The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1897-08-17

aud Geodetie Survey. 1t has been known
for some time that such a report was
in process OF completion, and that fact
has kept the personnel of the survey busy
70 say the least, with conjectures as Go
what is going 70 happen. The Impression
is that IL has been such long tin e
since the course or business III this de-
partmelt has been disturbed that 1t is
tine for what is technically known as
stiake-up.
Mr.. Cleveland shook up the Institution
twelve or thirteen years ago, and there
was fus, a little seismic disturbance In
1854, when Assistants Ogden, Doni,e,
and Wainwright were relieved OF that
occupations. This took place May s.,
1885,
Mr. Carlisle reinstated Mr. Ogden ard
Mr. Wainwright, but MI. Donne is set n
the outside although il is said that lis
removal WAS an outrageous proceeding and
tlat he should have been reinstated.
The Shake-ups under Cleveland had we'll
nigh been forgotten when Superints.si Tent
Duff:uid, by design or unwittingly, brought
on another Investigation. He desired TO
dismiss Assistant James b. Baylor, OF
Virginia Mr.. Baylor, would not, however
be disposed 81 in that way. He oojectc1
TO being shelyed without just Cause and
an inquiry was instituted under Secretary
Gage. the committee being Assistant Sec
rotary yanderiip. Major Brackett, ard
8 bureau chief.
IL was understood that Mt BsSlpr's
sniei4iifie attaiRaents were attacked -
that it was necessary to get an expert
committee 10 investigate him This latter
committee is Prof Raymond, of tile POLY
tecnIc Institate, of Troy, n Y. ami o.
Chanate, a civil engineer of Chicago. The
report Of this committee is in, and its
report on this particular case and On the
rietl.ou and management OF the institution
is beng awaited with interest at the
Coast and Geological Survey.
The committee VIII probably not report
against Mr. Baylor He is the brctller.;n-
law of Thomas Nelson Page, and Is said
not only tn he well up in bis line, t1t 10
have the Influence of the Virginia dele
CATION behind him 1t is also said hat
he can count on Secretary Alger
This, however, is d minor matter, the
general change being the thing 10 be
feared Vacancies are not plentiful now
adays, and are being made but slowly.
TIE report as 10 changes goes so far as
TO Intimate that even Mr.. Duffield, the
superintendent may be removed. In this
connection it may be interesting to the
public, and it WIFI certainly TO f1athenIatT-
clans and students, TO read the follow ing.
since coming into tie survey several
/ years a 20 Gen. Duffield, the superintendent,
has co1sypieted work upon iogarithrns which
has occlHied his spare time for a period
/ OF more than thirty years. Despite the
criticisms that ha We been made by dis
charged eInpIoye of the survey upon both
| the accuracy and the availability of the
work, Secretary Gage has Greeted tHat il
be made part OF the forthcoming annual
report az the superintendent of the survey,
and II is now in press. Gen. Durfield en-.
tered apon the undertaking when confined
/ to his roorl after thebattig Of MurfreesbonU,
III which he was wounded in the right
4 groin and the left thigh. The pain fr0tn
F! his injuries was so intense that he could
( find relief only in some form OF mental
appiica lion. and he took up the prepare
| ton or a series OF iogarithms.
/ Interest in the work grew upon him
! as it progressed, and he has made it
/ has avoeation out OF business hours In all
the years since. The tables include log
! garithus for each second of every angle
| up to two degrees, and for every ten
seconds from two degrees to ninety de-
+ grees and the Iogarfttms OF III tegraI NUM-
/ bcrs up to loo, 600. These are carried out
to ten places. although the calculation was
made to twelve places, the tenth figure
being determined by the last two. In
addition to the tables themselves, the
general has prepared an accompan yins
| statement, or explanation. OF the tfeory
and use OF logaritf1ms, and the en- tire
work comprises 250 printed pages
There has been no computation of this
/ sort made since the tables OF Won Vega,
tho German mathematician, which was
published III f794 In comparing his WORK
with that of the German, Gen Duffield has
found more than 100 errors in his pre-
decess1r's computa lions, and Mr.. Schott
! chief computer OF the survey, who has
| been at work upon the calculations con
nected with the transeontinental arc, the
Inauguration OF which was completed by
the survey last year, after more than fifty
years u fitful labor upon it, has found
sixty odd himself, in addition TO those dis
covered by Gen. DuffieId some of them
as high up as the third figure ia the
| decimal