MANUAL OF TIDE OBSERVATIONS 51 



tion relating to the station supplied by the office should be verified 

 by the inspector as far as practicable. 



_ 157. Location. — If changed conditions in the vicinity of a tide sta^ 

 tion make it desirable that the location be changed, the inspector 

 should ascertain whether there is a more suitable site and report 

 accordingly with his recommendations. 



158. Tide staff. — A careful inspection should be made of the tide 

 staff, the legibility" of its scale, and to see whether it is firmly secured 

 in a vertical position. If a portable tide staff is in use, the staff sup- 

 port should be examined to see that it is substantially secured and 

 that the metal plate at the top is firmly fastened in place. The metal 

 stop on the back of the portable staff must be checked in regard to its 

 position relative to the tide staff scale (see par. 111) and to see that it 

 is firmly secured. The staff should be lowered into its support to see 

 whether any obstructions exist to prevent the stop on the staff from 

 resting flatly upon the metal plate at the top of the support. 



159. The tide observer should be questioned in regard to any changes 

 in the position of the tide staff of which he may have knowledge, and 

 should be advised to always report immediately to the office any 

 occurrence that might affect the elevation of the tide staff. If a tide 

 staff has been accidentally knocked out of place or loosened and after- 

 ward resecured by the observer, it is important that the office have a 

 record of the date on which this occurred. 



160. Tape gage. — If there is a tape gage or other substitute for a 

 tide staff at the station, this should be described and anj'^ known 

 changes since the previous inspection, reported. For a tape gage, the 

 relation of the plane of flotation to the tape scale should be checked by 

 the method described in paragraphs 82 to 86. If there is a tide staff 

 in addition to some other form of nonregistering tide gage at the 

 station, some simultaneous readings from both gageg should be taken, 

 preferably when the water is reasonably calm, but if the water is 

 rough the amplitude should be noted as an indication of the reliability 

 of the comparison. 



161. Automatic tide gage. — The automatic tide gage is to be ex- 

 amined to ascertain if it is operating satisfactorily, special attention 

 being given to the clocks, the hour-marking device, the pencil screw, 

 and the wiring, which have been described in detail in the preceding 

 pages. Note whether the gage is so placed over the float well that the 

 float clears the sides of the well without scraping. Inquiry should 

 be made as to whether the observer has experienced any of the operat- 

 ing difficulties listed in paragraphs 147 to 155, and such adjustments 

 should be made and advice given as necessary. 



162. Float well. — Note the general condition of the float well and 

 whether it is securely fastened in place. Special attention must be 

 given to the intake to the well and a rod or cleaning tool should be 

 passed through the opening. (See paragraphs 132-135.) If there is 

 a separate well for a tape gage, this must be given the same attention 

 as the one for the automatic gage. 



163. Observations. — The methods and procedure used by the ob- 

 server in attending to his duties are to be noted and his attention 

 called 'to any matter requiring change. Any unusual method or pro- 

 cedure should be noted in the report. The inspecting officer should 

 make an independent reading of the tide staff and enter it on the tide 



