The Washington bee., 1902-07-19
LEADER OF SCIENCE.
Lord Kelvin and Some of His Great
est Accomplishments.
He Comes from q Family of Mathe-
maticians and Scholars His
Work in Connection with
the Atlantic Cable

Lord Kelvin. who is considered the
most distinguished lettcer in what has
been preeminently a century of scien-
titic discovery and advancement. has
been visiting the United States as the
guest of George Westinghouse, Of cleo
trical fame.
Lord Kelvin, or as he is often termed
the Grand Old Man Of Science" was
born in Ireland in 1924. Shortly after
his birth his family removed to Scot
land, and his father. Prof James
Thomson, is remembered by the
alumni of GLASGOW university as a
skilled teacher OF. mathematics. VIII
lam Thomson was eight years Of age
when his father was appointed TO a
professorship in the university, and
two OF three years later he began to at
tend classes himself. His proficiency
in mathematics and natural philoso-
ply was early noticeable, but under
the careful supervision Of his father,
who valued. too, the "Old Humanities,"
he had the benefitin addition of sound
logical and linguistic training. While
a boy he was interested in such sub
jects IS the Figure Of the Earth" and
Fourier Theory of the Flow Of Heat. :"
While a student az Cambridge, Lord
Kelvin was noted for his enthusiastic
participation in all college sports. He
was a fellow at St. Peters. Oxford, and
afterward entered the laboratory of
the famous Regnault in Paris.
In 1916 LORD Kelvin was called TO the
chair Of natural philosophy. and from
that day to this the history of his life
work has been the history Of the prog
ress of physical science. There is no
department of that science which has
not been enriched and extended by his
discoveries and there is hardly any
theory in dynamics. heat or electricity
of which his theorems, experimental
discoveries and views do not form
fundamental part. IN the domain of
physical optics, Lord Kelvin has recent
ly shed much light on disputed ques-
tiOns by his lectures and papers.
1t was, however, Lord Kelvin's work
then Prof. ThOmson-in connection
with the Atlantic cable which brought
him international fame When in 1856
Cyrus Field began to realize his gi-
gantic dream of uniting England and
America by submarine cable, a diff
Guilty arose, which threatened to defeat
the project. 1t was found that cleo
trio signals passing through the cable
did not attain the speed hoped for, and
the financial success of the scheme, in
consequence, was questioned. Many
theories were advanced by scientists
as a solution for the problem, but it
remained for Prof. Thomson to enun-
ciate the law Of retardatiOn, and so
enable engineers to design a cable
which would give a satisfactory speed
TO messages. The directors of the At
lantic Telegraph company speedily rec
ognized his ability and engaged his
services. 1t is no eXaggeratiOn TO say
that he. contributed more than any
other scientific man to the ultimate
success Of that enterprise which was
so repeatedly baffied and postponed.
On returning to the old world Prof.
Thomson was knighted for his diStin-
guished service and became Lord Kel-
vhn.
It is unquestioned that he has done
much for electrical science by intro
ducing accurate methods Of measure
ment. His most useful inventions in
this line are two valuable electro-me-
ters, and perfected type of his ori-
ginal invention. the mirror inStru-
ment," which has become the main
stay Of the electrician. A machine for
predicting the level Of the tides in any
part Of the world is probably his chief
nOn-electrical invention.
Lord Kelvin has carried on q large
number Of experimental and mathe-
matical researches in every depart.
ment Of natural philosophy, but the
true citadel of his genius lies in his
faculty of Of applying mathematics TO
the solution Of physical problems.
Lord Kelvin was endowed with every
requisite for success-power Of will.
intellect and energy-and Is in reality
one Of the worlds great men. As the
Napoleon of na9raI philosophy, his
name will go down TO posterity with
Calico, Newon and Pascal.
Fishermen IN the COnmDla r1-,r get
about 25 cents each for all the salmon
they catch. The average weight
ranges from IS to 20 pounds. Vast
quantities of these are frozen by Ore
gon dealers, and shipped to Germany,
I where they sell for IS cents pound.