WEATHER BUREAU. 283 



From the secretary of the Vicksburg (Miss.) Cotton Exchange: 



You can not imagine how important a center our glass weatlier map is just 

 now. Planters, Government engineers, and business men consult it many times 

 a day, especially in regard to the weather and its effect on the present high 

 water. 



In other cities blackboard maps and bulletin boards are changed 

 daily in 13 places at 11 stations. New bulletin boards were in- 

 .stalled during the year at Evansville and Kansas City. 



MARINE WORK. 

 OCEAN METEOROLOGICAL CHARTS. 



The meteorological charts of the oceans, prepared by the Weather 

 Bureau, are distributed to mariners, maritime exchanges, and mete- 

 orological institutions throughout the world, and their receipt is 

 frequently acknowledged with assurances of their value to the inter- 

 ests served. The charts are also furnished by request to many 

 schools, colleges, public libraries, and meteorological societies. 



The meteorological charts for the north Atlantic, north Pacific, 

 and Indian Oceans and for the Great Lakes are published monthly, 

 while those for the south Pacific and south Atlantic Oceans are 

 issued quarterly. The charts contain on the face a statement of all 

 the meteorological elements of the oceans, together with the sailing 

 routes of vessels, lines of magnetic variation, and the location of the 

 radiotelegraphic stations of the world, and of the storm-warning 

 stations of the United States and other countries. During the past 

 year articles have appeared on the reverse side of the north Atlantic 

 and north Pacific charts on water-surface temperature, air tempera- 

 ture, and ocean currents for each month. Similar data are in course 

 of preparation for publication on the south Atlantic and south 

 Pacific charts. 



The meteorological data used in the preparation of these charts are 

 collected from the vessels of all nations, and the land and island 

 stations of all countries bordering on the ocean. The observers for- 

 ward their reports through the local offices of the Weather Bureau 

 or, when in foreign ports, through the American consular offices. 

 The American consuls at all the principal ports are furnished with 

 a full supply of meteorological forms, and act as agents for the 

 Weather Bureau in their distribution. During the past year 2,291 

 vessels, representing 24 different nationalities, have cooperated with 

 the Weather Bureau and furnished monthly reports of observations. 

 Reports are also received from 2G1 land stations, making a total of 

 2,552 cooperative observers. This work is entirely gratuitous, the 

 only return given being in the form of meteorological charts and 

 other publications issued by the bureau. These cooperating vessels 

 furnished 12,000 meteorological reports during the j'ear, which have 

 called for 3,259 letters of acknowledgment from the Washington 

 office. Reports received through the marine centers are acknowl- 

 edged by those centers, and often in person, as our agents visit the 

 vessels upon their arrival in port. Throe thousand barometer cards, 

 containing comparative barometer readings, have been received and 

 corrected, and tags giving the corrections of the barometers have 

 been furnished each vessel. 



