THE iAIi:TE01U)L0(ilCAL WOllK OK THE SMITHSONIAN IN- 



STlTrTIOX.* 



Tho Smitlisouiiin Institution Ims ;il\v:iys made it a rnlc ol' action to 

 undertake vsucli lines of work as point the way to great public utilities, 

 and these liave subsequently been made the function of useful govern- 

 ment bureaus of ai)plied science. 



This is notably true in the case of meteorology, which was developed 

 by the Institution in both its scientific and its iiopular asi)ects. until its 

 importance became so well understood, and its utility so widely ap- 

 preciated, that in 1S7(), (Jongress made it the duty of the riiief Signal 

 Officer of the V. S. Army to observe and rei>ort storms for the benefit 

 of commerc*^ and agriculture. 



The interest of the Smithsonian Institution in meteorology began 

 with the organization of its work by its first secretary, Prof. Josci)h 

 Henry, in 1847, and from that time to the present — nearly half a cen- 

 tury — meteorological science has been granted an important share of its 

 labors and expenditure. 



In his " programme of organization, " submitted on the 8tli of Decem- 

 ber, 1847, in giving examples of objects for which appropriations might 

 l)roperly be made, the Secretary mentioned first, and urged ui)on the 

 immediate attention of the Institution, a "system of extended meteor- 

 ological observations for solving the problem of American storms. " 

 This clear appreciation of the existing state of knowledge, and of the 

 utilities to be gained, are set forth in the following words, with which 

 he commends this undertaking: 



Of late years, in (nir country, m<Ko adilitions have heon made to nieteoroloi^y tlian 

 t() any ottier branch ofpliysical science. Several important generalizations have 

 been arrived at, and definite theories proposed, wlrich now enable us to direct our 

 attention, with scientilic precision, to such points of observation as can not fail to 

 reward us withnew andiutenistingresults. It is proposed to organize a systemof ob- 

 servations which shall extend as far as ]»ossible over the North American continent. 

 Tlie present time a])i)ears to be jtecnliarly auspicious lor conunencing an enterprise 

 of the ])i'oposed kind. Tho citizens of the Ihiited States are now scattered over 

 every part of the southern and western portions of North America, and the extended 

 lines of the telegraph will furnish a ready means of warniiig tlie more northern and 

 eastern observers to be on the watch for tlie iirst appearance of an advancing storm. 



In the inauguration of this system of observations, Prof. Henry so- 

 licited the suggestions of the most experienced American meteorolo- 

 gists — Espy, Loomis, and Guyot — who extended their cordial co-opera- 

 tion. 



* Summary prepared for the 8ecti(m of history, AVorld's Congress of Meteorology, 



Chicago. 1893. 



89 



