The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-08-08

IL is gong to nave. :"
Professor Marvin has been In the
weather bureau service since he was
graduated from the Ohio State uni
versity at Columbus. He has devoted
himself especially to devising and per-
fecting apparatus for observing
weather conditions with a view to
making accurate predictions. He is
not a politician. On the; few occasions
when he went back to his Ohio home
to vote he, supported the, republicans.
He did not vote in the election in
which Woodrow Wilson was chosen
president.
Early in the administration it was
announced that in choosing men for
scientific positions President Wilson's
policy would be to consider their eff
1ciency and to pay small attention to
their political affiliations. This policy
has been emphasized in a number of
appointments, notably that of Hugh
M. Smith, a republican, to be fish COM
missioner. The president and Secre-
tary Houston went about choosing a,
weather bureau chief in a very lei
surely fashion but with this policy in
mind. D.. ." a,+
In the two months that elapsed after
Chief Moore's dismissal the secretary
'NcbS aoSISN AAlOIC IA1dIl oiACS dS IildhIuS
the facetious remark that the weather
had been very satisfactory without the
supervision Of the weather chief, the
intimation being that he did not be-
lieve the chiefs work to be as in
tensely important as it had at times
been regarded. However, when it was
decided that a choice should be made
the president and the secretary went
about it very carefully. They asked a
committee Of the National Academy
of Science to recommend a list of men
for the Office, basing the recommended
lions on merit alone.
Professor Marvin's name stood high
On the list. Secretary Houston made
some inquiries about Professor Marvin
on his W account, had an interview
with him n communicated the re-
suits Of his inquiries and observations
to the president with the recommended
ton that Professor Marvin be appoint
ed The president acted quickly,
Though, the appointment has been made
Professor Marvin has not vet moved
his desk from the: big working room
which he as chief of the instrulneE4s
division occupied in company with a
number of other employees and officials
of. the service into the more sumptu-
ous quarters which Willis L. Moore
once occupied.
chief Marvin is a very serious mind
ed man. He has spent his life in physi-
cal researches of a practical nature,
making little preparation for some of
the duties which are supposed to at
tach to his new position. #
The chief of the weather bureau is
often blamed for the weather. Mr..
Marvin admitted on the day he took
office that it would be impossible for
him IN hrin o. oIv ra1iof 10 %ho ~1a~Ia 80
Washington, who had for several days
been sizzling in the hottest spell of the
summer. The heat on that day was
103 degrees in the shade. Chief Mar
vim said the only relief he could offer
was to point to a chart Of the normal
temperature for July 20, based on an
average for several years. 1t was evil
dent that the heat was. more intense
than the normal for that date. ,
On Wednesday, July so, the second
day Of his administration of the
weather service, Mr.. Marvin had to d.
rect the observations for the severest
electrical and rain storm that has Wis
tied Washington since 1882. This storm
was referred to in some quarters as
merely the, reception accorded by the
weather to it's new .oyerseer. = 1t was
recalled that following the retirment.of
Chief Moore two. months before there
A~ CSAS SSf~AN .N"S " -I1IC AIOLlEGc
weather Of the summer until that time.
Professor Marvin entered the old
signal service in 1884, the year he was
graduated from college,. He described
his career since that time for The Sun
correspondent in this fashion:
I'm my college I became interested
above all other studies in physical en-
perfments and in attempts to apply
the principles of physics to practical
problems. The spring / was to gradu-
ate from the university I saw. upon the
college bulletin board an ADVERTISE
ment for men for the signal service. II
struck me right then that here was,
work that would certainly interest me,
SO / decided to take,sthe examination.
/ did this soon after graduation, and
was appointed to- a position in the
service soon thereafter.
I'm 1898 I became head Of. the In
strurnent division Of the signal service,
since, renamed the weather service, and
held that position until I was, appoint
ed chief of the service.
IT have devoted my time chiefly to
devising new models and instruments
for observing the velocity of the wind,
the intensity of the sunshine, the rain
fall and meteorological conditions gem
erally.'' ga
Practically all the apparatus now
used by the, weather stations were
ellHSF devised OF improved IN ON
way by the experiments of. Professor
Marvin.
Professor Marvin was a pioneer IN
the"use of kites for observing weather
conditions in the atmospheric strata.
above the earth. He began this work
inH1S94, three years after the bog kite
was put on the market by a Germam
inventor. The box kite he soon found
toebe the only type of flyer in any way
adapted to the use of weather .observ-
ers. IL 49,.
Professor Marvin improved in mInanv
ways h original model of the boy
kite, thus fitting 1t for scientific prr-
poses: His chief success was In pro-
ducing a kite that could be flown di-
rectly overhead instead OF off at an
oblique angle as had been necessary
with the German types.
Professor Marvin has no radical
ideas about changing the entire policy
of the bureau as soon as he has taken
the reins' of power. He has said that
he realizes the ways In which he can
spend the appropriations for the
weather service are pretty strictly
specified by law. He thinks that he can
procure the highest degree Of efficien-
cy In the service by using his assist,
ants to give strict heed to- scientific
methods. What he does will be done
after careful deIiberation.
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