HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR 1892.
389 No.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 29th August, 1893.
HONGKONG OBSERVATORY,
29th March, 1893.
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SIR,I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1892 to His Excellency the Governor. My eighth volume of observations and researches was published last suminer and the ninth volume is in the printers' hands. It contains, in addition to this report, investigations of the typhoons of 1892, the meteorological observations made every hour in 1892, and also hourly readings of tides in 1889, observations on the duration of sunshine in Formosa and on rain-fall in China during the years 1890, 1891 and 1892.
2. The branch Observatory at the Peak, suggested by General PALMER, R.E., in 1881, declared necessary for storin-warnings by the Observatory Commission in 1890, and upon which improvements in local storm-warnings mainly depend, has not yet been constructed, but a self-recording anemograph has been ordered from London. When this is properly worked at the Peak and the readings correctly and immediately telegraphed every hour to the Observatory across the harbour, it is estimated that its value will amount to about half the value of the branch Observatory, the construction of which has been so long delayed. Observations are now also made every three hours at the Gap Rock lighthouse and cabled (during the day-time only) to the Observatory. If these observations are made and transmitted properly, they will be of considerable assistance to weather-forecasts and storm-warnings, The observations at Victoria Peak were found not to be made in a sufficiently honest or careful manner and His Excellency ordered them to be discontinued last year and the instruments to be removed. Pending the arrival of the anemograph, the direction and force of the wind is estimated every hour from 7 a. to 7 p. and telegraphed to the Observatory, but the information is not always trustworthy and at times misleading.
3. The China Coast Meteorological Register, based on information received from the Eastern Extension, and Great Northern Telegraph Companies, and Chinese Telegraph Administration, was issued as usual, and since the 1st July a short provisional account of the typhoons has been printed at the end of every month in the Gazette by order of His Excellency the Governor. The positions of the typhoon-centres are given for every day on which warnings were issued and the accuracy of the latter may
be inferred from the former. The stations at Swatow, Amoy, Foochow and Anping were visited last year by Mr. F. G. FIGG, and the stations at Macao, Hoihow and Haiphong by myself. Some very necessary improvements were effected, and the stations at Bolinao, Pakhoi and Cape St. James should be visited next. Telegrams from one or two ports between the latter station and Haiphong are urgently required.
4. The telegrams are frequently received too late for insertion in the daily weather-reports. That this requirement is fully recognised everywhere else in the Empire and properly provided for may be seen e.y. from the following extract from the Report on the Administration of the Meteorological Department of the Government of India in 1887-88 (Page 16, §7): "In order to facilitate and expedite the working of these arrangements, the Telegraph Department has granted the privilege of precedence urgency to telegrams referring to stormy weather and the hoisting of storm-signals between the Meteorological Reporter of Calcutta and the Port Officers and Meteorological Superintendents of Cocanada, Gopalpur, Madras, Masulipatam, Negapatam and Vizagapatam. The names of other officers will be added to this list as found necessary for the proper working of the system. Instructions for the preparation and dispatch of the telegrains in proper form, in order to secure priority of transmission to ordinary urgent messages, will be sent by the India Meteorological Office to the various officers permitted to send them."
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5. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted on the 8th January, 1892, from 6 p. to p., on the 20th April, from 7 a. to 10.40 a., on the 27th August, from 3.45 p. to 4.32 p., and on the 3rd November from 10 a. to 4.23 p. Interruptions occurred therefore on 4 days and, of course, also during thunderstorms. Telephonic connection between the look-out on the Peak and the Central Police Station in Victoria (for transmitting observations every hour to the Observatory) was interrupte l from the 16th June at 7 a. to the 23rd June at 2 p., and also from 10 a. to 4 p., on the 4th August, i e. on 9 days as well as during thunderstorms.
6. Telegrams giving information about typhoons were issued on 61 days. The Red Drum was hoisted 4 times, Red Ball 1, Red North Cone T, Red South Coue 2, Black Drum 3, Black Ball 1, Black North Cone 2, Black South Cone 3, Lanterns (horizontally) 3, and Lanterns (vertically) 1 times. The Gun was not fired in 1892.