The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-20
AFTER COLUMBUS, WHO?
PEA or A NORTHERN WRITER FOR
A MONUMENT TO M. +. MAURY,
One OF the Greatest Men which America
Has Ever Produced-The Vast Benefits
He Conferred Upon Navigation.

man was created In the image OF his God,
that upon which is found the most visible
imprint Of that image is the creative
power; to follow the sun as 1t sank into
the western sea until IT shone upon new
lands was possible to any sailor, but In
the creation of the New World, or II
it better please, the new route to the
Old World, there was the stamp Of ge-
MUS. the creative genius. which dis
tinguished Columbus from those Of his
day lacking originality OF conception.
In all that appertains to the ocean pro-
gress from 1892 to the present day has been
excessively slow. Within my own expe-
rience In nautical affairs II has been dis
covered that by dividing the largest sail
on the mast of a square-rgged vessel into
two equal parts, there would be little loss
Of propelling power, and much gain In
convenience. Dana's manual OF seaman
ship, printed thirty-ive years ago, chroni-
Giles the introduction (as the newest and
latest Style Of iron bands around yard
arms, rather than the continuance OF
that clumsiness in fitting rigging wherein
to that epoch we had initiated the fashion
Of the day and date Of Columbus.
Using these petty details Of seaman's
| life as Illustrations, when we come TO tne
point in which a discoverer Is more than
sailor, we find absolutely but one name
| worthy of mention in the same breath as
that which applauds the genius Of Column
bus. That name is Matthew Fontaine
Maury. No less a scholar than Hon. Mel
| len Chamberlain, late our chief librarian,
remarked to me with that calmness which
distinguishes from impulse a judicial
! opinion:
Il do not suppose there is the least
doubt that MauIy was the greatest man
America has ever produced"
| Such judgment does not ignore the dis
! ccveries of all our eminent men, each re-
| marHable in the field Of science to which
his studies were devoted, but just as Co
lumbus stands by himself. a creative
| genius in the midst of many others-these
| latter, perhaps, having given TO the world
| good works as abiding as his-so with all
| that has been done for America by work
ers in steam, in telegraphy, In electrical
| science, there stands over and above
| them all the creative genius OF Maury
Enter any library and discover If you
| can what was known of the trade winds,
| the monsoons, the Gulf Stream, the pre-
| vaiing winds the currents and the gen.
eral circulation of the ocean, all the essen
tails for navigating the globe. before the
day of Maury. How m lch information
can you gain? Could you by miracle be
put into possession of what was known
before his day. ignoring that for which
we are in debt II HIM now? Compare
lively nothing. There is not a book Of
sailing directions published in any of the
languages of civilization but what is de-
pendent upon Maury for It's facts and its
principles. The list OF decorations, me-
dals. diplomas of scientific bodies con-
ferred upon him by every foreign govern
ment in recognition Of this fact, is un-
equaled in the worlds history; space for
bi Is its enumeration here. OF more mo-
ment to us at this time is the considera-
ton of the question, How have Ameri-
cans recognized their greatest genius?"
First, by the adoption through the
length and breadth OF our land Of his
plans for the establishment of a weather
bureau, now in such successful operation
as to fulfil the predictions OF its origi-
nator, who thus wrote in 1858, delivering
at his own expense a series Of lectures in
support of his position:
THAT certain Of the observations be re-
ported daily to a central office by tele-
graph, to warn you from observations
made to-day as 20 the weather you may
expect tomorrow; by means OF the cleo
trio telegraph the meteorologist may be-
come wel-nigh omnipresent it may tell
of the barometrc changes at distant
points and foretell the coming storm;
then the Associated Press may become
another agent; it can take UP and bear
the news to the bulletin boards. and thus
all will know Of the coming storm, while
it is yet thousands Of miles away"
Again, by the very general use Of sub
marine cables. One OF the .oneers in
this enterprise, Cyrus w. Field, has just
crossed the unknown sea: at the dinner
fn n fffinRiW celebrate
successful issue Of the theories Of Maury
this gentleman recognized his genius with
the memorable declaration, "Maury fur
nished the brains, England gave the
money. 1 did the work"
Further, l glance at the list OF trans
atlantic packets, carrying millions or
tourists over the seas. and find that his
name is still honored by the statement
that 1.-The steamships Of this line will
take Maury's steam-lanes, thus insuring
the safety and comfort of the passen-
gers" and remember that when he pro-
jected these he received $1,000 and a SER
vice of plate from the merchants and
underwriters of New York.
But has the Government of the United
States ever acknowledged its Indebtedness
to this. it's most distinguished son? Oh,
yes for by the reports Of our Secretary
of the Navy for the seven years from
lS50-'56, inclusive, each impresses this
truth on the people, as follows
"These wind and current charts have
completely revoutonized commerce, and
have not only saved millions of dollars
TO those who go down to the sea in ships
but have added glory and honor to his
Maury's) country"
Then follows careful mathematical
calculation confirming the statements OF
our national bulletin.
The United States further rewarded
Maury by giving him his pay as com
mander in its navy!
The object Of this article Is not the
consideration Of the life work OF Maury;
but as the whole world received a bene-
fit from the discovery Of Columbus, while
his name does not honor the continent Of
the Western sun, so the American peo-
pie to-day-richer, happier, infinitely bet
ter informed by sea and by land for the
life-wOrk Of Maury-have no spot where
the tourist by land or the mariner by
sea can look upon the least public recog-
milton Of that which he did, not only for
his own country, but for the world and
for unborn generations.
From the days OF our childish studies
10 this four hundredth anniversary, we
have gaZed with indignation on the pic
lures of Columbus, holding up his chained
hands. smarting under a sense OF the
wrong and ingrattude done him by the
rulers of the Spanish nation he immor-
talized. How willing have we been to
direct backward our telescopes to find the
mote in the eye OF our Castilan neigh
bor How resolutely have we adjusted
the beam with intent TO blind our own
eyes!
Dat M0ttv Ia fhA r,afo alro ~