The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-25
The International METEOROLOGICAL Oensress-
second Brussels Confcrenoe.


SECOND Brussels Conferences.
The latest move in the scientific world Is
the proposed early calling of q grand Inter-
national Congress of Meteorologists at Vienna.
The distinguished men who have taken the
initiative In this matter are Mr.. Buohan, Of
Scotland, M. Dove. Of Berlin, and Professor
Buys Ballot Of the Royal Dutch Meteorologi-
Cal Society. Ever since the session of the
famous Brussels Conference of 1852. held In
the international interests Of navigation and
commerce and the systematic arrangement
for deep sea and other researches, the value
of such meetings for interchange of scientific
opinion has been fully demonstrated. Pro-
fessor Ballot, Of Utrecht, in circular dis
tributed very widely, has just announced the
outline Of such subjects as require the special
attention of the International Congress. and
he suggests the propriety of meteorologists
generally publishing in advance their views
on the important subjects of discussion.
"Man is by nature meteorologst," some
one has said; but this very fact, If true, may
explain the hardness with which the weather
rigid analysis and the want is deeply felt Of
organized, cooperative and worldwide OBJ
servations of the atmosphere In order to bring
up meteorology to the standard of it's sister
sciences In the decisions Of such body as
It is proposed to convene at Vienna there will
be many points In which, as Professor Ballot
suggests, the old question--if Romc Or Geneva
shall impose their. sceptrs on the world -wIll
be revived. But this Is an objection to
every effort for International cooperation in
such labors, and may as well be met and over
come now as hereafter. The aerial ocean,
now the subject of 50 much interest and in
vestigation, is a complete mechanism, with
phenomena
Distinct as the pillows, yet one as the sea-
1t is idle ever to hope to comprehend or
nations can combine to some extent in syn
chronous reports, based upon similar readings
Of instruments of one pattern, giving results
that are easily compared with each other and
can be harmoniously charted. If discord
threatens the deliberations Of the Congress as
to the prime meridian from whose time all
observations are to be made-whether that Of
Berlin, Paris, Washington, Greenwich OF st.
Petersburg-it might be settled by taking the
meridian of some island like that Of Ferro, in
mid ocean. Such difficulty, however, is not
likely to arise, and the labors of the Congress
will, no doubt, prove Of the greatest utility to
all the nations who are represented in 1t. Ia
very short space of time the United States
has organized a Meteorological Office, which,
in the avowed opinion of many foreign authori-
ties, is already in advance Of the older instltu-
tons of the kind in Europe. We are, of
course, deeply interested in having our sys-
tenn extended over the whole field of meteoro-
logic research, and our Signal Office, never
quiet, Is throwing out its Briarean hands in
every direction for information of atmospheric
phenomena. The United States was fore
most in the proposition and support of the
first Brussels Conference, and is ripe for the
investigation of all such questions as are
proposed for the Vienna Conference. M.
Ballot may be regarded as the leader and
pioneer in such matters in Europe, and he
already has the earnest sympathy, as he will
assuredly have the solid support, of our
American meteorologists and government
officials in all that concerns the welfare of
true science. We wish him every possible
success in Immediately consum mating the
plans and fixing the time for the assembly of
meteorologists at Vienna.