New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-14
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
A MONUMENT TO LIEUTENANT MAURY.
HIS GREAT SERVICES TO MARINE SCIENCE STILL


UNREcoGNIzED ny THE GOVERNMENT.
To me bdftor o(The Trfbune
sir; When three years more shall have passed. that
new World which the genius Of Columbus to
spain Will have reached its fourth centenary Little
matters IL now. so far We may know. with what
honors we crown the Of the great navigator who
died in poverty and whose final garlands were chains
II one great navigator gave America 10 the world in
1892 another eminent navigator. Matthew Fontane
Matry, pointed out the tracks from this continent
every part OF the globe And the work Of the latter
is Just as valuable endless poserity were the
discoveries of the former the people Of the last
4oO years IL IS, therefore. eminenty proper that
The coming centennial celebration the American people
should lay the cornerstone Of some national mOnu
ment TO Maury and no more appropriate time than
1892 could be chosen, no more fitting place could
be selected than Washington. tho scene Of his dis
coveries and labors
For II ever there was a discoverer II Lieutenant
Maury. At the time he was placed in charge of the
National Observatory It's work was practically Of little
or no service to the people His elaboration Of the
new science Of the physical geography of the sea, his
wind and current charts his demons ration of the
to be made Of the natural phenomena of the ocean,
such the trade-winds. cam-belts the westerly
variables, the Gulf Stream and other currents. was
entirely original and of inestmabe value to the safe
and swift navigation OF the ocean.
Few undervaue to-day the life work Of greatest
marine scientist Enter any slcoye in any library
whatever where shall be found the works relating
the winds and currents OF the the circulation Of
It's waters passages surface; select those
IN any language in support Of any theory practice
bearing the above topics, providing they be dated
before Maury's day. After you have ransacked the
Libraries OF the world and seen the crude state Of
knowledge Of these subjects, you will find how much
reason the American people have TO be proud Of
Maury. The very names, horse latltudes' horrors
Of the middle passage" current terms among nav
gators stil living witnesses 10 what the
ere Maury reduced with stroke of his pen passages
from one part Of the globe to another from 10 to %
per cent.
Tho actual saving 10 merchants. underwriters and
precious stones and sparkling with diamonds. And
that h family are a7 ry ed
decorations or insignia Of honors forced upon him by
forelgn Governments excluding other testimonials
done In correspondence with such recognition OF HIS
services Alas, the prophet has not been without
kindred
There Is but one shadow of an excuse for this
neglect, aud that would faln pass without mention
Yet VIZ must agree that IN the late struggle he followed
not US. But in our glorious pride In the historic
worthless of Britain. who thinks to-day Of the side taken
by any OF them in her civil wars They were
Englis hmen and We glory in their famo. 50 Maury
than 10 New FORK. whose merchants and underwriters
recognized his worth In 1898 By the present OF silver
by land well as the track by are the conceptions
Of his genius. Within month a vessel has been
found on the broad 500 miles from the coast and
toved o port by tug sent for hor that Maury's
work although his head lies low under the soil Of that
state he loved too well
peace and may such honor not be limited to the eS
mony Of few lines from humble brother mariner
United states Government 10 his memory. the testi-
monial TO be part OF the national ceebs-
ton OF the discovery made By CHRISTOPHER Columbus
400 years AGO. JULIUS 4. PALMER. Jr.
NO. 10 Broadst, Boston, July t. 1859.