﻿350 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  15 
  

  

  unweighting 
  of 
  the 
  Karth-crust, 
  lifting 
  of 
  loads, 
  and 
  all 
  such 
  motions 
  

   as 
  more 
  important, 
  for 
  their 
  generalizations 
  concerning 
  past 
  history, 
  

   than 
  anything 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  dead 
  rocks. 
  They 
  also 
  studied 
  these 
  

   processes 
  in 
  action 
  within 
  the 
  limits 
  of 
  their 
  broad 
  reconnaissance 
  of 
  

   a 
  mighty 
  continent. 
  That 
  reconnaissance 
  expected 
  a 
  measurement 
  

   of 
  these 
  movements 
  by 
  the 
  next 
  generation. 
  The 
  literature 
  of 
  geology 
  

   is 
  overburdened 
  with 
  expressions 
  such 
  as 
  "possibly," 
  "probably," 
  

   "it 
  may 
  be 
  assumed," 
  "perhaps," 
  and 
  "according 
  to 
  current 
  con- 
  

   ceptions," 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  tend 
  to 
  hold 
  it 
  back 
  from 
  becoming 
  a 
  quanti- 
  

   tative 
  science. 
  

  

  The 
  expedition 
  method 
  of 
  intensive 
  study 
  of 
  field 
  problems 
  is 
  never 
  

   free 
  from 
  the 
  reconnaissance 
  element, 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  unexpected 
  

   phenomena 
  which 
  demand 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  special 
  instruments. 
  

   Again 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  the 
  writer's 
  experience 
  he 
  has 
  found 
  himself 
  in 
  

   strange 
  lands 
  without 
  the 
  proper 
  tools. 
  However 
  carefully 
  prepared 
  

   the 
  equipment, 
  pyrometers, 
  gas-collecting 
  devices, 
  thermometers, 
  

   sounding 
  apparatus, 
  transits, 
  alidades, 
  cameras, 
  cableways, 
  dredges, 
  

   signals 
  or 
  what 
  not, 
  the 
  explorer 
  with 
  limited 
  time 
  at 
  his 
  disposal 
  

   finds 
  that 
  "here 
  is 
  the 
  supreme 
  opportunity" 
  for 
  so 
  and 
  so, 
  and 
  he 
  

   has 
  neither 
  the 
  man 
  nor 
  the 
  equipment 
  to 
  test 
  it. 
  Perhaps 
  it 
  is 
  merely 
  

   one 
  little 
  piece 
  of 
  some 
  peculiar 
  metal 
  or 
  glass 
  that 
  he 
  needs, 
  perhaps 
  

   it 
  is 
  a 
  whole 
  man, 
  learned 
  in 
  atmospheric 
  electricity, 
  or 
  a 
  gun 
  for 
  throw- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  rope, 
  or 
  a 
  glass-blowing 
  equipment 
  and 
  someone 
  who 
  can 
  do 
  the 
  

   work. 
  No 
  matter 
  how 
  large 
  and 
  complete 
  a 
  shop 
  and 
  laboratory 
  on 
  

   the 
  ship, 
  there 
  is 
  needed 
  a 
  casting, 
  a 
  lens, 
  or 
  an 
  implement 
  made 
  of 
  

   fused 
  quartz, 
  and 
  the 
  vessel 
  cannot 
  produce 
  it. 
  Every 
  recent 
  expedi- 
  

   tion 
  reports 
  such 
  happenings, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  complexity 
  and 
  

   variety 
  of 
  requirements 
  of 
  modern 
  science. 
  Here 
  is 
  where 
  the 
  fixed 
  

   observatory, 
  if 
  properly 
  equipped 
  and 
  strategically 
  placed, 
  with 
  

   machine-shops 
  available 
  and 
  time 
  to 
  get 
  men 
  and 
  apparatus 
  as 
  needed, 
  

   and 
  a 
  whole 
  life-time 
  of 
  deliberate 
  work 
  before 
  the 
  staff, 
  can 
  do 
  what 
  

   the 
  expedition 
  is 
  not 
  fitted 
  for. 
  Cooperative 
  experts 
  may 
  be 
  called 
  

   in 
  as 
  occasion 
  demands. 
  The 
  great 
  endowed 
  research 
  establishments 
  

   of 
  the 
  world 
  attest 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  fixed 
  stations, 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  has 
  

   come 
  for 
  applying 
  the 
  method 
  to 
  geonomical 
  processes. 
  

  

  A 
  RIVER 
  OBSERVATORY 
  

  

  Imagine 
  a 
  Fluviometric 
  Observatory 
  for 
  the 
  permanent 
  increase 
  

   and 
  diffusion 
  of 
  knowledge 
  about 
  everything 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  geo- 
  

   physics 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  river 
  from 
  the 
  Yellowstone 
  to 
  the 
  Alle- 
  

   ghanies 
  and 
  from 
  New 
  Orleans 
  to 
  Minnesota. 
  Its 
  staff 
  of 
  physicists, 
  

  

  