The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-20
Latter Part of This Month the
Smithsonian Institute Will
Send Expedition to Mount
Whitney.
RESULTS TO Benefit
THE AGRICULTURALIST
It Will Be Determined What
Effect Rays Have on the
Various Soils Found on This
Continent.

american News Servicc)
Washington. Aug 2o.-The Smith
oonian institution viii about the end
Of this month tr~'7 ere Of the most
interesting III, va' lao'o investigation
ever unGert ":'ra b: t"o institution,
when "~ s'c:~1 r." Ne observation
OF { IS r0r~ f. cDened by Prof.
C. F hbc.t d'2ectcr Of tie Smith
soniar agtro1hysical observatory on
the summit Of NJ, Whitney, Cal, three
miles above ce1 level. Prof. Abbott
will be assisted by Prof. J.. r. Inger-
soil, OF tho University of Wisconsin.
Mount Wh,trcy was selected for the
location Of this station because OF its
great elevation aJcve sea level and
also for the reason that the sky above
the SUNNI. OF the mountain is almost
cloudless from May to November. The
amount of moisture on the mountain
IL less than at any ether pcict on the
Pacific coat
Prof. AaDott and Prof. lngersOll are
on their wev to tie observatory now
and work is to commence there next
week. A small branch station for the
same purpose has been erected on
Mount wilson, Cal Both observator-
les will be uced by Prof. Abbott and
Prof. Ingersoll, as tie work warrants.
ii7s Dsen Neglected.
The study CT the sun rays has been
until recently field practically neg
lected b. scientific investigators.
Much valuable scientific data is ex-
pected to be gathered by the two in
vestigatovs concerning the action of
the suns rag ca the earth proper and
also on different soils. This will be
Of immense advantage to agricultural
lists. Nue.. of 'he difficulty that scien-
lists have experienced in making OBJ
servations 0: tho effect of the suns
rays on the earth has been due to the
absorption of the rays by Carrying at
mospheres before the rays reach the
earths surface. 1t was to diminish
these conditions that the observator-
les were ERECTED on the lofty SUBMITS
Of Mount Whitney and Mount Wilson
where the great altitude will. in a
measure. overcome the difficulties ex-
perienced by previous observers who
udu " WOth CiOSSI 10 Tie Cdl III SUI
face
Ire Cement Blocks.
The obEarvatorics on both noun
tains are made Of cement blocks built
In the most solid and lasting fashion
and are equipped with the latest and
most expensive astrophysical and as
Economical instruments. All the ap-
paratus Is new installed on both sta.
tons which await the arrival of scien.
lists. The stction on Mount Whitney
Is nearly three miles above sea level
and Is the highest familiar station in
the world. This station will be prom
inent and viii be used for any scien
tific investigators who require high
altitude and rare atmosphere for
their observations. The Mount Whit
ney station is 1850 feet high, one OF
the highest elevators C arr noun
tain range "a tho clc5e.
In discUss'rg re Important work tc
Be conducted st these stations Prof
Abbott sad:
Accurate measurements are ex
ceedingly difficult 20 obtain. the chief
hiHd-ance being the absorption of the
rays before they reach the earth.
1T Is hoped to continue the obser
cations for at least sun spot cycle
e steven years. In order to study long
r period solar changes as we'll as
shorter ones"