The New York herald., 1873-12-28

ideas, and, possibly, a closer scientific training.
With the true iliberaity OF the podding scientist
he rather despses the charms OF Flammarion's
style. And while he rejects some OF mis- deduc-
tions unsound, he cnuckes heartily over the
cutting of OF some or the "hne writing OF the
French author, which, to his thinking, compro-
misses the dignity OF science. Mr.. Pitman deserves
much praise for the translation. In preserving
the ciearness and neatness of expression OF the
original text, and presenting the ideas in simple
and forcible English, he has achieved real success.
The matter OF the work is st more deserving
OF praise than it's manner. IL presents us with
VIVID pictures OF the world in which we move and
breathe under aspects in which we seldom
contemplate It, In the hurry and bnstle OF
life few OF us have time to pause and
examine the wonders OF nature which on
every hand surround us. 1t is sufficient for
most OF US that have air and sunshine, that the
flowers blossom and the trees bloom, and that the
earth brings forth It's DEMONSTRATING fruits without
our needing the laws upon which all these wonders
depend. The very title OF NJ. Fammarion's
work viii prejudice thousands against reading IT,
For these people the secrets OF nature have no
charm, because they have no acquaintance with the
wonders in which we live. 1t never strikes them
that in the one word, atmosphere Is involved the
fate or humanity and even our very existence that
the world, deprived for few hours OF the moist
veil which wraps planet, would become vast
desert, an awful solitude, whose stiffness would be
unbroken by tread Of breathing thing. The i'm
portance of subject that SO nearly touches our
verv existence cannot, then, easily be oyerrated,
and whatever may tend to spread among the
masses correct IDEAS matters of vital interest
to our world deserves encouragement.
The study Of the physical condition or the at
laws tnat regulate its phenomena, has in time
assumed most important position among the
subjects OF human research. And though the
study is yet in its infancy the results already OBJ
tanned from partial and insufficient observations
seem to promise in the future such knowledge Of
the laws which control atmospheric phenomena as
will enable man 10 render subservient to useful
purposes the seemingly lawless elements. Meteor
oogy is comparatively new science, struggling
into life, but whose Importance is already well
recognized by the scientific and even by the CON-
mercial world. Yet we have not advanced far In
our examination OF the subject. Even the anal
yses or climates, seasons, currents and periodical
phenomena can scarcely be regarded as termi-
mated, even arrived at very satisfactory stage
In our own country and in England the impor-
tance OF studying the laws OF atmospheric disturb
ance has been very generally recognized, and has
led to the establishment of special bureaus
charged with this duty. In both countries
the value of storm signals in preventing
marine disasters has been fully recognized But,
useful as meeorology has proved in this instance,
we can form but faint idea OF its general impor-
tance in our daily life from the contemplation OF
its wonders in one department.. To form an intel
ligent idea Of the influence the atmosphere exerts
on our destnies we must look at it as a whole and
in all its relations to the life OF the terrestrial
sphere. 1t is in this way only that the grandeur
and absorbing interest OF the subject can be appre
ciated. The atmosphere and its influences on cur
globe is the question OF the day. 1t possesses for
thoughtful minds the same kind Of interest as was
felt in the seventeenth century on the subject of
astronomy Mr., Flammarion's work presents
the subject to the public free from
the tecnnicalites which render scientific books
such dreadful bore to the ordinary reader Yet
the amount of information conveyed in the spar
king pages Of the brilliant French writer is so
great as to render the work well worthy OF peru
sal, by those who have already some ac-
quaintance with the interesting topics upon which
it treats The array of scientific facts laid before
the reader are made paatable by the addition of
well authenticated adventures, which give anma-
ton to the work. The subjects follow each other
in logical order, and page after page unrols to the
mental vision some new wonder or explains the
cause OF some ldIlllldr pHeHouueHoH III luClu duu
forcible language. The tendency of Mons. Flam-
marton's mind is to make a picture OF what he
wishes to convey, so that the abstruse points may
appeal to the perceptive as wel as to the reason
ing faculties. In this he Is very successful His
descriptions are full OF color. Many Of the defects
inherent to this mode Of treating scientific sub
jects have been removed from the present work by
the care Of the English editor. What remains
OF doubtful or unsound matter is marked by notes,
which warn the reader and place the more strictly
scientific views before his miud The work, there
fore, so far from having lost any OF Its value in the
translation, has really become more valuable, be-
cause more reliable. 1t can, therefore, be safely
recommended to such as desire to OBTAIN insight
into the economy OF the world we live in without
supjecting themselves to the strain OF serious
scientific study.
n "The Atmosphere" Translated from the French
OF Flammarion by Glaisher and Pltman. Pub
lished by Harper Brothers, New York.