New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-15
THE HODGKINS FUND.
Awards MADE RECENTLY IN ACCORD
ANCE WITH ITS PROVISIONS.

GLIMPSE AT VISITING LIBRARIANS AND THE
NEW CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY BUILDING.
u,sh,nston. Sept "A (SpeciaD.-Professor Lang
49,. design in offering the prizes ito call attention
80 ,be Hodgkins fund and the purposes for which
:, .x,sts" has been accomplished beyond his most
..ngu,ne expec,et tons. The Hodgkins prizes, the
.rd Of which has recently been announced,
..,es unusual interest in the scientific world
,..s we're In all 22S contestants. The second prize
:, 9, on was not awarded. the conditions OF the
,.r not having been strictly complied with by
any OF the contestants
rbe subject-"(a) The known properties OF at
sn,er,c air considered in their relationships TO
.oarch IN every department OF natural science
"a the importance OF study OF the atmosphere
.a,sidered in view of these relationships. CD The
n,o,er direction of future research in connection
.,,h the mperfections of knowledge of at
,,ospheric air and Of the connections of that
L,ou,edre with other sciences"-is. in fact too
comprehensive TO be covered by single essay. II
-ouN require volumes to discuss II properly.
The money prizes were offered for only once. but
4, hs circular concerning the Hodgkins prizes
professor Langley announced that gold medal
urder the name of the Hodgkins Medal OF the
Smithsonian Institution. would be awarded annually
a, bIennialy for important contributions to our
knowledge OF the nature and properties of atmos
nb.r,c air. or for practical applications OF our ex-
is,inC knowledge Of them to the welfare OF man.
kind"
M the four Americans who honored by the
Hodgkins awards. three are residents OF Washing
ton and II is perhaps, suggestive fact that all
are in Government employ. 1t was. OF course. gen
orally believed that John William Strut. Baron
Ravleigh and Professor Ramsey would receive the
SoWO prize for their discovery Of argon. Scien-
fists are loud In their applause over this secret.
which has at last been wrested from Nature. and.
although scientific men proverbially jealous, no
SCOTCH SCIENTISTS CAREER
Mr. Meade who received the only medal a
bronze one. awarded American. is his
name and appearance indicate. Of Scotch descent
He is young man. born in New-York City in 1863
and graduated from the College of New-York in
1851 He entered the Weather Bureau while 1t was
still part Of the Signal Service. enlistins. was
az that time required. private He was pro-
NOTED 10 the rank of sergeant. and recommended
for a commission. but just then Congress was con-
siderlng plan TO change the administration OF the
Weather Bureau. and appointments were made.
Nj Meade. tired with waiting for his commission,
resigned and taught school for while in the
West Subsequently he prosecuted his scientific
studies a fellow OF Clark University
Under the administration of General Hazen who
did much TO extend the scientific work Of the Blu
r.au Mr.. Meade TO Harvard, where he
worked for three years in the jefferson physical
laboratory under Professor Trowbrdge While at
Cambridge he received the degree OF A. VI. When
the Weather Bureau was separated from the Sig
nal Service Mr. Meade again entered the Bureau.
and since that time he has been employed in Wash
ington. He is an enthusiastic. ambitious and con-
scientous student. and has drawn attention to him
self by his work In atmospheric electricity.
Bulletin No -. Protection from Lightning"
written by Mr. Meade is the most popular bulletin
Issued by the Bureau. 1t has gone through four edi
tions and reached d circulation OF 10000 Mr.. Nc
he lin gold N
ranked third. In its notice Of II the committee
faid: The memoir is the work Of an accurate OBJ
server. thoroughly posted in experimental physics"
in 1891 The American Meteorological Jour.ag
awarded TO Mr.. Meade a second prize for an essay
on "Tornadoes" In the recent changes in the
Weather Bureau Mr.. Meade was discharged from
Glass and appointed local forecast officer at San
Francisco as an assistant Mr.. Holman. in charge
Of that office
PRIEST AND MAN OF SCIENCE.
Professor Frank II. Bigelow. of the Weather
Bureau, who received honorable mention for his
essay on Solar and Terrestrial Magnetism. and
Their Relations to Meteorology," is clergyman
as well as a scientist, al present assistant rector
ST. Johns. Professor Bigeow is Harvard man
and received the degrees of A. NJ. and Il. ID. from
his alma mater He was for number of years as
sisiant astronomer at the National Observatory of
the Argentine Republic. at Cordoba. and for a
while associated with Professor Newcomb in the
Nautical Almanac Office He received his iheologi-
cal education at the Harvard Episcopal School. and
IS in full priests orders. Professor Bigelows health.
however. does permit him to undertake the
arduous duties the charge of parish would i'm
pose. He is. therefore. widely known a
Of science than as a clergyman. His specially
is terrestrial magnetism. and his work in this di-
rection has been Of great value.
Professor Harrington says in A short sketch he
made OF Professor Bigelow His name Is especial
iy associated with instrument for the photo
graphic record Of the transit Of the stars, and with
some novel studies by which the solar corona, the
aurora and terrestrial magnetism are shown to be
associated" The important work Professor
Bigel,w has written IL a monograph the solar
corona. published by the Smithsonian in 1889
AN EsSAYIST WITH WAR RECORD.
Or. Charles Smart. whose essay THE Proper
ties. Constitution and Impurities OF Atmospheric
Air in Relation TO the Promotion OF Health and
Longevity an honorable mention. is famil- |
lar figure the Capital he having been special
duty the National Board of Health and at the |
Surgeon Generals Office since 1879 He is Scotch
man by birth. and In his scientific work has shown
the thoroushness and perseverance characteristic
Of his
DR.. Smart appointed assistant surgeon in the !
80 New-York on November 5. 1862. and honoraby |
mustered IN 1864. having been promoted to the
Of captain for rneritorous services in the field
In the campaign before Richmond. At the close Of |
the he again entered the service. His present |
rank is that Of major. and Of the fifty surgeons |
81 similar rank Dr. Smith stands sixth the |
list
DR.. F. T. p. Corderio. L. 8. ~. who received |
honorable mention for his essay on "Hypsometry," |
s widely known because Of his recent investigation
IN Berlin Of Behring's diphtheria serum. on the |
use o. which he made unfavorable report to the |
Surgeon General of the Navy on his return from |
toroll. Or. Corderio in Rio Janeiro In 1851. |
and appointed assistant surgeon In the Ameri-
IAN Navy in 1854 He is a graduate Of both the
academic and the medical schools al Harvard, !
Ind has received from that university the degrees !
A. 81. and 3. d.
LIBRARIANS ON THEIR TRAVELS.
Some twenty hrarians on their the Ii !