New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-20
DUFFIELD'S LOGARITHMS.
THE TABLES GENERALLY R1DICULED BY
SCIENTIFIC MEN
pEMcRALIzED CONDITION OF THE COAST AND
croDrrrc srpyrry Rt-REAU.

pEMoRAIIzED CONDITION OF THE COAST AND
GEoDETIC sERvEY BUREAU.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSEl
Washington June 10-Thc notice In The tribune
OF June OF the new ten-fgure logarithm tap'es
by General Dufied. the superintendent OF the
Coast and Geodetic Survey. has caused co"S'u
erabl comment both to his tables and MS ad-
minstration OF the Bureau OF the Coast ana Geo
detc Survey. One man says he thinks these Ia
bIes should be published. rs he once wanted
ten-fgurc logarthmic table and could not get
one. He Is a man Of influence. ana hoios re-
sponsible position. Had he really needed such
tables he would have easily learned OF the'r e~-
istence and procured copy In New-fork LOT
small sum or borrowed from some library
The subject of the new tables has mostly caused
amusement among scientific men. and the general
comment is that General Duffied Is making him-
self ridiculous.
Copies Of the original publication 079D OF the
VeRo ten-hgure logarithmic tables nave become
scarce and row sell for about $50. In lss9 THESE
tables corrected for all known errors. were re-
produced by the photozincographc process In FLOR
ence Italy The first edition was soon exhaus'eu
and a second has been Issued IL IL tnis eur
ton copies of which can be obtained In New-iork
Some compuers object TO the photozincographc
CODY as the figures not so sharp as IN the
original and quite a number would be glad to see
a renrint of these tables. Had General DuHeid
confined himself to doing this Instead OF Trying u
produce an original work he would nave hao '"e
support OF many scientific men. The fact 49, ho"
ever that a reprint OF the old tables ana the pup
lication Of new ones useless expenditure Oh
time and money. II must be remembered 'ha'
such logarthmc tables seldom needed put
when needed 1t Is necessary to have them as ac
curate as possible 1t is therefore better to use
the interchangeable copy OF the ola ana wen
tested tables than to run the risk OF errors III d
reprint of the old tables publication OF the
ones.
or course IL Is we'll understood that. although
General Duffield may have actually computed MS
tables "a great labor, yet they cannot De new do
they must be the as the old ones, except pos
sibly In some slightly different form OF prih''hs
them Probably the Treasury Department may look
further into the matter before allowing large sum
OF money to be expended in the useless publication
OF General Duffield's tables.
Since the Incoming OF the present Administration
General Dutleld has been posing upon his military
record which, according TO Appleton's Biographical
Encyc,opedia Is very good but In no way nus MIN
TO be the SUPERINTENDENT Of the Coast and Geodetc
Survey or gives him any claim to consideration as
scientific man. He has sought to create the impress
sion that when he took charge OF the Survey ne
found It In a rotten condition.; that the whole IN
sttutIon was moss grown; that the methods en-
poyed were antquated: that many OF the assistants
and other employees old and no longer MT Tor
service that the results Of the Survey were OF tte
practical value, and that he IL the first superin-
tendent who has had the courage to take matters
In hand. reuvenate the corps OF assistants intro
duce new methods and obtain results OF practical
value. He is pleasant and suave old man, and
having considerable family and social influence. sue
ceeded for a while in hoodwinkng a number OF IN
fuential people. Some eyes are now being opened,
however and he has himself helped to open them
by his absurd logarithmc work, and by his con-
tnued efforts to demoraze the Bureau and bring 1t
down to his own level by un)usthed dism'ssais'
It is we'll known that while DR., T. c. Menden.
hall superintendent from 1889 TO hgi the
aDa to nefease TO this ceney @
he had formulated plans for the future. Under the
n ass Of THIS and so Dr. Mendenha after making
eor, in his to Sys the sas @
Worcester Polytechnic Institute. and as his health
vey he had determined upon three months vaca;
@ Sm R to
ss m a ss ssssd S do
proS SG his plans for VACATION should not be
interfered with. He arranged matters so that he
be %s M @ s'eT lie rG no
et the than r G5se R AL
nation a'i a"U was nI finally accepted and General Dund
appented on September 20 t While L, DR.
force became necessary account OF the provisions
9s HG, S In a Ss would
have been aIteasy matter to have done So Logan an
the result was the complete demorazatio of the
Bureau. Most unjustfable removals. reductions
and promotions were made. The assistants and
all esprit de corps was DESTROYED
In this condition General Duf1eld found the
Bureau but instead of seeking the counsel Of the
wiser heads of the Bureau. he took up with Logan
moralization. All this and much more that took
place in this Bureau during the last Administration
has already been published In The Tribune. Gen.
eral Duffield is trying to continue his course
of generalization He has sent his son and two
other assistants on important work in Alaska
to get them out of the way OF any present nvesti-
CATION. and they are inexperienced he has sent
with them OF the best young assistants to in
much greater force OF assistants than would have
been sent that work by any previous superin-
tendent.
He has placed in charge OF two important divisions
Of the office assistant who has bad record and
who has recently been so drunk at the office that
he unable TO attend TO his duties This mat
ter was reported to General Duffleld. and though
the evidence overwhelming General Duffield
has undertaken to defend and uphold him. He has
recently undertaken the removal Of accomplished
assistant, and sought 10 make other untustfable
changes In the force. which will only increase the
Generalization he has heretofore brought about.
In this latter matter he has been held up at the
Treasury Department. and, II Is to be hoped. to
some good purpose.
There is no bureau Of the Government OF which In
It's past history the country has more reason to be
proud OF than the Coast and Geodetic Survey and II
Is believed il Is yet possible more TO restore II
10 its former fame efficiency. The work OF the
Bureau Is Of the greatest Importance to CONNER
cal and many other interests. and the old and firm
friends OF the Bureau should more come for
ward to help the Administration overcome the de-
field should not be allowed to continue the degrade
ton Of the Survey.
Two FEPRYBOATS IN COLLISION