732 



SCIENCE. 



IN. S. Vol. XVIU. No. 4li(l. 



points (67° 30') have been accepted as the 

 value most frequently met in actual practice.' 

 Taking this value, the following rule approxi- 

 mately fixes the bearing of the storm center 

 from a vessel in the northern hemisphere: 

 Stand with back to the wind ; the storm center 

 bears six points to the observer's left. It is, 

 nevertheless, perfectly clear that the angle be- 

 tween the wind direction and the gradient 

 often differs considerably from this average 

 value, not only in different storms, but also in 

 different parts of the same storm. No simple 

 rule of thumb can ever replace the careful 

 judgment of the individual seaman who has 

 a good understanding of the law of storms, 

 and who makes an intelligent use of his own 

 local meteorological observations. 



CLOUD OBSERVATIONS AT SIMLA. 



Cloud observations and measurements were 

 made at Simla during the twenty months 

 from June, 1900, to January, 1902, under 

 many disadvantages of unfavorable weather 

 and lack of time on the part of the observers. 

 Photogrammeters were used, but only about 

 47 fairly good observations were obtained 

 during the period. The average heights above 

 sea level, and above Simla, of the clouds for 

 the year were as follows: 



Cloud. Above Sea Level. Above Simla. 



Cirrus 37,664 feet. 30,440 feet. 



Cirro-cumulus 25,083 " 17,859 " 



Cumulus 14,528 " 7,304 " 



Fraeto-cumulus 13,143 " 5,919 " 



These heights do not agree very closely with 

 those previously obtained at Allahabad (Indian 

 Met. Memoirs, Vol. XI.). Cirrus clouds are 

 most frequent at Simla between 16,000 and 

 40,000 feet above the earth's surface, and the 

 other forms of cloud between 16,000 feet and 

 the surface. (W. L. Dallas: 'Report on 

 Cloud Observations and Measurements at 

 Simla,' Ind. Met. Mem., XV., Part II., Cal- 

 cutta, 1903.) 



E. DeC. Ward. 



c'iation for the Advancement of Science and 

 the New York Academy of Medicine, called 

 on President Eoosevelt, November 25, for the 

 purpose of presenting resolutions passed by 

 the organizations mentioned, urging the Presi- 

 dent to appoint upon the Panama Canal Com- 

 mission a medical man who sliall be an ex- 

 pert sanitarian. 



The committee consisted of Drs. Musser, of 

 Philadelphia, Welch and Osier, of Baltimore, 

 and Bryant, of New York, representing the 

 American Medical Association; Dr. Howard, 

 of Washington, representing the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science! ; 

 Dr. A. H. Smith and Dr. Loomis, representing 

 the New York Academy of Medicine. 



The resolutions were presented to President 

 Roosevelt by Dr. Welch, who made a brief 

 statement urging that the sanitary problem 

 connected with the building of the canal was 

 quite as serious as the engineering problem 

 and pressing the jioint that a medical expert 

 should be a member of the commission rather 

 than a servant of the commission. 



The views of the joint committees were re- 

 ceived by the President with interest, but 

 while he was evidently perfectly aware of the 

 enormous importance of the sanitary problem 

 connected with the project, he gave no assur- 

 ance that he would adopt the specific sugge.s- 

 tion of the committees. 



SAT</ITATION AND THE PANAMA CANAL. 

 A small committee representing the Ameri- 

 can Medical Association, the American Asso- 



KESOLVTIONS OF THE FACULTY OF COR- 

 NELL UNIVERSITY ON THE DEATH OF 



PROFESSOR ROBERT H. THURSTON. 

 The faculty and instructing staff of Cornell 

 University wishing to give voice to the senti- 

 ments evoked by the death of their colleague 

 and friend. Professor Robert Henry Thurston, 

 Director of Sibley College, have directed the 

 following to be entered upon the records of 

 the university faculty and communicated to 

 his family. 



Professor Thurston came among us in 18S5 

 when the university had barely entered upon 

 its present era of development, and the college 

 over which he came to preside was still small 

 in numbers and poor in equipment. During 

 the eighteen years of his labors he witnessed 

 the progTess of the university in all of its do- 



