Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 501

497

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR 1895.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

No. 33

96.

HONGKONG OBSERVATORY,

21st April, 1896.

SIR, I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1895 to His Excellency the Governor. My eleventh volume of observations and researches was published last summer and the twelvth volume is now being printed. It contains investigations of the typhoons in 1890, 1891, 1893 and 1895, which I have conducted in co-operation with Mr. FIGG. Thus all the typhoons that have been observed since this Observatory was started in 1884 have now been investigated, and we are at present busy with a revision of the laws of storms on the basis of these investigations. This will probably be finished in a year, and the results can be utilised for weather-forecasts and storm-warnings in 1897 and following years.

2. The thanks of the Government are due to the Telegraph Companies for continuing to forward the meteorological telegrams free of charge. If paid for at the rate charged for messages with precedence urgency the cost per annum would be very great. Most important telegrams are also forwarded by the Chinese Telegraph Administration with precedence urgency and free of cost, but they are very often received too late.

3. The thanks of the Government are due to the Inspector-General of the Imperial-Maritime Customs of China for ordering meteorological observations to be made at the Treaty Ports and transmitted to this Observatory, and it is to be hoped that it may be found possible to greatly extend the number of ports from which such information is telegraphed. There exists no meteorological service in China and the information that can be collected at present is insufficient. For the issue of weather-forecasts and storm-warnings it is necessary that the China Sen should be surrounded by telegraphic reporting stations worked by trained observers supplied with accurate instruments, and reports from the north of China and from stations inland in China such as the treaty ports along the Yangtzekiang are equally necessary.

4. During the past year the staffs of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company at Bolinao (Luzon) and at Sharp Peak (near Foochow), made observations at all times during the day and telegraphed them direct to Hongkong, and this frequently enabled Mr. FIGG to indicate the subsequent movements of typhoons with much greater accuracy than could have been effected without that information, in the absence of which in fact many typhoons could not have been announced at all,

5. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted on the 12th February, 1895, from 10.35 a. to 11.40 a.; from the 13th February at 7 a. to the 14th February at 4.30 p.; on the 19th February from 7.40 a. to 12.30 p.; on the 16th March from 3.36 p. to 3.59 p. ; on the 23rd April from 6.25 a. to 1.54

p.; on the 30th April from 12.52 p. to 2.4 p.; on the 1st June from 3.25 p. to 4.48 p.; on the 13th June from 10.50 a. to 1.45 p.; on the 20th June from 6.43 a. to 7 a.; on the 28th June from noon to 2.25 p.; from the 29th June at 4.33 p. to the 30th June at 9.40 a.; on the 27th July from 11.13 a. to 11.25 a.; on the 28th July from 11 a. to 11.55 a. and from 4.24 p. to 4.38 p.; on the 31st October from 1.54 p. to 3 p.; on the 3rd December from 10.49 a. to 11.20 a. Interruptions occurred therefore on 17 days, and, of course, also during thunder-storms. Telephone connection with the Peak was interrupted on the 10th January from 11 a. to 1 p.; on the 17th January from 3 p. to 8 p.; on the 31st January from 1 p. to 3 p. and from 6p to 8 p.; on the 11th February from 6 p. to p.; on the 26th February from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 2nd March from 7 a. to 3 p.; on the 11th March from 3 p. to 8. p.; on the 15th March from 7 a. to 8 p.; on the 17th March from 3 p. to 8 p.; on the 20th March from 3 p. to 8 p.; on the 21st March from 3 p. to 8 p.; on the 29th March from 3 p. to 8 p.; on the 1st April from 7 a. to 3 p.; on the 22nd April from 11 a. to 4 p.; on the 30th April from 4 p. to 8 P.; on the 4th May from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 9th May from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 22nd May from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 27th May from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 4th June from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 8th June from 4 p. to 8 p.; on the 1st November from 7 p. to 8 p.; ie., on the 22 days as well as during thunder-storms.

6. The China Coast Meteorological Register was printed daily at the Observatory, and information regarding storms was telegraphed to and exhibited on notice boards in Hongkong and elsewhere as often and as fully as such information could be justified by the weather telegrams received. This happened on 45 days in 1893. The Red Drum was hoisted 5 times, the Black Drum 3 times, the