54 a:n^nual REPOPtTS of department of agkiculture. 



navigation on the Great Lakes, the oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and 

 the Caribbean Sea, and for hurricanes. Tiiere can be no question but 

 that this service saves many lives, and that property to the value of 

 millions of dollars has been protected and saved through the prompt 

 issue of these Avarnings by the Weather Bureau. 



FUTURE DEMANDS. 



With the Avider recognition noAv accorded ap])lied meteorology, in- 

 creased demands are being made for information and forecasts. Ad- 

 vices of various kinds and forecasts are already being supplied the 

 Air Services of the Army and the Navy and the Post Office Depart- 

 ment, and it seems altogether probable that the growing demands 

 for information and forecasts of a meteorological character will soon 

 make necessary a new branch of forecasting planned to care prima- 

 Tily for the interests of aerial navigation. 



RECENT EXAMPLES. 



During 1919 there w^ere two notable cases of the importance of accu- 

 rate meteorological information and forecasts in connection with 

 aerial navigation. The one was that of the trans-Atlantic seaplane 

 flight by the United States Navy in May, and the other that of the 

 visit of the British dirigible, the R-34, to our country during July. 

 In both these instances the fullest cooperation on the part of the 

 W^eather Bureau was requested by the United States Navy. Com- 

 plete synoptic meteorological reports were placed at the disposal of 

 the officials of the Navy, and in addition the forecaster on duty pre- 

 pared and issued forecasts based on the 8 a. m. and 8 p. m. regular 

 observations for the commanding officers of these operations. 



THE TEA^'S-ATLANTJC SEAPLANE 1 LIGHT IN MAY, 1919. 



The start of the trans-Atlantic seaplane flight (United States 

 Navy) was made from Rockaway the morning of May 8, two of the 

 planes, the NC-1 and NC-3, reaching their destination, Halifax, the 

 afternoon of tlie sauie day. The NC-4: developed engine trouble and 

 put into Chatham, Mass. The forecast issued the morning of the 

 Sth was as follows : " Moderate northwest and west winds. Fair 

 weather to-day. Friday ; fresh north to east winds, cloudy weatlwr 

 with rain over southern half of course." The evening of the 9th the 

 following forecast was made for the seaplanes between Halifax and 

 Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland: "Weather favorable for flight Sat- 

 urday. Gentle variable winds. Fair Aveather. Wind velocity less 

 than 15 miles an hour." The morning of the 10th the forecast for 

 the same course read: "Fair weather Halifax to Newfoundland. 

 Gentle variable winds, except moderate west and northwest off south 

 coast of NeAvfoundland." The flight from Halifax to Trepassey Bay 

 was made on the lOtli and the two seaplanes making it reached their 

 destination the afternoon of the same day. In the meantime the 

 seaplane NC-4, at Chatham, Mass., had made ready for a rencAval of 

 the flight to Halifax, but it was held there for several days because of 

 adAersc Avind and weather conditions. On the evening of the 13th 

 the folloAviug forecast Avas sent the commander of the seaplane NC-l 

 at Chatham, Mass. : "Conditions favorable for start from Chatham 



