10 National Geographic Magazine. 



tion upon a map, is undertaken by a staff of trained experts in the 

 Central Bureau in Washington, and through this organization we 

 obtain a weather-map of the world for every day of the year. 

 We can now study at leisure the past movements of the atmos- 

 phere, and from these observations we shall surely discover the 

 grand laws that control aerial phenomena. We shall then not 

 only know, as we do at present, whence comes the wind and 

 whither it goes, but be able to predict its movements for the 

 benefit of humanity. 



Already we have attained a useful, though limited, power of 

 prediction. 



Our Central Bureau daily collects observations by telegraph 

 from all parts of this continent, and our experts are thus enabled 

 to forecast the probabilities by a few hours. Day by day the re- 

 sults are communicated to the public by telegraph in time to avert 

 disaster to the mariners on our eastern coast, and facilitate agri- 

 cultural operations in the Eastern and Middle States. 



Although many of the predictions are still falsified by events, 

 the percentage of fulfilments has become so large as to show that 

 continued research will in the future give us fresh forms of pre- 

 diction and increase the usefulness of this branch of science to 

 mankind. 



In all departments of geographical knowledge, Americans are 

 at work. They have pushed themselves into the front rank and 

 they demand the best efforts of their countrymen to encourage 

 and support. 



When we embark on the great ocean of discovery, the horizon 

 of the unknown advances with us and surrounds us wherever we 

 go. The more we know, the greater we find is our ignorance. 

 Because we know so little we have formed this society for the in- 

 crease and diffusion of Geographical knowledge. Because our 

 subject is so large we have organized the society into four broad 

 sections: relating to the geography of the land, H. G. Ogden, vice- 

 president ; the sea, J. R. Bartlett, vice-president ; the air, A. W. 

 Greely, vice-president ; the geographic distribution of life, C. H. 

 Merriam, vice-president; to which we have added a fifth, relating 

 to the abstract science of geographic art, including the art of map- 

 making etc., A. H. Thompson, vice-president ; our recording and 

 corresponding secretaries are Henry Gannett and George Kennan. 



We have been fortunate indeed to secure as Vice-Presidents 

 men learned in each department, and who have been personally 

 identified with the work of research. 



