New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-07
WEALTH PRrMOTING SCIENCE.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCING THE sTUi
OLE MtTEOROLOGY.

An OPPORTUNITY FOR ADvANCING TIE STUDY
OF MfTEOROLOGY.
70 the Editor OF The Tribune.
sir: When one seek. for the processes by winch
American civilization has been advanced to IL pr'sr
Stage he discovers at least two that have been utilized
iy men and women Of such Investment III
canita; brains and energy In industrial enterprises
railways mines and faciorics-aS make these SchnN
successful is one: and the bcstowal 81 Part oi 'ho
fortune thus acquired upon hospitals, the ti"imlH oi
nurse. public libraries and museums, art galleries.
schools Of all grades from the Kindergarten 10 III. w"
vcrsiy great astronomical olscrvatorieS exploring "A
pcdltions and other phllanthropic educational and
scientific Institutions When any wcliniormcd Amcii-
can reflects upon the multiplicity of b' nciaciions of
this second class Which have advanced the rr'ni age
and courts the people who have thus served not only
their own day and generation but also generation
to come. he feels glow Of pride over the possession
Of such countrymcn and counirywomcn. And If he
happens 10 know the circumstances urdcr which few
OF these Gift, have been made he observe, that th"
generous impulse thus manifested /, often secretly
cherished ior long time. only awaiting the discover,
of desirable object for the consrnmaiion oi the
act.
Possibly Professor Mark W. Harrington chief of tn
United states Weather Bureau. lad some 81 these In
stances In mind when h. suggested. In club talk In
Chicago a few weeks ago. the need Of q school ~
nevonautics and expressed wish that one might BE-
endowed by some wealthy and public spirited person.
Aerial navigation has been studied more or les, ly
governments in Europe and America branch Of
military science. nut ALREADY lnfrcqnrr
and The worla prnyS that they may become sim NOR,
Numerous inventors from the vcrlc,t crank with
a sublime ignorance OF phy sic> to III" reputable
OF scientists. les, privately trying 10 de-
wise successful air ship for transportation purpose"
Whether they Will ever achieve TIL end and whether
II Is worth working for. questions about which
there may be NOR" than opinion. Iui the par
ltf.c, yII Drff. f.,
is different from these others, although II &, possible
that all OF them might be simultaneously promoted B.,
a special school Of acronauiic Scicncc.
What the chief Of the National Weather sor,ic.
Is especially aiming AT Is extended, systematic me
tcorologcal research by OF balloons. Weather
science is vel in Its infancy. and YET l. Of mm.m So
practical importance q mankind When one thinks
out The vast number Of material intcrc.t.-crops.
land and water transportation. healih travel plan,
for personal pleasure and buSincs,-flat are affected
every day by weather conditions, be- t. deeply I'm
pressed with the value Of anything Wlich promises
10 increase ability TO make corrcct oicrasts ~
sarding them. Now The development 81 mctcorolpgr
| depends very largely upon a hnowi'd9" II what Is
iaiing place in the air few thousand feet over our
heads. Our weather maps, on which the daily pre-
dicons based exhibit the pressure temperature.
humidity and wind direction and force only at
is upon the condition OF the mass. at least
mile Of the. mass IN vertical direction. that
/
his lowcrmosl layer only few feet deep. To some
extent Hight Is shed upon iiis matter by mountain
obscrvatoi"s. And the number Of such institutions
| M the world j. slowly Increasing. Th"s- l., FrnSon
Of their stability. possess certain advantages. but
| they also have drawbacks. They do not exhibit
temperature aud certain other conditions rs thry
would exist II similar elevation over plain. AMI
this latter knowledge l. what meicOrOlogists ire now
| craving. Already. from comparatively few ana
almost unrelated balloon voyages. GlIisher CAY De
IuSsac. F1nmmaron and others have secured som"
useful data. u, II i utterly inadequate In guam
y and character. AZ least two Of Professor lIar-
rngtons assistants Professor IIazen. 81 the Wash.
ngiOn Office and SIR. lammon. local forecast OBlral
in II. Louis, have made Isolated trips Of ms char
| nctcr with Interesting results and displaying the
rIght sort Of ncTv" and Intelligence. But something
mnch more elaborate and continuous Is needed. IN
nrder 10 give the Information necessary 10 right
| understanding nf the formation and conduct Of
| ,torms When IA" comparative ANTONY 81 high ana
low pressure systems has been fully studied. and
certain laws have been formulated. II NAV not he
| necessary 10 use air ships rs an immediate AID Nv
-alIv forecasts but that point can be drtrlnlnrl
| storms Proper pccmniarv provision for thoroue
cxnlorotion in this direction would render valuabl'
| scrvlcc TO science and 10 mankind and confer glory
| mon the bcnctc"nt and progressive person VINO
| supplied the means ~ d. l. H.
| lrooklyn, Jan. 80. 1893