The Washington herald., 1908-01-26

The sixth Year Book Of the Carnegie
Institution Of Washington. for 1907, which
has just been issued. consists Of reports
by the President, the executive commit
tee, directors Of departments, and recipi-
ents Of smaller grants
As evidenced by these reports. the work
Of the year has been productive; more
so, probably, than in any previous year
since the foundation Of the institution. in
1902. This is largely due 10 the fact that
the organized work OF the departments
Of the institution which have in the ma
jority Of cases been ia operation now
for three or four years, Is beginning to
bring forth results.
These results. in some cases, even at
this early period, may be applied By other
agencies for the direct advantage Of man
kind, although it is hardly % be expected
in the laborioUs research which the
institution is fostering. that many re-
suits of great importance and permanent
value may he reached within d decade
at least.
Two Notable Accomplishments.
Attention may be called particularly ID
two volumes published by the institution.
embOdying the results Of experiments car
ried on by Dr. d. T. MacDougal and IS.
L. Tower DR.. MacDougaL. director Of the
department OF botanical research, gives
an account OF the production Of a new
species Of plant by an application Of
chemical fluids 10 the egg cells during the
period preceding fertilization. Mr. Tower.
of the University of Chicago. and an as.
s0ciate Of the department of experimental
evolution has been working with the
genus leptinotsrsa. commonly known as the
potato bug. and has succeeded in pTOduc-
ing new forms by means of enyir0nmenJdI
influence alone.
These results have been pronounced ID
BE among the most important achieved in
the field OF biological science since the
tine Of Darwin The organized and allied
work OF the two departments mentioned
above and of the department OF marine
biology, bids fai. 10 accomplish other
noteworthy events in the history Of the
biological sciences.
During the past year the EeOphysicaI
laboratory OF the institution has been
completed and is now occupied boy DIree-
Of a nutrition laboratory is well under
way in Boston, with prospects of soon
being ready for occupancy. and definite
provision has been made for the erection
OF an administration building of the in
stitution on the southeast corner Of six
teenth and 2 streets northwest, ID WASH
ngton.
Magnetic Survey Of Pacific Ocean.
The practical Importance Of the mag
netic survey OF the Pacific Ocean. car
ried on by the Department Of Terrestrial
Magnetism. is manifesting itself The
Gaiilee, the vessel employed in the sur
vey, has traversed over 5o"J9 miles along
courses where few magnetic observations
have been previously made. Complete
measurements Of magnetic declinauou,
dip and intensity were secured. and from
data furnished 10 the United States Navy
Department a magnetic chart has been
issued correcting important errors in pre-
viOus charts. amounting in some cases 10
as much as five degrees in magnetic
declination along some main routes II
transportation.
Such corrections, when properly ap-
Piled will enable mariners % steer
straighter courses than has heretofore
been possible and viii be the means og
gaining much time in TRANSATLANTIC vow
ages. with a saving Of perhaps 81 .4l1 ID
S2,coo voyage for the great liners
The construction of a solar obserya-
tory. situated on Mount Wilson. Cal. is
probably the most formidable project the
institution has as yet undertaken Four
hundred thousand dollars has already
been spent in this work. which however.
is still largely in a preparatory stage,
with its many problems of construction
and equipment The main work of the
observatory is concerned with physical
questions which Underlie the iuterpreta-
ti0n OF solar and stellar evolution, but
the Instruments already installed are ad-
mirably fitted for cooperation with other
In an Investigation of the
general laws of stellar distribution
Meridian Astrometry.
The work of the department OF meridian
under the dictatorship If DIR.
Lewis Boss. is further engaged i'm def
mite study Of the motion and structure
Of the stellar system. Already a pre-
liminary catalogue embracing the pre-
else positions for upward of 5000 stars
has been brought 70 substantial compile
ton
The work of the institution, however,
is not confined 10 the study Of biological.
and astronomical problems An
organized department is searching foreign
and home archives for documents AMI
papers which may throw light upon
American history. another is gathering TO-
gether material for the publication of an
history of the United States,
while a third is studying human nutrition
in a specially designed laboratory. In
these laboratory experiments concerning
the various effects of ingestion tpon
digestion viii be carried out and results
are probable which will be of equal in
terest TO Psychologists and physicians
In addition to these larger projects. for
which the bulk Of the income OF the in
stitution is expended, financial assistance
is given, in so far as possible. 90 conf
petent investigators who have already
their ability for fruitful
work
The productivity OF departments and
grantees is increasing rapidly, thirty
eight volumes having been published by
the institution during the past fiscal
year, These volumes are offered for sale
at the actual cost of printing and trans
poTtation.
BABE SCALDED TO DEATH.