MAY, 1906. MON!FHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 235
Fourthly, by restriction of illustrations to such 88 are absolutely nec- esserg. General orders have already been Issued enfoming the second, third, and fourth wnditions, and it is only necessary here to reiterate them with added emphasis. To carry out the flrst condition it is ordered that hereafter the flrst edition of every publication shall be limited to such number as is neces- sary to supply libraries, educational institutions, the press, State, and foreign offlcials connected with agriculture, exchanges, and such persons as are rendering tangible service to the Department, either by active cooperation in its work or as specla1 correspondents; and, in addition, a small number, to be reserved for emergencies aud for use in correspond- ence, and to furnish a small supply to be placed in the hands of the
Superintendent of Documents for sale. Hereafter all reprints shall be
conflned to such numbers as may be necessary to replenish the supply
of the Superintendent of Documents, where the demand for the same, at a price flsed by the Public Printer, continues. Chiefs of bureaus, offices, and divisions maintaining free mailing lists will cause t h e same to be rigidly revised in accordance with the distri- bution indicated above.
This order does not apply to Farmers' Bulletins or to emergency circulars. .
METEOROLOGICAL WORK IN CHINA.
By C. FI'IZHOOH TALMAN, IT. S. Weather Burvau.
The Central Meteorological Observatory, a t Tokyo, has just
issued a series of publications presenting the results of
meteorological observations, by Japanese observers, at the fol-
lowing points in the Chinese Empire for the periods indicated:
Chi+, latitude 37' 34'N., longitude 121' 30'E., October 1-
December 31, 1904.
Hung-chau, latitude 30' 11' N., longitude 120' 12' E., Octo-
ber 6, 1904-December 31, 1905.
Han-kau, latitude 30' 35' N., longitude 114' 17' E., January
17-December 31,1905.
Mukden, latitude 41' 48' N., longitude 128' 23' E., May 1-
December 31,1905.
Nanking, latitude 32' 5' N., longitude 118" 49' E., October
12, 1904-December 31, 1905.
Ryojrtn (Port Artltur j , latitude 38' 47'N., longitude 121' 16'
E., July 17-December 31, 1905.
Sha-nhi. latitude 30' 18' N., longitude 112' 15' E., January
18-December 31, 1905.
Tairen (BaZtiy), latitude 38' 56' N., longitude 121' 36' E.,
September 7, 1904-December 31, 1905.
!l%ntsin, latitude 3'3' 10' N., longitude 117' 10' E., Septem-
ber 19, 1904-December 31,1905.
Yznkow, latitude 40' 40' N., longitude 122' 14' E., October
1, 1904December 31,1905.
An additional pamphlet contains results from the new
Japanese station a t Kushunkotan (Korsakovsk), in the island
of Sakhalin, for the period from October 10 ts December 31,
1905. The date of the opening of this station denotes the eager-
ness of the Japanese to extend their meteorological net work;
for it will be remembered that the treaty by virtue of which
southern Sakhalin ceased to be forbidden ground to Japanese
enterprise was only signed September 5, 1905. I t is also
worthy of note that observations at Mukden began less than
two months after the occupation of that city by the Japanese
army, while the station at Tairen appears to have been oper-
ated for about four months within hearing, i f not within range,
of the enemy's guns at Port Arthur.
The tabulated results for the stations and periods given
above fill about two hundred quarto pages, and are uniform
in character with those of the second order stations in Japan
as published in the Monthly Report of the Central Meteoro-
logical Observatory.
Meteorological observations on so ambitious a scale have
not previously been undertaken in China, except at the well-
known observatories of Hongkong and Zi-ka-wei, the former
Russian observatory a t Peking, and, latterly, a t the German
seaport of Tsingtao. The only other observations approach-
ing them in fullness are those recently executed by British
observers at Wei-hai-wei
30-4.
Of the new Japaneee stations four are located at points for
which meteorological data appear to have been heretofore
entirely lacking; these are Sha-shi, Nanking, Hang-chau, and
Tairen.
A fringe of meteorological stations now extends along the
China coast, and eight stations exist in the Yang-tze
valley above Shanghai. The greater part of these stations
are connected with the custom-houses and light-homes of the
Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs, and report their observa-
tions to the Hongkong and Zi-ka-wei observatories. The
Japanese will undoubtedly extend their meteorological serv-
ice in Manchuria, and are said to be contemplating the estab-
lishment of a large meteorological and magnetic observatory
at Peking. I n the estreme south observations are made at
the inland treaty ports of Wu-chau and Lung-chau. Mean-
while the '' back blocks '' of China-the regions away from
the coast and the treaty ports-are completely unknown to the
meteorologist, who stands sorely in need of more information
concerning the climate of the whole interior of the Asiatic
Continent.
