Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
Capital Sidelights

HOW jealous, 0eVOteu SCIENTISTS m
Uncle Sans service "delve into the
mysteries Of the arts and sciences and
bring forth inventions not only of great
| moment to the world, but of financial
advantage to the nation which en-
/ ploys them" was emphasized in the
House by Representative Anthony j.
Griffin, Democrat, of New York. He
| has for some years been endeavorlng
to get a medal Of honor conferred on
| such scientists in token that this Gov
eminent IS not ungrateful.
Representative Griffin cited The
achievements Of some men whose names
should be placed on such an honor roll.
Recalling that the Coast and Geo.
detic Survey was established by Thomas
Jefferson, he pointed to the tide CAL
| culating machine as IAN instrument
| with which an ordinary high school
| graduate, by pulling lever can in6t-
| cate on a chart the tide in any part
of this wide world from the beginning
to the end of time" 1t performs the
most abstruse mathematical calcula-
tons, he explained, and said that wis
itors from all parts Of the world come
yearly to Washington to look at it" as
"one Of mans finest achievements,
This instrument was devised and
built by three men after an arduous
labor Of Is years beginning in 1895.
DR.. Rollin A. Harris, who died jan
uary 20, 1918, devised the scientific
formula. At the time Of his death he
was drawing q salary Of $2,400 q year.
Then came Ernest @. Fisher, a me-
chanical engineer, who embodied the
scientific formula into the mechanical
device. He was at the time drawing
1880 year, and was retired in 1921
on an allowance Of $3.50 a year. They
were assisted in this great work by
Leland P. Shidy, still in the service,
drawing today $2,40O.
This marvellous instrument" Mr..
| Griffin told his colleagues. takes the
place Of 10 mathematician and saves
the Government $4,000 a year, and in
the past 20 years that 1t has been In
operation saved this Government of ours
$3,0OO,OO0. We have never given these
men even q word of recognition for
giving to Uncle Sam these brass
brains.'"
Representative Griffin then pointed
to the death of some of our men in
the Public Health Service, who SUBJ
mltted themselves to the germs of dis
eases, mourning fatal maladies-yellow
lever and typhoid fever-and died, thus
making voluntary sacrifices Of their
lives.
Some striking instances of courage
and self-Sacrif1ce came before the
House." he recalled, Gin bill to accord
10 the captains of the Roosevelt and
the Harding the thanks Of Congress for
gallant rescues at sea-"
Other scientific benefactions to the
Government from workers In the Coast
ana Geodetic Survey, he said, include
the wire-drag device, developed by
Comdr. N. II. Heck, which two years
ago made the Alaskan shore wreck
| free, with resultant saving Of millions
IN ship insurance rates. Then there is
the fathometer for sounding the depths
OF the ocean; echo sounding, which
robs the fog of its terrors at sea,
Then in the Bureau of Standards, 81
said MIR. Griffin, I'VE find DR.. Lyman j.
Briggs and Paul r. Hyle devised the
earth mductor compass by which Lind
bergh was able to make his splendid
solo flight to Europe and which is now
IN general use throughout the flying
Another device given to mankind by
scientists in the Bureau of Standards
Is the radio direction finder, which is
said to have created a new era in safety
at sea-
Stressing the splendid record of the
Public Health Service and the achieve
mentS Of the men and women in that
branch in medicine, biology and sani-
tation," Mr.. Griffin gave specific Illus
| trations:
DIR. Joseph Goldberger found the
cause and cure of pellagra. DR.. r. r
Spencer similarly investigated with
equal success the origin and cure of
Rocky Mountain fever. DR.. John Nc
Mullen made similar researches in con-
necticn with trachoma, and a lady
BacteriologiSt Alice Evans-made study
OF malta fever, mourning the disease
herself with the result that she is dis
abled for life"
Listing some surgeons who died by
contracting yellow fever-Waldo, Glazier
Groenvelt, Benham, McAdam and
Wrightman-Mr. Griffin said that they
fought to stand high in the temple OF
fame; men who voluntarily, beyond the
risks of duty, injected themselves with
a fatal disease In order to extend the
bounds Of science, to open I'D to the
world a knowledge of the causes of dis
ease, and who persisted with fortitude
equal to that of any man who carried
a gun in the trenches or advanced over
no mans land"