The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-07-12
HARRINGTON WILL REMAIN
Secretary Morton Says the Chief of the
Weather Bureau Can Keep His Place.
Useless Scientists" to Be Cut on, However,
and Several Radical Changes Made in
the Method of the Work.

0uu DcNcI0l hhulCdI OuonEco houc III
the Method of the Work.
WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE atmosphere
about the Weather Bureau has cleared of
very perceptibly since the recent investi-
CATION. and affairs are running along
smoothly. with but little probability Of
any further changes being made In the near
future. The position of chief of the
Weather Bureau Secretary Morton looks
upon es one entirely without the pale of
politics. and. SO far as he knows. Professor
Harrington will remain. This bureau IL
one In which Secretary Morton has taken
q lively interest,", and he said to-day that it
was his wish to make 1t popular. remove it
from the rather high scientific plane to
which 1t had gradually assembled.
and bring it down to q level where
it would abound In practical work.
IN short. he Will insist upon useful
forecasting. 80 that the farmer. the mariner.
the shipper and the commercial men can
derive from it the greatest possible good.
what the peopls most want" said Secre-
tary Morton, lis the knowledge before.
hand of what is to happen. so they can pre-
pare for it. rather than a scientific diagno-
sis In the line OF cause and effect after IL Is
all over" In addition to cutting OFT q
number of what he calls useless scien-
tists." Secretary Morton proposes to save
money IN the matter of telegraph tolls. A
tinge OF sarcasm Is apparent IN the Score.
tsry,s discussion OF the scientific force OF
the Weather Bureau. The real object of the
bureau, ho says. 10 to state with GER
tainty what the weather will be tomorrow
or the next day.
Secretary Morton has also decided to dis
4 ~ tho viuor and HnnH rnnm Uunrk
and at an early date place the river fore
casts in charge of the observers located on
the principal rivers. AS q result of all this
Messrs. Carl Barus: +. h.. Bigelow and
Thomss Russell, professors of meteerology.
will be dropped from the rolls this month,
along with q number of clerks and other
employees.
in his forthcoming report Secretary Nor
ton will make two important recommends
tlous, contemplating radical changes in the
method of doing some of the work of the
Department of Agriculture. One relates
to the indiscriminate distribution of gar
den seed and the other TO Implications OF
experiments by State citations OF work now
being done by the department The latter
relates to sorghum and irrigation experi.
ments. and his recommendation Will be In
favor of q cessation OF this unnecessary
and wssteful expenditure of the public
money.
Besides the large number of persons who
have been spoken of" as candidates for
AoSlot6ub secretary Oh ASEiCultuEo tncE0 BIO
on file In this department the personal ap-
plicatiOne of twanty-seven people, among
them one woman. Secretary Morton Is Of
the opinion that nothing Will be done in
the matter of filling the place until the
President returns from his vacation. and
possibly not sven until after Congress
meets. Mr. Willis is still acting. but is
anxious to get out and take up the prac-
tice of law in this city. Among the appli-
osnts for the position are Hon. j. Beeman.
of Mississippi; Sisam Black well. of Ala
bama; q. w. Click. of Kansas; Charles
Grifiths. of Illinois; Hon. b. NJ: Hord. of
Gen. stephen ID. Lee. of Mississippi; Ed l..
Merrill. of Mississippi: Dr.. j. A. Myers. of
West Virginia; ID. "A. Ostrom. OF California;;
Hon. Morgan Rawls. OF Georgia; Mrs. A. ID.
Richards. Of illinois,; p. NJ. Shackelford, Of
Alabama; Daniel Strange, of Michigan; G.
Y. Wilson. of Kentucky; Martin Calvin. of
Georgia.; E. c. Pace. OF Illinois. and ex-
Governor Ross. of Texas.
Congress May lSot Take n Recess.
WASHINGTON, July 11.-Representative
j.. L. Wilson. of West Virginia. who pre-
slded over the Chicago convention. and
who is recognized as one of the inevitable
leaders in the next Congress. arrived in
this city to-day. Questioned as to the
probable outcome of the extra session. Mr..
Wilson said: 1T has always been nv be-
lief that the extra session will be %continu-
Gus, and that DO recess can be taken. Under
any circumstances, however. the tariff
question will be considered. So soon Ms
the committee on ways and means Is an
nOunced the tariff will be taken ND by
them. and even should there be a recess
before the regular session IN Decem Der, the
committee Will continue to have sessions
for the consideration of the new tariff law
which the committee will report to the
House." -
The rumored intention to place him
at the head of the committee on way and
means was mentioned and he was asked If
he would accept the place. Mr.. Wilson
hesitated q moment and then replied with
q smile: Il have never known OF any one
refusing q good chairmanship If 1t were of
fered to him. But | will say that the chair.
man of that committees during the next
Congress will not have his honor without
his labors." He added that he had received
no intimation on the subject beyond what
said there would De no opposition Co the re-
election of Mr.. Crisp as Speaker 30 far as
he knew, and that he believed the majority
OF the people of West Virgins were in
favor OF the repeal OF the Sherman law.
Testing the Indiana's Armor.
WASHINGTON. July 11.-Secretary Her
bert. Captain Sampson, chief of the Bureau
of Ordnance, and q number of naval off.
GERS went TO the naval proving grounds
Indian Head. Md. to-day. to witness the
test of the plate representing the ar NOR for
the turrets of the Indisna. The plate Is q
composition of nickel steel, seven teen
inches thick. bong the thickest armor
plate ever tested for use on our vessels.
The plate was subject to attack from q
twelve-inch rife which threw a monster
CARPENTER shell weighing $50 pounds. Its
muzzle was 80 feet from the face of the
plate. The striking velocity of the first
shot was l, 232 feet o second, and it pene'
trated to q depth 16.6 inches. lacking less
than half an inch of going through. Tht
second shot was fired with a velocity of l..
AS feet q second. and went three inche.
into the oak backing. The third and las
shot was TO determine whether OF not ths
premium was to be paid. and the velocity
was raised TO 1853 feet a second,
hen the smoke and dust foll0 tn,
discharge had lifted it was found that tht
shell had gone clear through the plate and
thirty-six inches of oak backing. and was
detected into the air and plunged into the
river some hundreds of yards away or wa:
lost in the woods on the hillside. Exper
opinion on this point differs. bat that 4
had plowed it's way through all obstruo
lions and disappeared from view was Obvl
Gus. The plate secured for its makers tn,
acceptance OF the whole contract. amount
ing to from five hundred to seven hundred
tons. but earned no premium. 1t show e(
no cracks under the terrific strain to which