Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-07-01
| NEWS By TELEGRAPH.
From ALI Quarters.
THE WEATHER BUREAU.
Appointment of the New
Chief Officer.
White GAP OUTRAGE IN INDIANA.
The Colorado Desert Basin
Filled With Water.
PROGRESS OF The wheat HARVEST.
The Memorial to the Papal
Secretary. |
PROGRESS OF The wheat HARVEST.
IT'S FORMAL TRANSFER.

The weather Bureau to Come Under
the Jurisdiction of the Agricultural
DePartm emit To-day-Professor Har-
rington Appointed the New Chief
Sketch OF His Career.
WASHINGTON, June 30-The formal
transfer of the weather bureau from the
war department to the agricultural depart
ment, under an act of the last congress
will take place tomorrow. General Greedy
will then relinquish the reins as chief and
Secretary Rusk will assume them on behalf
of the department. The secretary was to-
day asked for a statement of his views
and intentions regarding the future con-
duct of the bureau, and, referring to his
last report to the president, he pointed
out the following passage:
81 deem it evident from the discussion
which attended the passage of the act and
from the wording of the act itself that in
making this transfer of the weather bu-
reau to this department it was the inten-
ton of congress that the work of the
bureau would be extended insofar as might
be necessary to full cooperation of this
branch of the service with the work of the
several divisions already established in
this department for the benefit of agricul-
ture without in any way restricting its
scope"
He added that he proposed to carry out
to the full, as he understood it, the objects
which congress had in view in transferring
the bureau to the department of agricul-
ture. The secretary said he could see
great many ways in which meteorological
science could be made helpful in co-opera-
ton with many of the present divisions of
the department., and he believed that in
course of time his expectation can be fully
realized. In the meantime he proposes to
perfect as much as possible the prompt
dissemination of the weather fore
casts throughout the agricultural
districts, and one of his first
efforts will be directed to the
accomplishment of this purpose. He de-
clares himself, however, fully impressed
with the fact that the work of the meter
Biological services of the United States gov
eminent must go far beyond the mere
forecasting of the weather and be so ex-
tended as to include thorough investi-
cation into the climatic conditions OF the
various sections of the country. in order
that a full knowledge of them and of their
effects upon planting growth should be
available for the farmers. Whatever re-
organization of the bureau and its branches
becomes necessary with its transfer will
be in line with the ideas thus expressed.
The first official act under the new dis
pensation was the appointment of the new
chief, Prof. Mark w. Harrington of Michi-
gan. Prof. Harrington is now and has
been for the last twelve years professor of
astronomy in the University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, and editor of the American
Meteorological Journal, and is a man of
about 43 years of age. He is regarded as
an accomplished student of meteorology
and climatic problems. He was graduated
in 1868 at the University of Michigan. In
1871 he was acting as astronomical aid of
the United States coast survey on the coast
of Alaska. After this he returned to the
university, acting as instructor in
the biological department. In 1876
Professor Harrington went to Germany to
perfect his studies, remaining in Europe
about two years. While in Europe he was
offered the position of professor of astron-
omy and mathematics in the school of the
Chinese foreign Office at Pekin and as di-
rector of the observatory. There he intro
duced the first large telescope which had
the professorship of biological science in
the Louisiana State university. He re-
turned to Ann Arbor in 1879, taking the
position which he has held up to the pres
emit date Besides editing the American
Meteorological Journal Professor Harring-
ton has published several papers on scien-
tifc subjects and compiled an almanac for
the government of China. Mr.. Harring-
toms appointment received many strong
endorsements.