Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-10
TO FIND OUT THINGS
ACQUISITION of Facts Aim of the
Carnegie Institution.
PRES. WO0DWARD's REPORT
Brief Review of the Transactions of
the Past Year.
WORK IS ENTIRELY ORIGINAL
Researches of Scientists Aided and the
Results of Their Labors Pub
lished in Books.
WORK IS ENTIRELY ORIGINAL
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
The annual report of DR.. Robert S. Wood
BARD, president of the Carnegie Institution
Washington, is out today and gives
brief review of the transactions for the
lear 1906, several of which were of I'M
jsual interest and Importance to scientific
men. The Carnegie Institution does no,
indulge in popular sensations. 1t is en-
gagged in the pursuit of knowledge of the
highest scientific nature and value, and the
public at large would not sympathze with
or even understand most of the work upon
which it is engaged although sooner or
later the entire human family will enjoy
the benefits consciously or unconsciously,
directly or indirectly. y portion of the re-
searches conducted under the direction of
the institution, like those of Mr. Bur
bank in horticulture, and those of the Des-
ert Botanical Laboratory down in Arizona
are of contemporary human interest, how
ever, and other features and other fields
are even fascinating to people of all de-
grees of intelligence when they are in
diligently explained.
DR.. Woodward adopts the smplifed style
Of spelling. The words "cdtalog. thru"
'altho, "thruout,' and other abbreviated
forms of familiar words catch the eye in
turning over the pages, and look rather
queer at nrst but one soon becomes accus-
toned to them.
New Building Near Picrce's Mill.
or immediate local interest is Dr. Wood
wards reference to the new building which
is now being erected ON the top OF the hill
above Plerces mill, in the SUBURBS of Wash
ington. 1t is seen and inquired about by
everybody who is fortunate enough to take
a drive through Rock Creek Park. 1t
stands in the center of tract of five acres
iG1llr iii
Acadia and cost upward of $4,000. The
building is of attractive design and will
be used for geo-physical Investigations
under the direction of Prof. F. b. Adams
of McGil University, Montreal and by Dr.
George F. Becker and Dr. Arthur l.. Day
of the United States geological survey. The
experiments to be conducted there are in
tended 10 Increase human knowledge con-
corning the physical condition of the earth
The most important results thus far are
announced in report on the elastic proper
ties of certain stone and rock which are OF
great value to biologists and engineers and
Or. Day developed process for the pro-
duction of remarkable substance known
as quartz glass, which promises to be of
great practical value by reason of it's high
melting point and it's low rate of expansion
in changes of temperature.
Cooperation of Scientists.
The institution is now working in COOP
Grafton with about one hundred scientific
and educational institutions and with more
than four hundred individuals, who are re-
ceiving financial assistance in conducting
original researches of greater or less i'm
portance. The officials of the institution
however, after several years of experience
have come to the conclusion that it does
not pay TO try to develop genius. Dr. Wood
ward says that in all probability only about
one-half of the applicants who come highly
recommended produce returns of educa-
tional value, and this experience has con-
WINGED them that it is better to wait until
nd
financial assistance to scientists of proved
capacity and of proved opportunity for re-
search.
In almost every case in which aid has
been given to investigators of proved ca
pacity and opportunity good returns have
Deen realized he says Thus We are con-
fronted by the stubborn realities that there
is no royal road to learning and that of
the many who feel drawn toward the high
calling of investigation, few may be chosen
with the expectation that they will prove
fertile in resources and fruitful in results
DR.. Woodward says that the large por-
ton of his time and that of other officials
or the institution Is devoted to considering
applications from individuals who have
plans for research of more or less merit
1T is matter of daily correspondence of
daily interviews and of daily importuni-
ties" he said with a desire to see all
sides of the question and to hear all argu-
ments thereon, the president has solicited
much of this CORES pondence and many of
these interviews. He has received a wealth
of highly esteemed advice and suggestion
along with much more that must be char
acterized either as impra ticable Of an
plication as fraught with great danger
If applied. The institution is compelled TO
decline large amount of literary matter
offered for publication. including text books,
hcuon, literary essays, dissertations and
discussions on a great variety of topics 1t
cannot provide funds for the publication of
such works or enter into partnership with
authors or publishers other institutions
as proposed almost daily"
Carnegie Institution Publications.
Thus far ffty-seven volumes have been
issued at cost of STT123 and thirty-one
volumes are now in press. Nineteen VOL
umes have been issued during the past year
and the total amount spent Or printing in
1906 was So, 43l. These volumes are chiefly
the reports of the researches of scientific
investigators employed or assisted by the
institution and are almost ali of such tech
meal character that their publicat ion would
not be justified from a commercial stand
point although theY are OF the highest i'm
portance to students and to the scientific
world. For example the institution is
about to publish in book form a catalogue
OF the stars and has recently established
two astronomical observatories, one on the
summit OF Mt. Wilson, California and the
other in the Argentine republic for the
purpose of completing the list. 1t is prob
able that about 25op0 stars will be mem
TONED in the catalogue. OF these between
eight and nine thousand will belong to the
southern hemisphere. At present the list
includes something over COCO stars. While
the popular demand for such a volume would
not pay more than a small fraction of the
expense of its publication, it will be of in
calculable value to students of astronomical
science. Hence it falls within the special
jurisdiction of the Carnegie Institution
Another work soon to be published will
describe the researches made Oy DIR. Oskar
Sommer into the origin of the Arthuran
Romances. The manuscript of the first two
parts of the work has already been receiv-
ed and preparations are now being made
for printing them In original form They
include the history of Joseph of Arimathea
the Holy Grail. and the early history of
King Arthur