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EMINENT SCIENTIST

DR. LOUIS A. BAUER

WORK OF THE CARNEGIE

INSTITUTE.

'Dr.. Louis A. Bauer,' director of the department of terrestrial magnetism of j the. Carnegie Institution of Washington, arrived in Wellington yesterday Dy the Manuka, from Sydney." Dr. Bauor was j one of the delegates from the LTratsd States attending the international congress ou astronomy and geopnyiics at Rome last May, and is now homeward bound for Washington, via. Austjraiia and New Zealand. At the Rome Conference a motion was passed expressing appreciation of the steps taken by the New Zealand Government in maintaining the observatory at Apia, Samoa, established by the Germans in 1902, and Dr. Bauer will confer with the New j Zealand Advisory Board set up in con- I neotion with that observatory during his stay in the Dominion, with the view of furthering the programme '.of work ahead. Because of the unique location of the Apia Observatory;, most important contributions to the sciences of meteorology, terrestrial magnetism, seismology, and atmospheric electricity can be made* and the Carnegie Institute, through its department of terrestrial megnetism, is co-operating with the New Zealand- Government in the important work carried on at the Samoan Observatory. Dr. Bauer expects to be present at a" meeting of the New Zealand committee having charge of the observatory to discuss many questions arising from the work already done since tho New Zealand Government took charge. On his arrival Dr. Bauer was met_by Professor E. Marsden, of Victoria. Col r lege, and welcomed on behalf of _the Professorial -Board of the college and of the Advisory Board in connection with the Apia Observatory. ■ . - ' One of the most important tasks assigned the department of terrestrial magnetism, said Dr. Bauer to a Post reporter who interviewed him at his hotel, was, that of carrying out a magnetic survey of oceans and land areas, and he referred to tho work done by the nonmagnetic ship, the Carnegie, which visited Lyttelton in October, 1920, under the supervision of his department. Since 1909, he said, the Carnegie had cruised over 300,000 miles without mishap, and had taken thousands of observations, which gave valuable practical results, as well as results which were, on the face of it, at any rate, of primary interest to,scientists. Prior to 1909 tho department had chartered a vessel, the Galilee, which during the years 190S to 1908 cruised something like, 65,000 miles, largely in the Pacific Ocean. The Galileo also visited Lyttelton during her long cruise. . . Furthermore, land parties had also been sent out from the vessels from time to timo, and had made observa-. tioris at various points where Professor Farr, of Canterbury College, Christchurch, had previously carried out magnetic observation work. The. department, said Dr. Bauer, - was conducting its work in close co-operation with ■ the various Governments, and all information gained on both land and sea was promptly supplied to leading Government hydrographic establishments; for instance, the chart recently issued by the British Government, showing the lines of equal magnetic variation, Was compiled in part upon the work done by observers working under or in touch with the Carnegie Institute,at Washington. • ". ■ , .

Dr. Bauer made reference also to the value of the observations made at the magnetic observatory nea. Christchurch, at present under the direction of Mr. H. F. Skey, and expressed his own and the appreciation of his department at the many courtesies shown members of the Carnegie Institute visiting New Zealand by the Government, bty the officers of various.Government Departments, and by the staffs of. the universities at Christchurch and Wellington, thus allowing of ■ the correlating of the work of observers in the Dominion- and the, general work .of the department of terrestrial magnetism. •

Dr. Bauer will address the Wellington Philosophical Society to-morrow evening on "Geophysics," and will leave Wellington for Samoa on Thursday.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19220704.2.34

Bibliographic details

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 3, 4 July 1922, Page 4

Word Count
632

EMINENT SCIENTIST Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 3, 4 July 1922, Page 4

EMINENT SCIENTIST Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 3, 4 July 1922, Page 4