﻿SEPT. 
  19, 
  1922 
  jaggar: 
  geophysical 
  observatories 
  351 
  

  

  chemists, 
  engineers, 
  and 
  assistants 
  would 
  be 
  charged 
  with 
  the 
  task 
  

   of 
  experimenting 
  upon 
  and 
  measuring 
  everjrthing 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  learned 
  

   concerning 
  the 
  changes 
  in 
  progress 
  in 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  its 
  basin, 
  its 
  

   sources, 
  its 
  waters 
  and 
  its 
  sediment. 
  Ultimately 
  this 
  institution 
  would 
  

   learn 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  (literally) 
  of 
  that 
  great 
  organism, 
  and 
  the 
  

   meaning 
  of 
  its 
  presence 
  and 
  its 
  probable 
  future. 
  This 
  would 
  yield 
  

   new 
  knowledge 
  of 
  other 
  rivers, 
  the 
  Nile, 
  the 
  Congo, 
  the 
  Amazon, 
  

   and 
  of 
  the 
  philosophy 
  of 
  river 
  basins 
  in 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  the 
  continents. 
  

   On 
  no 
  account 
  would 
  the 
  observatory 
  start 
  with 
  any 
  preconcepts 
  of 
  

   physical 
  geography. 
  Its 
  work 
  would 
  be 
  purely 
  quantitative 
  and 
  

   wholly 
  devoted 
  to 
  water 
  chemistry 
  and 
  the 
  physics 
  of 
  gravitation 
  

   and 
  hydraulics 
  acting 
  on 
  a 
  complex 
  surface 
  to 
  drain 
  that 
  surface 
  and 
  

   lower 
  it 
  by 
  erosion 
  acting 
  under 
  isostatic 
  compensation. 
  Isostasy, 
  

   tilt, 
  rainfall, 
  temperature, 
  wind, 
  earth 
  pressures, 
  analyses, 
  springs, 
  

   rock 
  decomposition 
  and 
  creep, 
  silting, 
  laking, 
  floods, 
  erosion 
  pattern, 
  

   earthquakes, 
  uphft 
  at 
  fixed 
  bench 
  marks, 
  biological 
  controls, 
  and 
  

   delta 
  sedimentation 
  would 
  be 
  among 
  the 
  chapters 
  in 
  the 
  record 
  book. 
  

   Mappings 
  and 
  repeated 
  levellings 
  would 
  be 
  among 
  the 
  station's 
  

   achievements. 
  New 
  constants, 
  new 
  units 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  terminology 
  

   would 
  develop. 
  No 
  existing 
  doctrine 
  of 
  orogeny, 
  erosion, 
  or 
  sedi- 
  

   mentation 
  would 
  be 
  taken 
  on 
  faith 
  — 
  all 
  would 
  be 
  tested 
  in 
  the 
  crucible 
  

   of 
  relentless 
  measurement 
  through 
  seconds, 
  days, 
  years, 
  decades, 
  

   and 
  centuries. 
  I 
  would 
  like 
  to 
  see 
  such 
  an 
  institution 
  liberally 
  en- 
  

   dowed, 
  and 
  as 
  rigorous 
  as 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Standards. 
  Is 
  there 
  not 
  a 
  

   wealthy 
  Mark 
  Twain 
  somewhere 
  who 
  loves 
  the 
  great 
  "Father 
  of 
  

   Waters" 
  enough 
  to 
  catch 
  the 
  vision 
  of 
  this 
  institution, 
  and 
  what 
  it 
  

   would 
  do 
  for 
  the 
  world 
  of 
  men 
  and 
  the 
  world 
  of 
  science? 
  

  

  A 
  mountain 
  observatory 
  

   It 
  is 
  worthy 
  of 
  comment 
  that 
  very 
  few 
  naturalists 
  possess 
  names 
  

   immediately 
  associated 
  in 
  the 
  pubhc 
  mind 
  with 
  the 
  places 
  they 
  have 
  

   illumined 
  by 
  dwelling 
  there. 
  Heim 
  for 
  the 
  Alps 
  and 
  John 
  Muir 
  for 
  

   the 
  Sierra 
  are 
  types 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  illustration. 
  There 
  are 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  

   made 
  many 
  trips 
  to 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains 
  and 
  have 
  brought 
  home 
  

   specimens. 
  But 
  have 
  they 
  hstened 
  to 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains 
  breath- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  summer, 
  have 
  they 
  measured 
  the 
  change 
  in 
  cliffs 
  

   and 
  creeks 
  and 
  sage-brush 
  flats, 
  do 
  they 
  know 
  the 
  trembHngs 
  and 
  the 
  

   tiltings 
  measurable 
  in 
  rock 
  chambers 
  in 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  a 
  towering 
  peak, 
  

   have 
  they 
  for 
  decades 
  long 
  surveyed 
  lines 
  from 
  peak 
  to 
  plain, 
  checked 
  

   with 
  levels? 
  Have 
  they 
  studied 
  the 
  swayings 
  of 
  a 
  mountain 
  lake, 
  

   the 
  rise 
  and 
  fall 
  of 
  the 
  brooks 
  in 
  springtime, 
  the 
  boilings 
  of 
  the 
  geyser 
  

  

  