October 14, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



507 



to the fundamental units in which all electro- 

 magnetic quantities are measured, i. e., the 

 units of mass, length and time. 



Formerly the unit of force was referred to 

 the unit of mass only. People talked about a 

 pound of force. Later it was discovered that 

 a force could also be measured in terms of the 

 centimeter, the gram and the second. When 

 that step was taken there was no talk about 

 matter being abolished. Perhaps the present 

 idea is due to the behavior of radium and 

 uranium. When an ' atom ' explodes, and ex- 

 hibits qualities which entitle a few substances 

 to be considered as cranks among substances, 

 we have been thrown off our guard for a 

 moment. We have had all sorts of explosives 

 before. Some of them exploded so slowly that 

 we did not call them explosives at all. When 

 certain crystallized salts lose their form, due 

 to the slow emission of the same emanation 

 that is given off by all animals and plants, we 

 were not greatly disturbed. Nitro-glycerin 

 has long been going to pieces, and giving off 

 more energy per gram per second than any 

 radio-active body yields. But when it was 

 found that these radio-active bodies are going 

 to pieces, and giving off more energy per 

 gram than any other body has been known to 

 give before, we seem to have been induced to 

 suspect all matter of being capable of doing so. 



An architect who should learn that the 

 bricks with which he is familiar are not the 

 final elements in his structure would hardly 

 be justified in losing his respect for houses. 

 What does it matter that his bricks contain 

 molecules, which are composed of atoms, which 

 are composed of electrons, and perhaps some- 

 thing else? Does the fact that houses have 

 been known to fall to pieces and give off en- 

 ergy change his estimate of those houses which 

 do not fall? Is he justified in supposing that 

 all houses are really falling, and that their 

 motion will become appreciable if we wait 

 long enough to make the motion so large that 

 we can see it? Francis E. M"ipher. 



CURRENT NOTES ON METEOROLOGY. 



UfU'ORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE WEATHER BUREAU. 



Among the most important matters referred 



to in the administrative portion of the report 

 of the chief of the weather bureau for 1902-3 

 are the following : In place of the small chalk- 

 plate weather map (11 x 16 ins.), now issued 

 from twenty-three of the weather bureau sta- 

 tions, larger maps (22x16 ins.), prepared in 

 the same way, are to be used, if the necessary 

 additional appropriation can be secured. Pro- 

 fessor F. H. Bigelow is continuing his studies 

 on the general circulation of the atmosphere 

 and the nature of cyclones and anticyclones, 

 believing that his results ' point unmistak- 

 ably to a theory which will supersede those 

 heretofore published in meteorological litera- 

 ture.' One of the most important steps which 

 have been taken in the history of the weather 

 bureau is the plan to build up a great center 

 of meteorological research at Mount Weather, 

 on the crest of the Blue Eidge Mountains, 

 about six miles from Bluemont, Va., and the 

 work which it is proposed to do there will, if 

 the plan can be fully carried out, lead to 

 valuable results. Among the investigations 

 which are announced as likely to be under- 

 taken are the exploration of the upper air 

 by means of kites and balloons, the study of 

 numerous problems in solar physics, observa- 

 tions in electricity and magnetism, etc. A 

 new seismograph has been procured and in- 

 stalled in Washington. 



MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 



The Monthly Weather Review, for May, 

 1904 (dated July 22), contains the following 

 articles of general interest : ' The Circulation 

 in Cyclones and Anticyclones with Precepts 

 for Forecasting by Auxiliary Charts on the 

 3,500-foot and the 10,000-foot Planes,' by Pro- 

 fessor Frank H. Bigelow ; ' The Sensation of 

 Discomfort,' by W. F. Tyler; 'The Promotion 

 of Meteorology,' in which is incorporated a 

 letter from Dr. J. M. Pernter, of Vienna, in 

 regard to a bill introduced into the last con- 

 gress ' to promote further discovery and re- 

 search in meteorology ' ; ' Invariability of our 

 Winter Climate,' by W. B. Stockman. Also 

 the following notes : ' Local Cooperation in 

 Frost Prevention,' ' The Meteorology of 

 Jamaica,' and ' Himiming of Telegraph Wires 

 and Poles.' The Review also announces the 



