The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-28
clear ease that Taft will profit on
both accounts
WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

q European and American schools OF ad
= vanced thought, and TO every individ
D ual eminent in the world for his sci
entific knowledge and work, asking hin
10 designate the seven things in The
modern world that appeared to him tc
be the most wonderful.
The idea in this was to contrast the
modern wonders OF the world with the
ancient wonders. These seven wonder;
of the ancient world were stated in
that magazine TO be the Pyramids OF
Egypt, the Pharos of Alexandria, the
Hanging Gardens at Babylon, the TEN
pie OF Diana at Ephesus, the statue
Of Jupiter by Phidias, the Mausolcum
Of Artemesia, and the Colossus OF
Rhodes. There are some divergcnces
in stating the seven wonders of the
ancient world showing that there were
Independent opinions then as to those
seven wonders, as there are indepeud-
ent opinions today about the wonders
Of the modern world
The editor of Popular Mechanics was
fortunate in getting replies. He pre-
pared ballot containing ifty-six sub
jects of scientific and mechanical
achievements. and blank spaces were
left for the insertion by any scientific
man of any other subject that he might
consider to be worthy OF naming as
modern world Is wonder.
The persons to whom these lists were
sent were assured that their names
would not be divulped, and that the
preference of each would be kept en-
tirely secret, both as to choice and per
sonality. The selections of scientific
men TO whom these were TO be sent
were made after consultation with the
Secretary of the American Academy
of Science, Dr. l.. O. Howard. Of Wash
ington, D. C.. The European authorities
consulted were members either of the
Royal Society OF London, the French
Academy Of Science, or the faculties
of the great German universities.
The scientists responded with much
cordialty to the requests made, and
about 70 per cent Of the ballots sent
out were marked and returned. a
number went on record not as desig-
mating a separate wonder, but as Sc
lecting the general progress, such as
electrical development chemical re-
search, or civil engineering; but those
who made selections of separate won
ders were undoubtedly governed by
high scientific choice.
The summing up of the preferences
was: Wireless telegraphy. 244; Tele-
phone, 1856; Aeroplane, l67; Radium,
1855; Antiseptics and antitoxins, 1876;
Spectrum analysis, 126; X-Ray, Ill;
Panama Canal, 100; Anesthesia, 81;
Synthetic Chemistry. 81,
1t appears that in the latter divis
ion, synthetic chemistry, the rule of
requiring an answer to separate won
der, was waived, for synthetic chem
istry is just about as general and non
specific as electrical development,
chemical research, or civil engineer
ing.
1t is curious to observe that num-
Der of things which have often been
included in the lists Of seven modern
wonders are entirely neglected in this
list, but perhaps these are little too
old to be considered In & more modern |
list of wonders. We refer to the in
vention of printing. of telegraphy, the
steam engine, the cotton gin, the de-
Of machinery, of transporta-
tion, Of mining, the invention of gun
powder and explosives, the enormous
production Of gold, the development
Of electric light and electric power. the
invention of steamships. geographical
meteorology, weather pre-
dictions. the enormous improvement in |
warships, and so on.
ALI these, to say nothing Of the de"
velopment Of modern thought in the |
way of evolution, biology, the study |
and application Of natural sciences,
and the ingenious appliances Of me-
cbanica1 devices for the entertainment |
of mankind. have been named from
time to time as modern wonders, as
they are.
Whom we consider the development |
of modern ingenuity, of mechanics, and
of the natural sciences, one Is over
whelmed with the rich development
Of modern times compared with the |
narrow limits of the wonder-making |
of the ancient world; and whereas the
ancient world confined its admiration |
almost exclusively to the production of
something huge, something striking to
the vision, the modern world is as
ingenious in the development of things
as it is of material things, |
so that it covers fields unknown to the
ancients; and in sheer magnitude Of
as in the digging of the |
Panama Canal, it e1cels the greatest |
OF ancient works as much, omparative-
ly, as it expands the field of human
triumph