416 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 34. 



observatory needs nothing but an administra- 

 tive officer, whose sole dutj- it shall be to take 

 charge of the building and grounds, preserve 

 order, and conduct the cori'cspondence, leaving 

 the scientific work to the professors and lieu- 

 tenants, was never heard of, except when no 

 other argument was available, and is now not 

 likely to be supported even by the line-officers 

 themselves. 



The tersest form iu which the case is put 

 by these officers is this : " The system has been 

 tried for forty j'ears, and has worked well ; let 

 us leave well-enough alone." But has there 

 been any sj'stem? Certainly not, unless a 

 total absence of sj'stem can be called a system. 

 And in what way^ has it worked well? This 

 depends on the standard bj- which we measure 

 it. We may admit that iu the eyes of the con- 

 servative public every tiling which does not 

 lead to utter destruction, or against which 

 nothing is heard, is looked upon . as working 

 well. We once heard a popular superintendent 

 highly praised, because, having the professors 

 completely in his power, he did not embarrass 

 them by vexatious interference, but had the 

 forbearance to let them go on with their 

 work without hindrance. Last spring, when 

 the question had given rise to a livel}' discus- 

 sion among scientific men generally, one of 

 the most eminent foreign astronomers who has 

 landed on our shores paid us a visit. He was, 

 of course, restrained from anj- public expres- 

 sion of opinion on the subject, but could 

 respond frankly to all inquiries. When asked 

 for liis views, he said in substance that individ- 

 ual astronomers had done important works, 

 and made great discoveries at the naval ob- 

 servatorj^ But, he added, when we look fur- 

 ther, and inquire what the observatory itself has 

 done bj- organized work, we find a great want. 

 There has been no unit}', no continuous plan of 

 work, and few of the results which might have 

 been gained bj- organized action. He might 

 have stated the case yet more strongh'. The 

 published observations of the thirty-five j-ears 

 are of every possible character, from the refined 

 discussions'of the accomplished astronomer to 

 the vain efforts of the tyro working in the dark, 



and the confused records of careless men who 

 did not know what to do, and cared for nothing 

 except to draw their pay, — all put in without 

 discrimination. The astronomer of the future 

 who shall trj- to malce use of the results will 

 be surprised by the kaleidoscopic character 

 of the impression made upon him as he turns 

 from ^'olume to volume. Here a new series 

 of observations suddenly begins. Pie will 

 follow them through a few months or a few 

 years, and find them as suddenly broken 

 oflT, right in the middle, perhaps, and just 

 when the}' might have led to some useful 

 result. New systems of observation and new 

 methods of calculation will be found coming 

 iu from time to time without any apparent 

 reason. Every effort he may make to discover 

 a method iu the madness will be vain. To 

 find an explanation, he will have to inquire into 

 the personnel of the observers. By careful re- 

 search he will then find, as a curious coinci- 

 dence, that, when these changes occurred, 

 some observer had died or left the observa- 

 tory, or there had been a change of observers 

 at the instruments. And this is the so-called 

 ' sj'stem,' to the perpetuation of which the 

 country is asked to dedicate the new observa- 

 tory, to be built at a cost of half a milUon dol- 

 lars. 



The attitude of the naval officers, under these 

 circumstances, is of much interest, because it 

 depends verj- largely on them to determine 

 whether this confusion shall continue indefi- 

 nitelj', or whether some permanent jjlau of 

 work shall be adopted. If the indications 

 of their views and intentions which have 

 reached us since the discussion began are cor- 

 rectlj' interpreted, they have resolved on a 

 course which cannot but prove equally dis- 

 astrous to naval and national science. Com 

 mon report credits them with a determination 

 to ' hold the fort ' at all hazards, and to vig- 

 orousl}' contest everj- effort that maj' be made 

 to place the observatory under scientific con- 

 trol. There are even indications that the 

 dismissal of some or all the civilian astron- 

 omers is desired, in order that none but naval 

 officers may be left to do the work. 



