PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 295 



halls and galleries, in addition to their present overflowing dis- 

 play. The strong desire of Henry to see established in Wash- 

 ington a National Museum on a scale worthy of our resources, 

 and in which the existing overgrown collections might be so 

 beneficially exhibited, he did not live to see gratified. That the 

 realization of this wise and beneficent project is only a question 

 of time, is little doubtful ; and when established, its being and its 

 benefits will in no small degree be due to him who first realizing 

 its necessity, and most appreciating its importance, with un- 

 wearying perseverance for twenty-five years omitted no oppor- 

 tunity of urging upon members of Congress its importunate 

 •claims. 



Meteorological Work. — In the conduct of what were appro- 

 priately called the " active operations" of the Institution — under 

 the first section of the programme (in contradistinction to the 

 local and statical objects of the second section), a rare energy and 

 promptness were exhibited. The very first Report of the Secre- 

 tary announced not only the acceptance and preparation for pub- 

 lication of an elaborate work on explorations by Messrs. Squier 

 and Davis of "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley," but 

 the commencement of official preparations "for instituting various 

 lines of physical research. Among the subjects mentioned by 

 way of example in the programme, for the application of the 

 funds of the Institution, is terrestrial magnetism. . . . Another 

 subject of research mentioned in the programme, and which has 

 been urged upon the immediate attention of the Institution, is 

 that of an extensive system of meteorological observations, par- 

 ticularly with reference to the phenomena of American storms. 

 Of late years in our country more additions have been made to 

 meteorology than to any other branch of physical science. Seve- 

 ral important generalizations have been arrived at, and definite 

 theories proposed, which now enable us to direct our attention 

 with scientific precision to such points of observation as cannot 

 fail to reward us with new and interesting results. It is pro- 

 posed to organize a system of observations which shall extend as 

 far as possible over the North American continent. . . . The 

 present time appears to be peculiarly auspicious for commencing 

 an enterprise of the proposed kind. The citizens of the United 

 States are now scattered over every part of the southern and 

 western portion of Northern America, and the extended lines of 

 telegraph will furnish a ready means of warning the more north- 

 ern and eastern observers to be on the watch for the first appear- 

 ance of an advancing storm."* 



* Smithsonian Report for 1847, pp. 146, 147, (of Sen, ed.), pp. 138, 139, 

 (of H. Rep. ed.) Prof. Loomis (to whom among others " distinguished 

 for their attainments in meteorology" letters inviting suggestion^, had 

 been addressed,) recommended that there should be at least one observing 



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