New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-02
4 Much NEEDED SCHOOL,.

Varied and numerous as arc the educational
enterprises which Americans have endowed dur
ing the last few years, there il one direction IN
which such munifcence has not yet been APP
piled hut in which great and lasting benefits might
be- secured Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Chem
istrv. Entomology, Geology, Mathematics, mo
Biography and all the great sisterhood OF sciences
have their charms and values; but with the
nossible execution of Medicine, not one Of them
deals more directly with human interests and
with 80 large number OF civilized people every
day. than that which makes weather forcc1st!ng
poseble-Mctcorologv
When, in 1870, the dreams Of Espy, Joseph
Henry. Horace Greeley and other progressive men
were realized in the establishment OF National
weather bureau in this country, Cleveland Able
did nearly all the scientific work for il until a
a. ecicnt staff of assistants could be educated The
Young leutcnants detailed for this purpose, Dun
woody. Greedy and Powell, and their associates
and SUCCESSORS. listened TO lectures by Professor
Able. Professor Elias Loomis, Of Yale; Professor
William Fcrrel. Of the Coast Survey, and later of
the Signal Service AMI Professor VI ndenhall, now
at the head Of the Coast Survey; and som" OF
them in time became investigators Ike their
teachers. Eventually there cam" To he good deal
Of valuable meteorological literature and num-
Der Of outside dcyotcos of and authorities IN
weather science. Bat the colleges have not taken
Il ND as they ought: much l'rS have there been
special schools and physical laboratories. in'lc-
pendent Of the Government for advanced study
and experiment. Even had not Secretary Morton,
of the Department Of Agriculture, recently sur
prsed and incNprcssibly gri"v'd the scientific
world by ordering an Abandonment OF very prom
ising researches in the Weather Bureau. there
would still have remained fell for such ns'i-
tutions: but now the need j. even greater than
ever.
Mctcorology is only an infant. Anything like
the predictions which have been furnished to
the press daily for nearly quarter of a century
were impossible until the telegraph afforded facll-
tiles for transmitting to "A central point, almost
instantly rcrorts of simultaneous observations over
n wide extent OF territory. our present work,
however. is largely empirical and sadly defective
Only a few fundamental principles are yet settled
beyond doubt Many profound problems require
solution before forecasts for only twcntyfour hours
can aprroach the limit of accuracy. But men of
experience and sagacity pronounc" it not unreason-
able TO hope for trustworthy prophecies of much
longer range hints MS to the general character
of q season for weeks or months in advance, and
warnings ~ 70 special days more critical than
Others in meteorological history. How great, then,
ARE the undcvclopcd possibilities Of this science
What incentives there are to invests cation, Could
any results Of intellectual labor he more "prac-
teal" than these? Who can imagine more
precious public bcncfaction than the foundation
of a great school for such Inquiry?
Discussing this suber in " The American Meteor
illogical Journal" laet April, Professor Abb" said
So deeply does the Importance Of the subject com
mend self Judgment That II any one desires Ia
have a more detailed plan OF work ! should he glad
o.. = i'm "A
uusrllsh interest In the matter i desired, may add
Tint have II scientific library Of 1000 or 6,oOo books
and pamphlets that | should he pleased 10 donate 10
well endowed meteorological institute connected with
Harvard or Yale. Columbia or Johns Hopkins Michigan
ar Chicago or other university Of similar rank. where
the auxiliary physical and mathematical sciences are
properly taught.