A VISITING SCIENTIST.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14052, 25 May 1911, Page 6

A VISITING SCIENTIST.

A HUGE UNDERTAKING

Dr. L. A. Bauer, director of the/Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of tlie Carnegie Institution, Washington, who has charge of the magnetic survey vessel the Carnegie, is at present in Christchurch. Last -evening he gave a "Press" reporter some account of the work of this unique vessel. The Camegio was built strictly without iron, except for a few minor parts in the machinery, in order that she might be what is called a nonmagnetic vessel. This was so that she might carry out a magnetic survey of the oceans 'to the best advantage. The forerunner of tho Carnegie, the Galilee was at Lvttelton m December 1906 and the'following January, making the Christchurch .Magnetic Observatory the base station for the magnetic survey of tho South Seas. The importance of connecting the work ot the Galilee and the Carnegie with that carried out at the Christchurch Magnetic Observatory would be appreciated readily, he said, when it was recalled that this observatory had now been the base station for all the recent Antarctic expeditions. The Christchurch Observatory was the nearest to the iSouth Magnetic Pole and that lent additional value not only to its own work, but also to the work of all expeditions connected with it by making the necessary observations for the coalition of all'the work done. Tho general magnetic survey of the globe undertaken by tho Carnegie Institution of Washington must depend upon local enterprise and the co-opera-tion of all existing organisations. Much hnd already been derived in this respect not only from the local magnetic observatory, but also from tho magnetic surveys carried out by Dr. Farr and 31r. Skey in New Zealand, and in some of the outlying islands. It was much to bo hoped that the work would bo continued and extended in tho near future, so as to embrace all the islands under the New Zealand government. And, furthermore, it would bo well if some of the stations previously occupied were re-occupied for the' purpose of ascertaining the amount of change in the compass direction and in the other magnetic elements which had occurred during the interim. Magnetic data of this kind are not only of practical importance to surveyors and navigators, but also servo as a basis fcr the establishmentof a more correct theory of the earth's magnetism and tho manifold changes passing at the present time. Thc Carnegie is at present engaged on a second navigation cruise, having left Brooklyn, New York, in June, 1910. She arrived at Capetown in March last, sailing from there on April 26th, bound for Colombo, whero Dr. Bauer expects to meet her. He purposes continuing with her for a cruise of the Indian Ocean. The vestsel is expected to reach Manila at about. 'Jbe end of the present year, and will then continue her voyage across the Pacific to Aquapulca, Mexico, filling in the areas not covered on the previous cruises of the Galilee. From Aquapulca, she will proceed to Capetown, and from thence to Brooklyn. It is hoped to reach there about June, 1913. The vessel, Dr. Bauer says, has already disclosed important errors in the lines of equal magnetic variation, used by mariners in tho Atlantic Ocean. Tho results obtained are communicated promptly to the leading hydrographical establishments, amongst others, to the British Admiralty, so that errors may receive prompt rectification.