Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-10-29
NOTED SCIENTISTS TO
DECIDE POLAR FIGHT

Washington, Oct. 22.-An even dozen
of scientists Of world wide standing
constitute the research committee of
the National Geographical society.
which is to pass on the merits of the
north polar controversy. The chairman
is Henry Gannett, chief geographer of
the United States geological survey.
vice president of the National Geo.
graphical society and one of the foun-
ders of that organization in 1888. He
is the author of topographic surveying
books, statistical aliases OF the 10th
and 18th censuses, the dictionary of al
titudes and other books and govern
ment reports OF geographic, magnetic
d~eclinations, etc.
O. p. Austin Is chief of the govern
ment bureau OF statistics and secre-
tary of the National Geographical So
ciety, and is the author of books on
territorial expansion and other works.
DIR. l.. A. Bauer is the director of
terrestrial magnetism of the Carnegie
institute. He holds the degree of
Ph.D., from the University of Berlin,
where he studied higher mathematics
for three years. He was astronomer
and magnetic computer of the United
states coast and geodetic survey from
1877 to 1892, and assistant professor
of mathematics and mathematical
physics in the University of Cincinnati.
Rear Admiral Colby M. Chester,
known for many years as one of the
best navigators in the naval service,
has been superintendent Of the naval
academy, commander in chief of the
Atlantic squadron, superintendent of
the naval observatory and chief of the
photographic division of the navy
Frederick v. Coville, botanist of the
department of agriculture, is a former
president of the Botanical Society OF
America, author of numerous
scientific reports.
DR.. ]. Howard Gore was formerly
professor of mathematics in George
Washington university, juror in chief
at the Paris exposition in 1900, and
author of works on geodetic, geo.
graphic and mathematical text books.
Gilbert III. Grosvenor, editor of the
National Geographic Magazine, COM
piled a map of the north polar regions,
showing the route of all expeditions,
and edited the scientific report of the
Zeigler polar expedition.
C. Willard Hayes, chief g~eographist
of the United States geological survey,
was one of the explorers &c Ala ska ard
a frequent contributor to geographical
and geological publications and gov
ernment reports.
Alfred j. Henry is professor of
meteorory in the United States weather
bureau and author Of numerous scien-
tifc publications.
w. H. Holmes is chief of the bureau
of ethnology of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition, and one of the principal au-
thorities on Indians and Eskimos.
DIR. G. Hart Merriam, chief Of the
geological survey and member of the
academy of sciences, is one OF the
earlier explorers of Alaska and of diff
ferent sections of the western United
States. He is the author of many gov
eminent bulletins on the geographical
distributions of birds and mammals.
DIR o. III. Tittman, one of the foun-
ders of the National Geographical So
ciety, is superintendent of the United
States coast and geodetic survey and
member of the United States of the
Alaska boundary commission.