WEATHER BUREAU. 269 



which are given widespread publicity by means of the various press 

 associations. 



During the year the field of observations over the Northern Hemis- 

 phere was materially extended. Reports are now being received 

 from Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian group of islands, by wireless, 

 and daily reports from Nemuro in Japan and Shanghai in China 

 come over the ^Manila cable. Additional daily observations by cable 

 are also being received through the Russian meteorological service 

 from Vardo, Astrakan, Tashkend, Nertchinsk, and Yakutsk. 



PROPOSED WEATHER SERVICE FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. 



The Chief of the Weather Bureau visited England and took part, 

 from June 4 to July G, 1912, in the International Radiotelegraphic 

 Conference. As a result of his intercessions, which were indorsed 

 by all of the delegates of the United States, the conference agreed 

 to an international regulation which shall give weather observations 

 the right of way over all messages except distress calls. This is an 

 important regulation and will make it possible in time to organize 

 complete ocean weather services. With the cooperation of the vari- 

 ous maritime nations, it is proposed to inaugurate in the near 

 future a weather service for the north Atlantic Ocean. The ocean 

 will be divided into two zones by the thirty-fifth meridian of lon- 

 gitude west of Greenwich. Observations taken over the western 

 zone will be forwarded to Washington either directly or by rela^ang 

 from one vessel to another, and observations taken within the eastern 

 zone Avill be forwarded in like manner to Europe. Charts based on 

 these reports will then be constructed and the dangerous storms 

 located. While many of the observations will be repeated from ship 

 to ship and thence to land stations on account of the comparatively 

 limited radius of the transmitting stations on vessels, it is expected 

 that information regarding the location and movement of dangerous 

 storms will be transmitted to all vessels within the western zone at 

 the same instant from some one of the high-power stations on our 

 Atlantic seaboard. The value of such a service to life and property 

 on the ocean can be faintly realized when it is considered that warn- 

 ings to the shipping of the entire Atlantic, especially to tramp and 

 other vessels that can not so well stand severe weather, will enable 

 them by a slight change in their course to avoid the dangerous 

 quadrants of the more severe storms. 



An interesting and valuable extension already inaugurated in the 

 weather service is the receipt daily, morning and evening, b}^ aerial 

 telegraphy of reports from vessels at sea olT the middle and south 

 Atlantic coast and in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean waters. 

 With the further perfection of the wireless telegraph service, these 

 reports will become of increased importance. 



Among the more striking weather features (hat were successfully 

 forecast during the year are the following: The cool weather follow- 

 ing the prolonged hot wave in July, 1!)11 ; the hurricane of August 

 along the (lOorgia-Norlh Carolina coasts; (he fn'czes in the west 

 Gulf States in November; the severe freeze in California during 

 December; the record-breaking cold wave of January; and the heavy 

 snowfalls in the Middle West during the winter of 1911-1-2. 



