New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-01-01
DISCOVERY AND SCIENCE.

The year just ended has been rendered
memorable by striking achievements in
polar research. A British explorer in
January went within ninety-sevep geo
graphical miles Of the southern end Of
the earth's axis. and about three months
later an American reached the North
Pole. As Lieutenant Shackleton was
able to place beyond much doubt the gen
eral character of the region around the
goal which he barely missed, his work
deserves almost as much applause from
the geographical world as Commander
Peary's. BY dramatic coincidence two
explorers within a few days OF each other
laid claim to finding the. North Pole, the
avowed performance of one antedating
the achievement Of his rival by full
year. That the first claimant was an
impostor was eventually established by
tribunal whose competency nobody could
dispute, and thus was terminated con-
troversy which was embarrassing while
it lasted and which threatened to be per-
petual.
Striking advances In aerial navigation
were effected in 1909. Count Zeppelin
built a dirigible balloon which made a
continuous voyage of $50 miles in thirty
seven hours The performance was dis
tinctly superior to any of the same aero
naut the year before, but as the type OF
airship which the Wurtemberger has
done so much to improve is apparently
near the limit of its development the feat
is less significant than the exhibition re-
~, IF no IF he
plane. The first public trials Of heavier
than-air machines were made only about
eighteen months ago. During 1909 at
rheims and nearly dozen other foreign
cities there were genuine races in the air
such as have had no precedent in history,
and rarely in these competitions did any
thing but aeroplanes participate. 1t has
now been demonstrated that the aero
plane is much swifter than the dirisible
balloon-an immense strategic advantage
in military service-though thus far 1t
has not shown. and perhaps never will
show, the ability to make equally long
flights At Rheims Curtiss and Bleriot
travelled at an average speed of forty
eight miles an hour, and within the last
few days De la Grange has surpassed
then2 ny abort mile At present Latham
enjoys the distinc ton of having made the
longest carney with an aeroplane tabout
one hundred miles,, and Orville Wright
holds the record for height (sixteen hun
dred feet but all of these achievements
are likely to be eclipsed another year.
BY crossing the English Channel In an
aeroplane Blerict created a worldly wide
sensation, yet he did not begin TO travel
so far as the N'rights and others have
repeatedly gone.
The year has marked a distinct stage
in the development Of the American navy.
Almost simultaneously six battleships to
which the one-calibre gun principle is
applied have been completed. Each of
four is bigger than the Connecticut by
1000 or 5000 tons and has a speed ex-
ceeding that Of the flagship of the Allan
tic fleet by three or four knots. Much
the finest of these vessels. the North Da-
kota, travelled at the rate Of more than
twenty two knots over measured mile,
thus beating the best performance Of her
sister ship, the Delaware. It is claimed
that in her endurance fria!s t;;s Forth
Dakota also showed the largest fa,i e>on-
omy. Not the least gratifying fsa ;'rs2 Of
the North Dakota is her equipment with
a steam turbine Of American design. The
Atlantic feet, composed OF sixteen battle
ships, completed its voyage around the
world on February 81, having travelled
AZ. 800 miles in fourteen months.
Two events besides the trials Of the
North Dakota have brought the turbine
engine to the fore within the last few
months. For the first time in history
transatlantic liners. propelled by Parsons
turbines, have travelled at the rate
Of tWenty-six knots. 1t has re-
Gently become known that the task OF
better adapting the turbine to the work
of propulsion ha been undertaken by Adj
miral Melville, once engineer in chief of
the American navy. Thus far the gear
ing which he would interpose between
engine and propeller shaft has been sub
jected only to shop tests, and no accu-
rate estimate of its value Is yet possible.
The prominence Of the inventor and the
large economies which he aims to secure,
however, justify close scrutiny Of fur
Their experiments with his gearing.
An important physiological discovery
is that of the germ causing the hook
worm disease. by DR.. Stiles, OF the United
States Public Health Service. the utiliza-
ton of which has been literally promoted
by Mr.. John ID. Rockefeller.
Three occurrences last year were of
special significance to astronomers. Pro
fessor George f. Hale obtained spectre
scopic evidence that sun spot is often
the scene of magnetic activity. A new
reason is thus afforded for suspecting
that there may be relation between
solar and terrestrial storms. Mars has
Just approached the earth more closely
than at any previous time for fifteen
years. Little that is new on its surface
has been observed but the Astronomical
and Astrophysical Society of America has
taken occasion TO pronounce the talk
about exchanging signals with that planet
absurd. Halley's comet has verified the
prediction that it would reappear either
in 1909 or 1910. The honor of first ascer-
thinning its return belongs 10 Dr. Wolf, OF
Heidelberg. who employed photography
for detective purposes, but the first man
TO see 1t was the American. Mr. Burn
ham. OF the Ycrkes Observatory. In
autobiography. from which the world