Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-02

When James smithson wrote his will
making a bequest of q 100000 for the
founding OF an Institution for the increase
and diffusion Of knowledge among men,
he bullded better than he knew. He had
become disgusted with his titles, which
profted him nothing. and declared that he
would make his name remembered when
all his relatives were forgotten. Perhaps
never in history has $4,000 yielded such
splendid returns as that with which Smith
son endowed the institution that bears his
name. From the time that II was estab-
lished this organization has led the scien-
tifio thought OF the new world. II has
been Americas lookout upon the watch
towers OF science.
when American science was In its swad-
ding clothes, the Smithsonian institution
was It's wet nurse. In the early days Of
the country, men were so intent upon for
est-conquerIng and empire building that
they had little inclination and less oppor-
tunity for scientific thought or original
research. But the Smithsonian took the
neglected infant into it's care and nourished
Il until today American science Is respected
throughout the world. The institution also
assisted materially In the Advancement Of
the arts. It's first secretary, Joseph Henry.
constructed the earliest electromagnetic
telegraph, and laid the foundations % the
art Of the electrical through
which Morse gave to civilization the tele-
graph and Bell. the telephone.
The science Of meteorology had it's begin
ninEs at the institution. and the worlds
first weather map was published there. Its
second secretary. Spenoef F. Baird, prac-
tIcally established the science Of fish Gull
ture and organized the United States fish
commission. Its third secretary, Prof.
Langley, gathered the data upon which is
based the budding science Of aeronautics.
These are only examples OF the many
things the institution has done in carrying
out it's founders pur~pose-"the increase
and diffusion Of knowledge among men"
The work OF the Astrophyslcal observa-
tory constitutes one Of the most interesting
phases Of the activities of the institution.
While It's labors are highly technical, and
the world may wonder how such e thing
as the study o. solar constants can af-
feet It's everyday life. II is likely that
discoveries affecting the welfare of every
human being may yet grow out of its re-
searches. While science has been able to
predict eclipses. moon changes and other
celestial phenomena with minute accuracy,
IL mas never DSSH AUG 10 FORECAST the
weather for more than a few days, and II
cannot tell whether the sky will be cloud
less or overcast even a few hours in ad-
vance.
It was a favorite theory of the late Prof,
Langley that the sun does not throw OUT
a uniform heat, and that the variations
in its production Of heat have an intricate
relation to changes in the weather. He
believed thai he could prove his theory
that the sun sometimes loafs on its Job
Having proved his inference that there ar,
fluctuations in the heat Of the sun, he SCI
about to determine the laws Of this varia
ton, believing tina with these causes dis
covered he could make a long range fore
cast Of the weather as accurately as tn,
|, astronomer forecasts the changes Of tn,
moon. Prof. Langley died in the midst o
) this work, but 1t has been taken up b!
his assistant. Director Abbot. Through
his boIometers and pyrheliometers, meas
j rring the hundred-miHonth of a degree o
temperature and doing other things NJ
less remarkable, Mr.ltRbbot has obtalne,
; Q fair understanding Of the habits Of Of,
, Sol, and hopes to reacht the. point where h
} can establish the laws Of these changes,
!, Think what benefits would result II Di
rector Abbot should be able to establish
!, tho Langley theory The farmer coul,
know in advance what the season wa
I going to be. II a wet season were assure,
; he could plant a crop requiring plenty o
, moisture, and IL q dry season were indi
/, Gated he could plant q crop unaffected b.
dPS weather. The ocean voyager coul
time his comings and goings so as to es
cape the storms of the sea. The big fair
and other opsn air meetings could plal
I their progress so as to escape lnciemen
weather. A thousand advantages wouI
come to man through accurate long rang
, weather forecasting. OF course Directo
Abbot is making no positive promise tina
he will be able to accomplish these things
but he is assured that there will be re
, suits important only ina less degree.
Various other original Investigations ar
, being made under the direct supervision
Of the Smithsonian Institution. The re
searches Of the bureau OF ethnology hav