Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-07-10

nihS PSfSohe SiSh Vu thS pAoeSS "e'
ing the exercises on the grounds.
1t was a very pleasant gathering,
and so far as we have learned every
thing passed Off with the utmost good
and not an accident occurred
during the day of any sort worth
speaking of.
The Ottumwa Guards at the Opera
House and the Sheridan Guards at
the City Hall concluded the festivities
with grand ball at each place, and
the dancing was kept up until almost
daylight this morning.
Therefore looking at the matter
from every standpoint the Fourth of
July in Ottumwa was celebrated with
success.
For the COURIER
An Iowa Scientific School.
1t is probable that comparatively |
few of the many people in and out Of
Iowa, who have read in the newspa-
pers of this state, the reports OF the
Iowa Weather Service, have any ade-
quatc idea how extensive and import
ant an institution it is, or what an
outlay of money and labor is involv-
ed in its operation.
This service owes its existence, and,
in q great measure, it's success, SO far,
to DR.. Gustavus Hinrichs, the we'll
known Professor of Physical Sciences
at the State University. Its object is
to Secure as complete a history of
the weather of Iowa as possible, in
order to furnish material for an ex-
haustive study Of the climate of our
state" The service is at present COM
posed of nearly one hundred volun-
teer observers, there being one in al
most every county in the state. AS
yet, owing to the meagerness of the
means at the disposal Of Prof. Hin
richs, few of the observers are sup
piled with full sets Of instruments,
such as barometers, thermometers,
psychrometers, thermometers and
wind-vanes. All, however, have rain
guages, and all are required to OBJ
serve and record, three times day
Cat s q. m, IL m. and Sp n.y., the
amount of cloudiness, the direction
and force of the wind and all other
phenomena connected with the wealth
er at their stations.
1t is q common belief that nothing
can be done in the science of the
weather, without a great number Of
instruments and to such as hold this
opinion, it may seem that our Iowa
service, as yet obliged to depend
largely on observations without full
sets of instruments. cannot make
much Roadway. But this is great
mistake. The most striking and i'm
portant phenomena of the atnos.
phere as, for example: rain. clouds
wind, and thunder and lightning, can
be observed without any instrumen,
whatever and if an observer have
only wind-vane and ..rain-guage
be can, if diligent and regular, keep
very complete and valuable records OF
: the weather in his neighborhoo L.
The great desideratum, in a state OF
country where no attention has beer
paid to such matters, is to have some
one to organize and direct a corps OF
z observers and work up their records
This desideratum was supplied fol
Iowa, when. some three or four years
ago, Prof. Hinrichs, who had long
been taking observations at Iowa
f City, determined to extend the work
and to organize q volunteer weather
service for the entire state. In An
gust, 1873, circulars were issued, in
viting friends of scientific work, tC
3 join the new organization. Many re-
, sponded, and, in the following Octo
Der, the Prof. had the satisfaction o.
seeing his weather service in full op.
Grafton. He furnished his observers
with blanks for their records and him
self assumed the labor of reducing
tabulating, recording and interpret
ing their reports when sent in to him
No one who has not had experience
in such work, can conceive how vast
this undertaking was. Yet for many
months Prof. Hinrichs sustained the
service entirely from his own private
means, performing great amount OF
mere drudgery and often receiving
ignorant criticism and malignant OPP.
position instead of the hearty sup.
port and encouragement to which his
public spirited efforts entitled him.
But his work was of too high scien-
tffic character to remain unnoticed
and unappreciated. The evident SUI
periority of his blanks as q means OF
keeping a complete, correct and COM
pact record; his convincing proof OF
! the intimate relation between forest
growth and rainfall (bcfore matter
of pure conjecture, SO far as this
state was concerDed); the thorough
ness and prompt publication of his
reports, and the general excellence OF
his system, soon won the recognition
and applause of scientific men both in
this country and in Europe. The
state also came to his aid, though at
so late an hour that the service came
very near perishing for want of fl
nancial support. Last winter the
Legislature, unwilling to see an en-
terprise SO beneficial and creditable
to the state, fail for the want of means,
appropriated small amount for the
payment of postage on official matter
and other necessary expenses, such as
the publication of an annual report
The I0aca Weather SerUice is thus
already an accomplished fact; a well
established institution for the prose.
cution of that hard work which lies
at the foundation of all true science.
1t is, in realty, Scientific School, the
volunteer observers and their assis-
tants being the students and their in
structor that indefatigable scientific
worker. Prof. Hinrichs, who is at all
times in communication with his en-
tire volunteer corps. The stimulus
j. which must, by this means be i'm
l nm wfn m hn Of
cation, in the state, is incalculable.-
To have from 100 to 200 persons
/ in all parts of the State constantly en-
, gagged in observing and recording
facts of scientific interest under the
guidance of man noted for rigid ex-
actness and severe industry, as well
, as for unbOunded scientific enthusi-
asm, is alone worth to the common
, wealth tenfold more than the entire
cost of the service. For, leaving out
of consideration the general benefits
which will accrue in a few years from
an accurate knowledge of the climate
of the State. the value of record OF
the weather to courts of justice, and
the purely scientific interest of the re-
I, suits obtained, it is not to be forgotten
that the observers are undergoing a
| long and thorough course of instruc-
ton in a science intimately connected
with the other Physical Sciences and
naturally leading to the study OF
! them and that they of necessity com.
3 municate much Of their information
and of their scientific spirit to their
families, friends and neighbors.
The service has already accom-
plished much. Besides showing the
| relations of rainfall to timber, it has
proved that there is periodicity in
many meteorological phenomens
formerly supposed to be wholly ir'
regular aud casual. This periodicity
: when completely understood, will
form a reliable basis for estimating
weather probabilities. Even in pre-
= diction, the most difficult part Of me
h neurological work of the Iowa Wealth
q er Service has made a record of which
its members may we'll feel proud
While it was still in its infancy, Prof
u | Hiurirha availinu himap1f Of ifa rec