176 ANNUAL, REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



observation. Such a check is quite impossible with ordinary instru- 

 ments. The first workino- apparatus of the new type has been turned 

 over to Professor Kimball and is being installed at Madison, Wis. 

 Additional instruments are under construction for a few other sta- 

 tions where observations of solar radiation are particularly desired. 



Last October the Weather Bureau was requested to pass upon a 

 proposed simple plan of renewing and improving the protection of 

 the White House from lightning. Professor Marvin submitted a 

 revised plan, prepared in accordance with the best modern ideas and 

 practice, which elicited the special commendation of the engineer of 

 public buildings and grounds having charge of the execution of the 

 work. 



A special form of inverted, astatic pendulum, devised and installed 

 by Professor Marvin in 1907, has since recorded earthquakes at the 

 Weather Bureau in a very satisfactory manner. During the past 

 year detailed drawings of an instrument of this type, adapted to 

 record very destructive earthquakes, and having a possible maximum 

 double amplitude of motion of 3 inches, was supplied to Prof. A. C. 

 Lawson, of the University of California. The instrument is being 

 made up at the shops of the university and will be installed in the 

 special earthquake-proof vauJt provided for its new seismological 

 equipment. 



IMPORTANCE OF SEISMOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



It seems appropriate at this point to renew the recommendations 

 made in previous years that the Weather Bureau be authorized to 

 engage sj'^stematically in making seismological observations and 

 publishing the results. People in general, and scientists especially, 

 have become fully aroused to the great importance of this work, and 

 it is now well known that, when full information is available, 

 definite advice can be given as to where to locate and how to erect 

 buildings so as to minimize or even entirely escape disastrous effects 

 of earthquake disturbances. Repeated appeals have been made to 

 Congress to authorize and provide for seismological work, but thus 

 far without avail. The United States is now the only important 

 nation in the world in which seismological studies are not being 

 carried on under the auspices of the Government. This work 

 requires an extensive system of outlying stations from which reports 

 can be procured, and at a limited number of which seismographs 

 can be installed and maintained. The Weather Bureau is the only 

 branch of the Government already having numerous stations widely 

 distributed over the country and maintaining a corps of highly 

 trained observers on duty at all times. It also has a corps of about 

 4,000 cooperative observers whose services are available for simple 

 reports of earthquake phenomena, such as can be procured without 

 instrumental equipment. By reason of this extensive and fully 

 organized service the Bureau is peculiarly prepared to conduct 

 seismological work in an effective manner, and at far less expense 

 than would be possible through any of the other departments of the 

 Government. 



This was fully recognized by the seismological committee of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science at a meeting 

 held in Washington April 19, 1907, when it was definitely voted 

 that the Federal Government should be then requested to support 