China is now dotted over with missionary stations; Euro-
pean and American engineers are building railroads, opening
mines, and erecting manufactories in many parts of the Empire;
and the Chinese Government is importing foreign teachers
for several of its schools and colleges. To the meteorologist
this means that China's population of possible meteorological
observers is rapidly growing.
If we could press into the service of meteorology a tithe of
the educated foreigners now resident in China, we should
soon be able to fill some of the most regrettable gaps on the
climatic charts of the globe, and also to obtain much light
upon the problems connected with the winter (' high " aud the
summer '' low " of central Asia.
ABNORMAL APRIL TEMPERATURES IN NEW SOUTE WALES.
By H. A. HUNT. Acting Meteorologist. Dated Sydney Observatory, N. 8. IV., Australis, b13y 3, 1906.
The month of April, 1906, possessed such abnormal tem-
perature features in New South Wales that a brief note thereon
may be of interest to the readers of the MONTHLY WEATHER
REVIEW.
Unseasonably warm weatber was experienced throughout
the month, and during the Easter holidays what might be
termed a hot wave passed slowly over our state; its duration
was most remarkable for the mouth of April. The following
consecutive readings were recorded at the Sydney Observatory:
April, 1906. O F.
13 .................... 76.8
1 4 .. .................. 79.0
15 .................... 87.2
16 ................... 85.0
1 7 .. .................. 81.2
1 8 .. .................. 88.0
1 9 .. .................. 84.6
Taking the mean temperature for the whole of this month
at the observatory, we find that all previous records, extending
back to the year 1859, have been eclipsed. The mean for the
month just ended was 67.7O F., which is 3' in excess of the
normal, and 0.5O higher than the previous nest highest mean,
that is, 67.2' F., which was the mean for April, 1897.
Taking the average of all maximum readings, the abnormal
character of the heat becomes still more apparent. The aver-
age maximum for the month just ended was 75.8' F., or 4.9'
above the normal, and l.2O higher than the previous next high-'
est average maximum, that is, 74.6' F., in April, 1897.
The following table showw the means for April, 1906, com-
pared with the results for previous years, a t Sydney Obser-
vatory:
226 MONTHLY WEA!CHER REVIEW. MAY, 1906
April 1906 ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .
Excess of 1906 over average for Aver;@ for previous 47 years..
previous 47 years.. . . . . . . . .
Mean Mean
O F . O F. F. 67.7 76.8 59. 6
64.7 70.9 58.3
3.0 4.9 1.3
-
Unseasonably high temperatures for this month have also
been experienced in the other Australian states; and we have
noticed by the cablegrams published in the Sydney daily papers
that a similar heat visitation was experienced in parts of Great
Britain about the same time as our heat wave here, above
noted.
SEVERE HAILSTORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.
By Mr. R. I>. BINDLEY.~
[Communicated by Mr. JAMB\ PAQE, Chief of Division of Ocean Meteorology.]
Whilst crossing the Gulf of Mexico, during the night of
March 17 and morning of the 18th, in latitude 2 8 O 48' N., and
longitude 93O 47' W., we experienced a heavy thunderstorm,
and during the height of the storm a hail squall of exceeding
violence crossed the vessel. At 8 p. m. the Tvind was east 5;'
the sky was overcast with strato-cuiuulus clouds and a slight
haze esisted; occasionally a flash of sheet lightning was seen.
At 9 p. m. the haze grew slightly denser, being able to see only
about two miles, and the clouds were broken in places so that
we could discern the stars a t intervals. This state continued
until 11:30 p. m., when we noticed that the electric storm was
advancing toward us; the sheet lightning was flashing more
frequently, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard.
The sky had again become completely overcast, ancl heavy
showers of rain began to fall.
A t midnight the sheet lightning was almost one continuous
flash, with only a second's interval between flashes; occa-
sionally the sky was lighted vividly for three or four minutes
at a time. At 0:15 a. m. the first flash of forked lightning was
observed in the southeast. The storm approached rapidly
and struck the ship a t about 0:35 to 0:45 a. m., during which
time a most severe and dangerous hail squall crossed the ves-
sel. Its approach was heralded by the loud hissing sound,
which generally precedes the heavy squalls, caused by the
hailstones striking the water.
When the squall struck the ship the stones were abont the
size of walnuts, but in the center of the squall they were
lumps of ice equal in size to large oranges; some picked up
afterwards were two and one-half inches in diameter.
During the squall the ship was stopped and the officer of
the watch and helmsman were compelled to seek shelter.
The first oEcer sustained a severe bruise, caused by a stone
striking the back of his neck, and the helmsman receivd a
scalp wound from the same cause. These stones fell with
such force as to dent the binnacles in several places ancl chip
the paint off rails and other painted surfaces. During the
night the barometer was steady at 30.03 (corrected of error);
the thermometer a t 64" F.; the temperature of the sea surface
being 61O to 65" F. After the hail heavy rain set in and
lasted until 6 a. m., when the weather generally cleared.
