Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-06
MAGNETIC SURVEY OF
NORTHERN PACIFIC

MiuWuy iniuHuS W hhSis w hh"'" "
revival of interest In the still mys'
terious subject OF terrestrial magnet
ism. The Gililee had sailed down Ia
that port from San Francisco on a
purely experimental cruise, testing
the various instruments and methods
| and recording results, The five
men Of the scientific personnel had
secured magnetic observations daily
and the experience gained was help
full In perfecting plans for the voy'
age to Midway Island. The present
journey Is also largely experimental,
and the vessel will return TO San
Francisco early In December, after
all this preparatory work, to start
In January on a cruise that will EN-
brace the entire circuit of the North
Pacific ocean.
When the German geographical
congress met al Danzig a few months
ago. DR.. +. Bidlingmaler, the mag
netic observer Of the German Anartic
expedition, made an address on the
scientific WORK a his department and
spoke generally Of exploration In THIS
branch of geophysics. He said that
unfortunately there had been q de.
cline OF interest in terrestrial mag
netism since the day OF the great
physicist Gauss. who, as Mr.. Little.
holAc rArant1v vtrntn Actnhli0hpd tho
substantial truth OF the surmise that
the magnetic directive force has It's
seat within the earth and not In the
heavens, as had long been supposed
With the aid OF accumulated observa-
lions OF the values Of the three ele'
ments Of terrestrial magnetism. Its
intensity and those influences which
cause the declination and the dip Of
the magnetic needle, Gauss was able
to announce in 1888 tnat " the earth's
permanent magnetism Is derived al.
most entirely from sources within Its
crust"
This was a long step forward In our
grouping after the real facts concern
ing this mysterious force. But DR..
Bidlingmaier says We still know little
about It. We do not understand the
role which this force plays among the
various physical properties Of the
earth; yet many physicists are con.
WINGED that the study Of none OF these
properties can give so deep and clear
an insight into the real nature Of the
earth in all its compOnents and into
it's past and future history as the com.
prehension Of the secular variation Of
terrestrial magnetism. or in other
words, Of the magnetic variation
through long periods Of time.
However distant in the future the
final solution Of this problem may be
placed. 1t is certain that long and
enormous accumulations Of data are
the essential preliminary. Mr.. Little
hales says that. as a system OF or.
ganiezd knowledge. terrestrial mag
netism pre-suppOses and requires cen.
turtles Of observation; but gratifying
progress has been made in the ex-
ceptional attention given to the sub
ject in the magnetic survey OF the
United States coast and ~geodetic sur
vey to construct a chart showing the
lines OF equal magnetic declination for
1902 not only through u country but
also through Mexico, the Gulf Of Mex
leo, Cuba, Jamaica and other parts
OF the West Indies. ruture charts OF
this type will show the annual change
and thus be useful in the study OF
the secular change.
Today the vessels Of the coast and
~geodetic survey are carrying out q
system a terrestrial magnetic obser-
vations OF the sea: and we have here
recorded the beginning Of the mag
netic survey Of the North Pacific un.
der the direction Of DR.. Bauer and with
the financial support Of the Carnegie
institute Of Washington. Our mag
netic surveying work Is now to en-
brace about one-fourth Of the earth's
surface; and II. as has been limited.
the surveying work Of the Carnegie IN
stitution may be extended over the
other great oceans, the field occupied
by the United States In this branch
OF science will ultimately occupy
more than three-fourths Of the earth's
surface.
The practical utility Of this work
is very great. 1t is of direct value
to students Of geology and other
branches Of geophysics. Our own OBJ
servations are today pointing out to
navigators the correct direction OF the
magnetic meridian along the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts of the United states
and in the Gulf Of Mexico and the
great lakes: and while the results OF
these labors have a useful bearing
mon not a few affairs Of everyday
life. we may also hope that they Will
contribute something to the final So
luton of the great mystery which we
call terrestrial magnetism.