The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-06-18
ADVOCATES
STUDY OF
SCIENCE
ClOudburSt at Heppner
a Penalty for Our
ignorance
Might Have Been Avoided by
a More Thorough Un-
derStanding of
MeteOrOI0gy

Ed. Journal: Does not the awfu
calamity at Heppner forcibly draw on
attention to the greater necessity o
a deeper and more comprehensive un
derstanding of natural phenomena
VIII man ever learn to pay the respect
due 10 those whose life work Is de
voted TO these pursuits? viii he eyei
stop in his mad flight for the goal OF
wealth to consider the debt already
due, and unpaid, to the scientist
Such calamities as occurred at Hepp
ner cause us TO pause for a moment
and think. In that moment we re-
member the men who are laboring "a
prevent just such terrible happenings
But does the world appreciate these
efforts? It is not the common expert.
ence Of the scientific men to be neg
lected, TO be refused financial support,
In their humane labors? Seeing the
child pursuing scientific literature
many parents advise this child to read
something else because they can't
make any money out OF Il. However
this may be, the paramount import
ance that more work be devoted to
this field cannot be reasonably denied.
Il is only of late years any systematic
efforts have been made TO carry on the
science OF meteorology. Every day is
bringing accuracy to this new science
and satisfactory degree Of certainty
regarding weather reports. Today all
shipping is more or less regulated by
these forecasts. The larger the mum.
ber of stations throughout the country
the more accurate and consequently
the more important this branch Of
science becomes 10 man. Had our
systems been more complete and mum.
erous, the Heppner cloud burst would
have been detected In it's lncipiency
and warning given In time toat least
save the lives OF the inhabitants. Il
would seem events like the foregoing
would turn more 20 the study OF these
sudden and destructive phases OF the
elements 20 the end that they might
be prepared for the emergency. So
Iong as we consider Il a waste Of time
10 study such things We may as well
expect to pay for our ignorance and
by these death dealing pen.
alties. AS a matter Of finance II would
have been a matter OF economy 10
have helped along the plodding inves.
tigator In his research for he might
have struck upon the very thing ne,
cessary to have foretold this event.
We are taught by these things 20 re.
spect legitimate labor outside the field
Of money making Thinkers are
aroused 70 n moro earnest effort 20
the elements Men can sail
the ocean. traverse the earth, even ny
the air; now let him control the sea
sons. The first step Is to understand
the seasons and then attempt 70 regu.
late them. Our understanding OF me
teorology might prove il useless 10
affect a change of seasons. but we
must take the FIRST step. Who can
say TO the contrary that had a projec
tile containing a chemical element ca.
pable OF dissolving that cloud been
sent into II before ii crossed over the
mountain tops and drop
ped its avalanche of water upon that
town, the catastrophe may not have
been averted? Yet this is one OF the
things promised by more perfect un.
derstanding of the science Of meteo-
rology. All honor is due 10 our worthy
scientific investigators and with lit
tie more encouragement towards them
they may prove TO be the greatest ben.
efaetors. CHARLES MILLER.
Salem June ~, 1908.