 

 vessels are equipped with barometers, and take observations twice 

 daily when 70 miles or more from the port of departure or port of 

 entry. These observations are radiographed to the nearest wireless 

 station on the coast and sent thence over the land lines to Wash- 

 ington, where they are utilized in the preparation of weather fore- 

 casts and warnings. A vessel weather service has also been started 

 on the Pacific coast. Arrangements have also been made for the 

 broadcast dissemination of forecast messages and storm warnings 

 over the ocean, to the extent that the present service will permit, 

 through cooperation with the Naval Wireless, the United Wireless, 

 the Marconi, and the United Fruit Telegraph services on the Atlantic, 

 Gulf, and Pacific coasts. 



A vessel-reporting service, providing for the prompt transmission 

 of communications between interested organizations and individuals 

 regarding passing vessels, wrecks, and marine disasters, has con- 

 tinued in operation at the Weather Bureau stations at Block Island, 

 Cape Henry, Sand Key, Southeast Farallon, Point Reyes Light, 

 North Head, Port Crescent, and Tatoosh Island. This service is 

 especially comprehensive in its operation at the Cape Henry station, 

 which reported not less than 19,876 passing vessels during the year. 



