New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-22
OBITUARY.
w1IIIAM rERREL.

IhOf EcoOh NlLLnAnl
Kansas City Mo-. Sept 81 Cspecial).-Wilbam Ferrei
the eminent meteorological died at o'clock on Fri
day night at the home OF Charles TabeT, in maywood
Wyandotte County, KAN. twenty miles from Kansas
City.
Professor Ferrel was born IN Bedford then Fuitonl
County, Penn, January 90, 1917 and was grnduateo
Mt Bethany College in 1914. When forty years Of
ago he became assistant in the Office OF "The Amer
can Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac" which place
he held for ten years. He then received a special
appointment in the Coast Survey in which bureau he
served until 1889. During this period he gave much
attention TO tidal observation writing extensively on
that topic, and nventing q machine whefcwith 10
predict maxima and minima. The device IS SUI
employed by the Government for this purpose. He
also studded meteorological phenomena deeply, and
contributed materially to the development ana amend
ment of correct ideas to the general circulation OF
the atmosphere. Lieutenant Maury, Of the United
states Naval Observatory in his valuable and fascinat
ing work. THE Physical Geography Of the Sea" Qs56l
had advanced views regarding the trade winds which
Mr. Ferre deemed erroneous and he set out to prove
their inaccuracy This he undertook 30 do In
pamphlet Motions OF Fluids and Solids Relative to
the Earthis Surface The work was more fully de-
veloped in contributions to the Coast Survey pubca-
tons. In 1882 Mr. Ferret was invited to join the
scientific staff OF the Signal Service for which bureau
he wrote great DEAL his Recent Advances in Mete-
orology1 being the most important OF these products
Of his genius. Professor Ferreps writings were ID
such an exceedingly dry, mathematical style that
they were unattractve, II not unintelhSble, 10 the
popular reader; but in scientific circles, not only az
home but also abroad, their value was
recognized and he became authority OF worldwide
repute to whom the profoundest foreign Investigators
gladly paid homage. Like Elias Looms, OF Yale, he
was strong advocate OF the theory that storms arc
caused by certain differences In temperature between
upper and lower layers OF air. with the assistance OF
water vapor and the liberation Of latent heat by con-
densation; and since Loomis's death, and especially
since younger men like Banford and Davis, once
champions Of that idea, practically abandoned 1t,
Ferel was left almost alone to conduct that side OF
what has recently been a lively scientific controversy
His elaborate criticism in mature" last November OF
the views advanced by Dr. julius Ham, Of Vienna, re-
gardng storm causatons probably his latest stroke
in this fight. Professor Ferres method Of reasoning
Was deductye rather than inductlve in which regard
he differed from LOOMS, with whom he has been
ranked but whose services most scientists think
FerTeI SURPASSED In value After his retirement from
the Government employ In 1856, he removed from
Washington 10 Kansas City TO end his days, although
much OF his time Of late years has boon spent az
Martlnsburg W. Va During this period ne wrote Ms
"a Popular Treatise on Winds" reproducuoh, IN
zmpler form of his Recent Advances Among his
other papers and volumes were Determination Of the
Moons Mass from Tidal Observations" ds71) "COn
verging Series Expressing the Ratio between INC
Diameter and Circumference Of Circle" Qof1), Iiasl
097N, and Temperature OF the
Atmosphere and the EartlPs Surface"