THE SEICHE AND ITS MECHANICAL EXPLANATION.
Prof. Dr. H. Ebert, of Munich, gives the following summary
of the extensive memoir on the theory of seiches by Professor
Chrystal, published in the Transactions of the Royal Society
of Edinburgh, during 1905, with a general abstract in the
proceedings of the same society.
1Mr. Bindley was an ofacer of the British S. S. Jamaican, Captain
Robb, bound from Galveston to Liverpool, at the time when this storm
waa encountered.
That is. the form of the wind was 6 on the Beaufort SC~~~.-EDITOR.
After a condensed review of the development of the study of seiches,
and a very complete bibliography of the subject, Professor Chrystal
gives a condensed statement of the results of hls own research, which
includes the description of a beautiful model made for the study of
seiche oscillations in a rectangular trough, built for that purpose, near Wedderburn, Scotland. He passes then to the second part of his work,
which consists of a general theory, now for the first time completely
developed, of small longitudinal seiches in lake basins having variable depths and cross sections. An idea of this mathematical theory may be
derived from the following statement. The horizontal velocities and
accelerations for any particle of water, as also the vertical movements,
are expressed as differential functions of a special auxiliary quantity u.
The solution of these equations is expressed as a sine and cosine, or Fourier, series, whose coefficients, P, again depend upon the same
auxiliary quantity, v . Thus the problem of the seiche, in its most gen-
eral forin. is reduced to that of a vibrating cord, fastened a t both ends,
and for which the ratio of the tension to the mass, per unit of length,
depends upon the same auxiliary quantity. 8. In conclusion Doctor Bruner states that the general results of the computations by Profeesor
Chrystal's formula were compared with the formula of Dubois, which is
the only rule according to which we have hitherto been able to compute
the periodic time of oscillation of the seiche when me know the dimen-
sions of the lake. The result of the comparison shows that the formula of Dubois gives results too large in lakes with concave sides, and too
small in lakes with convex sides, but this purely empirical formula in many cases gives a good first approximation. Through this thorough theoretical investigation by Professor Chrystal the study of seiches will
certainly receive abundant stimulus.
C. A.
METEOROLOGY IN GERMAN UNIVERSITIES.
The Physikalische Zeitschrift for April 15, 1906, gives quite
a complete list of the courses of scientific lectures in German
speaking universities in Europe, for the summer term, 1906,
from which we select the following list of lectures that spe-
cifically touch upon meteorology or climatology. The figures
given after each title indicate the number of lectures per week;
these are, of course, additional to the hours of laboratory prac-
tise, since these lectures correspond to our post graduate
courses for attaining the degree Ph. D.
Aachen (Ai.r-la-C'lq~eUe) ~-I1ir.el.sif?/.-Professor Polis: Clima-
tology 2; special topics in iiieteorology 1; technical meteor-
The weather and
the prediction of the weather, 1. Professor von Bezold: Sta-
tics and dynamics of the atmosphere, 2; practical meteorol-
ogical work for beginners, 3; same, for advanced students, 2;
meteorological conferences, 1. Professor Hellmann: Intro-
duction to meteorology, instrumental, observational, and his-
torical, 2; practical climatology, 1. Professor Less: Intro-
duction to climatology, 1; special weather phenomena, 1.
Berlin Tech)~ical Hi:/?) Sc?iool.-Professor Chssner: Introduc-
tion to the theory of highs and lows in meteorology.
Ilreslau ~-nii.erRity.-Professor von der Borne: Physics of the
atmosphere of the earth, 2; geophysical conferences and eser-
cises, occasional.
Gliftinpi ~)iiIiersity.-Professor Wiechert: Terrestrial mag-
netism, 2; aurora, 1; work in geophysics, 1.
Qratz c-11 irrel.sit!/.-Professor Benndorff : Theoretical meteor-
ology, 3; practise in physical computations, 2.
Greifswald riiiwrsity.-Professor Holtz: Meteorology, in-
cluding optical phenomena, 1; physics of the earth with ex-
periments, 1.
Halle ~'/iiuersity.-Professor Buchholtz: Theory of atmos-
pheric refraction, etc., 3.
Heidelberg ~')iiiierslty.-Professor Pockels: Introduction to
theoretical physics, 3; geophysics, 1. Professor Wolf: Me-
teorology, 2.
h i s b r i d ~-)iliuersity.-Professor Trabert: Cosmical physics,
2; elements of climatology, 1; meteorological work, 2.
Karlsrtihe Technical High School. -Professor Schultheiss:
Synoptic met,eorology with practise, 1.
Prague Cn)Eiuersity.-Professor Spitaler : Astrophysics, 2; ter-
restrial magnetism, 2.
ology 1.
Berlin bhii?erc;it!/.--Professor Bnrnstein: