Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04
HONORTO HIS MEMORY
Praise for Work of the Late
Samuel P. Langley.
SECRETARY OF SMITHSONIAN
Meeting Under Auspices of the Board
of Regents.
SUBJECT OF AERIAL FLIGHT
Office Referred to as "the Greatest
Scientific Prize in the Country"
Several Addresses.
SECRETARY OF SMITHSONIAN
SUBJECT OF AERIAL FLIGHT

lecture hall of the National Museum last
evening to do honor to the memory OF
Prof Samuel Pierpont Langley, who was
secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
from 1887 to 1906 and whose experiments
several years ago with flying machines in.
terested the world. The meeting was under
the auspices of the board of regents of the
Smithsonian Institution. Chief Justice
Fuller of the Supreme Court of the United
States, chancellor of the institution, pre-
sided. DR. Alexander Graham Bell and
Rev. DIR. Edward Everett Hale were among
those who occupied seats toward the front
The life and scientific work of Prof
Langley In the several lines in which he
was Interested constituted the subjects OF
the address. The speakers declared that
his contributions to the worlds knowledge
on the subject of aerial flight were so i'm
portant as to be always remembered Dr.
Octave Chanute. engineer of Chicago
said in the course of his remarks that Prof
Langley's man-carrying airshp would have
flown. in his opinion. had the launching
gear been perfect.
Special Researches.
The first speaker was DIR. Andrew ID.
White who confined his remarks TO the life
of Prof. Langley.
Mr. White took up sundry special re-
searches. showing that. in 1855, DIR. Lang
ley had followed the actual solar spectrum
TO wave lengths ten time great as those
of the visible spectrum, and said:
1.-THE reputation thus gained by Langley
came soon and steadily increased The
thoroughness. ingenuity and beauty of his
methods and the clearness of his style in
presenting them, attracted attention far
and wide.
I'm the autumn of 1856 he was invited to
the post of assistant secretary of the
Smithsonian. In the invitation Prof. Baird,
the that time. assured Dr.
Langley that. while in his new post he
would be expected to take charge of the
foreign and domestic exchanges. the library
and the publications, fully half of his time
might be employed, to use Prof. Baird s
own words. in keeping up those original
researches at Allegheny observatory which
have already secured for you much dis
tinction In the scientific world The invita-
ton was accepted. and after the death of
Prof BaLd. in August, 1887, Mr.. Langley
elected by the board of regents secre-
tary of the institution
More Popular Work.
Regarding DR.. Langley's more popular
work, Mr.. White spoke as follows
But. while carrying on these original re-
searches in his principal field, his fertility
of thought was seen in other directions cal
cuated to benefit his fellow-men He did
not fear to endanger his reputation as an
original investigator by spreading scientific
knowledge in various forms among the peo-
pie at large. and in terms not merely in
telligible but attractive. Courses of lee
lures and articles in magazines addressed to
men and women of various attachments
testify amply to this. Some of these rose
into the higher regions not only of science.
but of literature. Notable, especially, was
his address in 1883 retiring from the
presidency of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science. 1t was enti-
tied The History of a Doctrine this doc
rine having relation to radiant energy. Both
4
1t reveals the mind of a philosopher. Many
passages give contributions to philosophic
thought. but | select one, which runs as
follows: we have. perhaps, seen that the
history of progress in this department of
science is little else than a chapter of that
larger history of human error which is still
to be written; but he adds: Shall we say
that the knowledge of truth is not ad-
vancing? 1t is advancing. and never
so fast as today. but the steps of it's ad-
vance are set on past errors and the new
truths become such stepping stones in
turn F"
Published Important Work.
Prof f. c. Pickering director of the Har-
ward College Observatory explained that
the scientific work of Prof. Langley ex-
tended over a period of forty years and
occupied his entire strength and energy
during a large part of this time.
1T is evidently impossible to do justice
to such subject IN the tlmC allotted to me
this evening" the speaker explained. For
tunately. he lived to publish his most i'm
pOrtant work, and thus made it known to
the world. Admirable reviews of t have
also recently appeared in the technical
journals. recalling it to the professional
physicist and astronomer. 1t remains for
me to tell you how il appears to one who
knew him well during nearly this entire
period who priced long discussions with
him regarding his work during his earlier
years and whose affection and friendship
for him never waned and was interrupted
only by his death
His work in science naturally divides
itself into two parts-one while director of
the Allegheny Observatory and re other
while secretary OF the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition. Each of these extended over a
period of about twenty years and was con-
Quoted IN surroundings differeing In al
most every respect.
Greatest Scientific Prize.
'In the midst of his researches he was
called to the position which should be the
greatest scientific prize In the country
that OF secretary of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition. He would become the scientific
adviser of the President of the United
States, would be Independent of political
party and not even controlled by depart
ment a board of regents, including some
of the highest officials of the government
would enable him to secure for his plans
the careful attention of the authorities
be limited only 10 the increase and diff
fusion of knowledge among men, AS a
patron he would have the government of
the United States. whose aid to certain de-
partments of science has been almost I'M
limited. Distinguished predecessors. high
official position and the brilliant society he
had always desired were united in this
position.
'All these dazzling attractions failed TO
induce him to abandon his active scientific
work. and he accepted only with the con-
dition that he should also continue his
work at Allegheny. This. however,. proved
TO be impracticable, but the establishment
of the astrophyslcal observatory in Wash
inston enabled him to devote part OF his
time to research. A new problem now
confronted him-eXecutive work on a large
scale. Here he encountered the difficulty
that comes to almost every man who I'M
dertakes the charge of a large scientific
establishment. a difficulty that will proba-
bly, harass his successor. as 1t did him
This is the large portion OF the income alb
sorbed by current expenses. 1t is like q
boat forcing its way against rapid
stream. Much energy may be expended
and no progress made. Now add a little
more power and the gain will be very
great. 1t is the same with any Industrial
or commercial establishment-after eX
penses are met all additional income /:
clear gain.