Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-11
Annual Report Published by
Smithsonian institution.
WIDE FIELD INVESTIGATED
Popular Papers on Timely Subjects
Submitted by Advanced Thinkers.
TOPICS CAREFULLY SELECTED
Aviation and the Earth's Solidity
Among the Interesting Matters
Discussed.

1910 has just been published by the insti-
| tuition. Besides the report Of the regents
and the secretary on the administration
| OF the Smithsonian Institution and its
branches, the volume contains, as usual,
| general appendix" consisting this year
Of thirty-four papers Of popular interest
| on various branches Of science, also biog-
| raphies of number Of prominent scien-
| tifc men who have recently died. Some
OF the papers are original, while others
are reprinted from foreign and domestic
scientific and technical periodicals.
All the articles are selected with a
view Of furnishing the latest accurate in
| formation on topics which are believed
| to be of special interest to the public.
Progress in Aviation.
A review Of progress in aviation is ably
recorded by the latest eminent aeronau-
tical authority. Octave Chanute His
paper covers the principal advances made
IN aviation. beginning with the expert
ments of Hiram Maxim in 1894, and in
Guiding Langley's experiments, 1885, 1903;
the authors own Investigations, the work
of the Wrtghts, Dumont, de Lagrange,
Farman. Bleriot. Bell. Curtiss and others,
bringing the subject down to the close
interesting review. illustrated with nine
teen plates and several text figures.
Reclamation Of Arid Lands.
F. H. Newell. director of the reclarna-
| ton service, sets forth the recent prog
ress in the reclamation Of the arid lands
in the western states. The work of rec
| lamation includes all the western states
| and territories, where nearly 10000 fami-
lies are being supplied with water.
Through this great undertaking the waste
waters Of the west are being conserved,
destructive foods prevented, apparently
yalueless lands converted into productive
farms. and thousands Of families settled
In newly opened territory where they are
maintaining homes on reclaimed land
Besides engineering, with its business and
financial problems the article deals with
many other subjects, such as the char
acter of settlers, the size OF farms. crops
etc, and the individual projects which
together furnish water for about 1850. 600
acres. nearly one half of which is already
settled.
power plant at Keokuk Iowa, with Its
4.27S-foot concrete dam across the Mis-
sissippi river between Keokuk Iowa and
Hamilton. Ill. This subject Is treated by
(HoStST "A. Cldrk, In q well Illustrated ar
ticle entitled, Electric Power From the
Mississippi River" The paper shows the
development Of the largest single hydro
electric plant In existence. through the
construction OF what Is undoubtedly the
greatest bank-to-bank dam in the world.
Physics, Chemistry and Astrophysics
Under the heading OF physics. Dr. T.
Thorne Baker has written an account of
experiments and researches in the teieg-
raphy of photographs, transmitted by
both the wire and the wireless systems:
Jean BecQuerel. professor at the Museum
of Natural History Of Paris, has per-
m.ted the translation of his valuable pa
per on Modern Ideas on the Constitu-
hon Of Matter" comparing the old the
cries Of matter with the newer ones re-
Gently confirmed by experiments: and r.
A. Milikan has abridged his treatise on
THE Isolation of an Ion." which deals
with the exact measurement OF an ele-
mental electrical charge and several anal
ogous problems.
On the testing Of explosives, DR.. Charles
e. Munroe, professor of chemistry at
George Washington University. and a
well known authority on explosives, has
written an interesting paper on the Mod
ern Developments in Methods OF Testing
Explosives"
Charles G. ABBOT, director of the astro-
physical observatory Of the Smithsonian
recently developed subject Of astro-
physics which Is study Of celestial ply
sizes, but pertains principally to the heat
and other physical properties of the sun.
slant Of Radiation a topic on which
Mr.. Abbott is well informed. having pur-
sued studies in that direction for nearly
sixteen years. at the Smithsonian OBJ
servatory in Washington and on Mount
Whitney and Mount Wilson. California
In this article the author deals with the
problem OF measuring the amount Of solar
heat received by the earth and that lost
self amazed at the obvious facts and
reasonable possibilities depending upon
the heat from the sun. The subject Of as
trophysics Is further treated by Messrs.
Curtiss. Deslandres and Bosler, In three
timely articles
What Constitutes the Earthp
Under the title What Is Terra
Firma?" Bailey Willis Of the United
States geological survey attacks the old
yet modern. problem Of the construction
and balance of our globe. in a review Of
current research In what is known as
''Isostasy." In the discussion of this puz-
zling question. Or. Willis advances the
theory that the foundation Of all the con-
tinents Is composed Of solid rock. which
Is self-crushed TO q depth OF about 100
by pressure to maintain Its form during
prolonged geologic periods with but slight
change In spite of stresses occasioned
by erosion Of continental reliefs, this
mass Is capable Of movements. sometimes
resulting In the gradual elevation of con-
tinents and the more vigorous uplifting Of
mountains. through which isostatic equi-
librium Is restored.
In line with the construction and con-
dition of the globe. another author, Prof.
Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin brings up
the further vital question. THE Future
Availability Of the Earth" In an article
in which he reviews the past, and con-
siders the future of the world as a dwell.
ing place for the human race. Many
branches OF science enter into the discus
sion, but upon geology. physics, chemis-
try, astronomy and astrophysics rests the
burden Of the arguments. Mr. Chamber
lin thinks that the earth will remain
habitable for tens OF millions Of years.
but comedies that the close approach Of a
celestial body to the sun would probably
result In the disruption Of the solar sys-
tenn and bring disaster to the earth. He
further states, in regard to the future
possibilities Of scienuc research, that
when moral purpose and research come
to be the pre-eminent characteristics Of
our race by voluntary adoption and by
the selective action Of the survival Of the
fittest and when these most potent at
tributes join in an unfiagg1ng endeavor
to compass the highest development and
the greatest perpetuity Of the race. the
true era OF humanity will really have
been begun"