Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-14
THE GOVERNMENT AT WORK..
XI-The Smithsonian Institution.
By FREDERIC J. E1ASKIN.

From small beginnings the Smithsonian
Institution has grown to be one of the
mightiest Of the worlds activities in
gathering and disseminating beneficial
knowledge.
Established through the half million :
dollar bequest Of James Smithson, II
has served to create and now leads the
scientific thought of the new world. I,
has made American science respected in
all parts of the world.
Some Of the greatest race-beneftins
inventions Of the age may be traced to
work done ct the Smithsonian Institution.
The foundations of many sciences were
laid here.
Joseph Henry, first secretary of the
institution, constructed the worlds ear
lest electrical mag
Accomplishments netic telegraph. Upon
in Science. auo,ved tho Rel, te,e-
phone and the Morse telegraph.
The first weather map published was
issued by the institution. The United
States weather bureau, recognized every
where as the worlds leading organiza-
| ton for meteorological investigations,
| had it's beginning in the activities of the
smithsonian.
The groundwork Of the present science
of Ash culture was laid here. Spencer
r Baird, the second secretary OF the IN
stitution, began the experiments and IN
vestiEations which have made the, Onlted
States the foremost FISH culturahst OF the
globe,
| When Prof Langley built his celebrated
aerodrome and tried to fly It at, WIDE
Water, on the Potomac river, he was
greatly ridiculed. AS a flyer the Langley
machine was failure, put the LESSONS
learned through it's construction and op-
Grafton have formed the basis OF aero:
! nalltic science. Those who were most
| skepticals of the Langley airship are now
foremost in honoring his memory as the
| father OF aerial navigation.
y
Prof Langley made other valuable con-
tributions to general knowledge during his
career as secretary
Langley Inventor Of the Smithsonian Sc. "a,
OF b0l0meteT' vented a little in
strument which may solve some OF the
most troublesome problems that confront
the human race.
This instrument Is known. as the bolo-
meter, and is SO delicately constructed
that it will register the hundred-millionth
mart of a single degree Of temperature. A
spiders web, the gauze of a fy's wing,
mirror as small as a pinhead but as per-
feet as a fifty -thousand-dollar reflector,
a thread of spun glass, are some OF the
delicate things which enter into its con-
structiOn.
The heat of a star is no greater than
that of a candle at a distance Of many
miles. The bolometer vibrates markedly
when such q slight amount of heat is
thrown upon 1t.
This instrument Is used in studying the
constancy of the sun. 1t long has been
recognized that weather seems to move
in cycles. The bolometer has disclosed
the fact that the heat from the sun shows
marked variations.
1t was Prof Langleys theory that there
might be q relation between the variations
of the heat Of the sun and the changes of
the weather. He beQueathed his investiga-
tons to Prof. Abbott, director Of the
physical observatory, who now is en-
gagged in fathoming the mysteries Of solar
radiation.
It. is thought that the lessons he learned
may yet enable scientists to forecast the
weather as accurately as they forecast
the eclipse of the sun or the coming of a
comet.
The advantages which would accrue
from an accurate forecast Of the weather