Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 629

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4. Information regarding storms telegraphed to Hongkong was regularly exhibited on notice boards. This happened on 110 days in 1906. The Red Drum alone was hoisted twice, the Red South Cone and Red Drum 5 times, the Red South Cone alone once, the Black North Cone and Black Drum twice, the Black Drum alone 4 times, the Black South Cone and Black Drum 4 times, the Black South Cone alone 3 times, the Black South Cone and Black Ball 3 times, and the Black Ball alone once. The typhoon gun was fired on four occasions.

5. It should be remembered that this Government supports only the Observatory, and one other meteorological station (Gap Rock). All the other meteorological returns printed in the daily weather report are supplied free of cost by observers in surrounding countries, who are not in the service of the British Government, and of course, not subject to any regula- tions made by the British authorities. Several stations furnish reliable information, while the returns from others are more or less irregular. The barometric observations telegraphed from some stations in China are frequently erratic.

6. The thanks of the Government are due to the Telegraph Companies, who continue to forward meteorological telegrams from outports to Hongkong free of charge, and also to the staffs of the Eastern Extension and Australasian Telegraph Company at Sharp Peak, Iloilo, Bacolod and Cebu who make and transmit observations twice daily. Unfortunately the telegrams coming over Chinese lines from Hoihow and Pakhoi are usually too late to be of service.

7. Telegraphic connection with the Eastern Telegraph Company's Offices in Victoria was interrupted as follows:-January 5th, 9.56 a. to 2.30 p.; March 9th, 7 a. to 3 p.; April 9th, 10.30 a. to 1.33 p.; May 1st, 6.25 p. to 3rd, 11.25 a.; 13th, 10.8 a. to 14th, 7.15 a.; 11.30 a. to 15th, 8 a.; 9 a. to 17th, 7.50 a.; 9.30 a. to 3.30 p.; p. to 18th, 9.30 a.; June 10th, 7.10 a. to 2.45 p.; September 15th, 7.13 a. to 16th, 9.30 a.; 17th, 4.5 p. to 24th, 2.30 p.; 29th, 3.23 a. to October 1st, 8 a.; December 22nd, 11 a. to noon. Interrup- tions occurred therefore on 27 days, and of course, also during thunderstorms.

8. Telegraphic connection with Gap Rock was reported interrupted as follows:--Janua- ry 27th, 10.20 a. to 28th, 2.10 p.; March 7th, 7 p. to 9th, 3.18 p.; March 17th, 9.30 a. to pril 5th, 12.26 p.; April 5th, 4 p. to August 1st, 11 a.; September 18th, 9 a. to Decem- Er 31st, midt. Interruptions occurred therefore on 248 days.

As our warnings in connection with typhoons in the China Sea are based mainly on re- ports received from the Gap Rock lighthouse, it is of the utmost importance that the cable between Hongkong and Gap Rock should be always in working order. From Victoria Peak the direction of the wind and the reading of the auemograph are telegraphed every hour from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is of importance that this service should be continued during the night whenever required.

9. The amount of success attached to the firing of the typhoon gun to indicate local gales during the 23 years, 1884 to 1906 inclusive, has been determined according to the method adopted by meteorological offices at home. According to this method of counting, the storm signal is justified if followed by a gale of force 8 and upwards within 48 hours at a place near sea-level within 50 miles of the place where the signal is hoisted. It is a failure because "too late " if it blows a strong gale (force 9) before the signal is hoisted. Accord- ing to this way of counting, a failure has to be recorded every time the NE monsoon freshens to a strong gale (which rarely happens), although we never presume to fire the typhoon gun to signal the freshening of the NE monsoon.

10. The typhoon gun has been fired 44 times since the Observatory was started on the 1st January, 1884, .e., during the past 23 years. During this period it has 48 times blown a gale of force 8 and upwards. Once in January (norther), once in February (norther), once in June (typhoon), 8 times in July, (typhoons), 10 times in August, (typhoons), 16 times in September, (typhoons), 8 times in October, (typhoons), once in November, (ty- phoon), twice in December, (northers).

11. Table I gives an account of all the gales that have passed over the Colony during the past 23 years and the warnings given by the typhoon gun. This shows 77% of success counting all the gales and all the times the gun was fired, and 83% of success if the northers be left out of account as on the four occasions on which northers of the force of a

strong gale blew, the gun was not fired. This compares favourably with the percentage of success in the British Isles 60% of which were justified by subsequent gales (mean of 20 years, 1884-1903 inclusive).