December 20, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



951 



been published and distributed. The second 

 volume is ready for the press and will be 

 printed immediately. A third volume is 

 nearly ready, and other volumes will follow 

 as rapidly as the material can be prepared 

 for the printer, and until the accumulation 

 of unpublished work is exhausted. This 

 breaks the long suspension of printing 

 which has been a source of anxiety for 

 several years. Leniency in criticism of the 

 quality of the work thus issued is not asked 

 nor expected. Scientific work must stand 

 or fail on its merits. But it would be an 

 encouragement, little to be expected, if the 

 scientific world of this country could appre- 

 ciate or acknowledge the efforts to bring up 

 to date work long in arrears. Appreciation 

 from abroad is not wanting, and has been 

 gratefully acknowledged. 



NAUTICAL ALMANAC OFFICE. 



Professor W. S. Harsh man was appointed 

 Director of the Nautical Almanac March 

 28, 1901. Up to that time and since the 

 retirement of Professor Simon Newcomb 

 the direction had been in the hands of a 

 professor of mathematics who held the post 

 in addition to his regular duties at the Ob- 

 servatory. The Almanac demands the un- 

 divided time and attention of a competent 

 director. This need had become imper- 

 ative. Professor Harshman has had the 

 advantage of long experience in the office 

 in a subordinate capacity. He has system- 

 atized and regulated the office and brought 

 the work up to date, the regular issue of 

 the Almanac three years in advance having 

 failed. The oflBce is now in a high state 

 of efficiency, and general harmony and en- 

 thusiasm prevail in its staff. The Nautical 

 Almanac has been noted, since its founda- 

 tion in 1849, for thoroughness and precision 

 in its methods and for superior excellence 

 in its personnel. That this quality is still 

 dominant is shown by the high stand taken 

 by several of its staff in the competitive ex- 



aminations for professorships. The report 

 of the Director of the Nautical Almanac is 

 herewith transmitted. 



THE BOARD OF VISITORS. 



The Board of Visitors established by the 

 naval appropriation act approved March 3, 

 1901, which went into effect on July 1, met 

 in April, and since that time and prior to 

 July 1, two duly constituted committees of 

 the board have visited the Observatory 

 officially. The law provides for one ' an- 

 nual visitation to the Observatory at a date 

 to be determined by the Secretary of the 

 Navy, and * * * such other visitations, 

 not exceeding two in number annually, 

 by the full board or by a duly appointed 

 committee as may be deemed needful or 

 expedient by the majority of the board.' 

 The board has already made the full num- 

 ber of visits allowed by law to any one 

 year. 



THE DEPARTMENT OF NAUTICAL INSTRU- 

 MENTS AND GENERAL STORE-KEEPER 

 AND DEPARTMENT OF CHRONOM- 

 ETERS AND TIME SERVICE. 



By the detachment of Lieut. Commander 

 Charles E. Fox in May, the last remaining 

 officer of these departments was withdrawn, 

 and both of these important departments 

 left without any regularly assigned person- 

 nel whatever. The regulations for the 

 government of the Observatory issued by 

 the Department provide for three officers 

 for this work. I believe this situation is 

 unique in the public service. It is hard to 

 make bricks without straw, but that is the 

 situation of these departments at the pres- 

 ent time. 



As the work could not cease, a computer, 

 previously detailed from the astronomical 

 department has been put in charge of these 

 departments, with one of the clerks of the 

 Observatory in charge of the books. This 

 arrangement is not only improper, but is 

 prejudicial to the service and injurious to 



