124 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1915. 



ing stages of a ferry, or possibly about and in advance of a ship under 

 headway at sea. 



Sometime ago Mr. Gottrell, Avho has been referred to in connec- 

 tion with the work of the Eesearch Corporation, expressed to the 

 secretary his desire to take up the investigation of the possibility of 

 clearing away fog by the precipitation method mentioned, and he 

 was asked to communicate again later when his ideas and plans were 

 more fully developed. 



He has recently written from San Francisco to say that the idea is 

 now arousing interest in various quarters; for instance, the Uni- 

 versity of California is actively engaged in the investigation, while 

 the United States Lighthouse Service has placed its boats and facili- 

 ties at his disposal when needed, while assurances have been received 

 from certain transportation companies that as soon as definite effects 

 in the open were shown they would assist in the further development 

 of the work. 



Mr. Cottrell stated that funds were urgently needed to enable the 

 university people to carry through what he termed the academic part 

 of the program. They had already accomplished a great deal with 

 their own funds and the apparatus and supplies contributed by the 

 electric companies, but certain essential equipment was needed that 

 could not be obtained through these channels. Chief among these 

 was a transformer of at least 250,000 volts, which would cost about 

 $1,500; and $500 additional was desired for smaller items of special 

 equipment. 



The importance of this work was apparent, and as it came within 

 the scope of researches outlined in the Hodgkins fund, an allotment 

 of $2,000 was made. 



In acknowledging this action, Mr. Cottrell stated that the San 

 Francisco section of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers 

 had appointed a committee to cooperate in this great work. Reports 

 will be submitted from time to time on the progress of the investi- 

 gation. 



THE FREER COLLECTION. 



The original gift of Mr. Charles L. Freer, of Detroit, Mich., made 

 in 1906, comprised about 2,326 paintings and other objects of art. 

 The additions since that date, recorded in five supplementary inven- 

 tories, the last submitted in February. 1914, increase the total extent 

 of this wonderful collection to 4,VUi pieces, of which 983 are paint- 

 ings, engravings, lithographs, etc., by American artists; and 3,718 

 are oriental paintings, pottery, bronzes, stone and wood carvings, 

 lacquered objects, glass, etc. In the eight years which have inter- 

 vened since the acceptance of Mr. Freer's offer the collection has, 



