The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-20
LIE TT5EsR !: !,

,iuteiy non-nagnetica boat, the like Of
which was never before, devised. thai
correct observations of magnetic force
could be taken. Other boats are built
largely OF iron and steel, and. in adj
dition. the cargoes they carry may
contain iron. The presence Of iron I'M
any form decidedly affects the COM
Pass. This effect is overcome on Or.
binary boats, as far as possible. by
fixing" the compass with iron balls
arranged with view to neutralizing
the power of the other iron IN the
boat. This can never be done with
absolute accuracy, however, and un-f
til observations were taken from al
Fnon-magnetic boat, no records We're
available by which discrepancies
could be positively corrected. The re-
suits of the observations from The
Carnegie" during the last four years
have been given to the world and have
been accepted as standards.
The Carnegie is equipped with
special instruments under revolving
glass dome. permitting astrononlicala
as we'll as magnetic observations The
results are computed on board AMI
are known Within an hour after the 4
observations are taken When the
vessel arrives in port, these results !
are promptly supplied TO the British
admiralty, the German seewartc, the
United States photographic Office an ]
the nautical Offices Of each of the 1
other important nations. All the ma
tons cooperate in the work by
granting passports and military es-
cor-ts, lending instruments and giving
any other desired service TO the OBJ
servers engaged in the survey, either
on land or sea
The administration OF this world
survey is from a splendid new build
ing in Washington, d. c., completed
land most complete building in the
world devoted to magnetic work. Tt,
contains many features Which havel
ibeen especially planned with view
ito the scientific work it shelters. It'll
lis located in seven acre plot OIL
ground of good elevation, far enough
from street cars, and from other build!
.ings to isolate it from all electrically
influences. The main building con
tains forty-four rooms. with furnish
ings specifically adapted to their pur-I
poses. These. include the directors
headquarters. library, physical
Laboratory, instrument shops. testing
rooms, working rooms for the staff;
and certain observational facilities.
The building is absolutely fire-proof.
1T contains slIb-hasement having a
constant atmosphere for testing in
|stuments.
In addition to the new instruments
being manufactured continuously inI
the shop, every instrument used upon
an expedition is submitted to thor
|ough test as soon as it is brought into
headquarters. The changes are usual-fl
'ly found 10 be minute, but each is 4
carefully noted and corrected. In this 1
way the absolute a ccuracs o. obser-BE
vatiors can be guaranteed. The
changes noted in the instruments are,
usually due to tn cir careless handling
in transportation. The instruments
used upon 'tThe Carnegie show min
imum change, although in continuous
service, because they are mounted in
a manner to protect them from injury
The manufactures Of instruments is
an important part of the work OF the
department, as the accuracy of the
observations taken necessarily del
pends upon the perfection of the in
struments. a number of new instru-
ments have been designed in. the del
Dartment. expressly for this world
survey. instruments are loaned tosI
scientific expeditions when desired,
and in this way the complete survey
Fof the world is hastened. Four cSpe-
ditions to the North and South poles.
have borrowed instruments from the
Terrestrial Magnetism Department.
Even the ten t used by the aIawson
Antarctic expedition was supplied by
the department., and is now preserved
in the department library as a SOU
Yenir OF a noteworthy achievement.