STRICKEN SCIENTIST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 97, 30 May 1914, Page 5

STRICKEN SCIENTIST.

REGAINS MEMORY LOST IN 1906. After a complete loss of memory eight years ;ago, Prof. Mark Walrod Harrington, formerly director of the United States weather bureau and an, astronomer o? note, is at last recovering his intellect. Mrs Harrington says he is competent to conduct his business affairs and has in: many respects become normal. A strange feature of the case is Mr Harrington's newly discovered love of music. Although in his former life he knew nothing of it, he is now, at the age of 66, devoting all his energies to' the study of the piano, harmony, and allied subjects. It is thQught that the parts of his brain which were developed most fully received the severest setback at the time of his accident, and the subject of which he knew least therefore was the one most susceptible of development. Prior to r Ms accident he had taught almost every scientific course in college curriculums. Found on Park Bench. On June 6, 1906,' a man was discovered on a park bench in Newark after a severe thunder shower. He knew nothing of himself. The police found no papers by which he could be identified. He was taken to a sanatorium, where he

• *-' ■ • 11 remained' -fort several years' 'as " Jofe| Doe." The .cause of his loss of memorf could not be ascertained. Mrs Harririj* ton thinks he was struck 'by lightning or that lie was beaten and robbed, as he had been handling much money on-thee day the accident occurred. This theory apparently was supported by the lack of any papers by which he could b§ identified, but the police saV■of violence. ' ' "t Years after the mysterious ance of Prof. Harrington, his son, M. & Harrington, professor of ethnology ancjl anthropology at the University of. Pennsylvania, heard of the unknowjj man in the New Jersey sanatorium. ULi sent word to his mother, who identified her husband. * Learns to Recognise Kin. . Since that time Prof. Harrington has learned to recognise his relatives and friends, and gradually, through ,\m notes and writings, has reacquainted himself with his past life. His of events after his coming to the sana? torium is accurate. ' *-~ "^

Prof. Harrington's life has been.fall of varied experience. Born at Sycamore] 111., in 1848; he was graduated by Michigan University in 1868. He beeametfa member of the Michigan faculty, aniU remained there until 1876. In 1870- ',7| he went to Alaska with the States coast and geodetic'survey. Afteji leaving Michigan University he studied for a year at the University of Leipzig In 1877 he was made professor of astronomy in the cadet school of Tsung : lj| Yamen, at Peking. Chinat"? >BetoTmMh|g this country after an year at the Louisiana Sl^s^B3*3fglS| In 1891 he gave up his to astronomy and director b?iftes!JHp| " In 1891 he gave up his to become director of >the'Uiuted-J3j3K| weather bureau, where until 1895. In that year he t©&k;ifre||f esidency of Washington' sity, which he filled for tiring in 1897. ,"- '- 4 Iff