Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/179

 COMMENT AND CRITICISM.

The map nod geographical article bj Lieut. Greek, wliicii ap[>ear in tliis issue, may fairly be said lu contain tlie most important ndili- tions to Ihe geography of the polar regions which have been made in some years. The imi>orUin<;e of the discoveries of the (Jreely imrty lies nj-^', 4BereIy in their extenrting the area of mappetl co.ist, but also in the distinc- tive, and to some extent unexpected, character of the physical features of the r^on now first poiDt«cI out. The continuation of North fireeu- land in (he direction and manner determine'I by Lockwood and Brainard was not unforeseen, or at least is what might iinve been reasonably predicted. The information as to the narrow- ness of GrinnoU Land and the trend of its western shores is hardh* what any one would Iwve anticipated ; and the discovery adds I»quancy to the ordinary interest of new cs- ploration. In this connection, the information reported by Dr. Boas is of peculiar interest. It will be singular, indeed, if it finally appears the channel of .Smith Sound, and its con- lUons, are projected like a ■ covered way ' the realm of ice, as if for the especial benefit of explorers. The absence of any con- siderable hoAy of land north-west from (irinnell Land must have an important bearing on the question of the ocean -currents of the arctic re- gion. We commend the map to the considera- tiou of a well-known geographical amateur, who, if telegraphic despatches are to (le trusted, immediately atter the receipt of the first ' cabic- grnm * of (ireely's explorations, made haste to assure the Bi-itish public that there was no reason to suppose that Greely's party bad been farther nortb-enst than Beaumont Island, and

tt tiieir own supposition that they had made ■as was doubtless an entire misconcep- The ailverse critics of arctic work bear in mind that the entire geo-

��graphical and scientific work was accom- pli shed without disease, disaster, or even

serious frost-bite.

A KBCEKT extension of the work undertaken by the secondary meteorological services of our country is the establishment of local signals, indicating the coming changes of weather as telegraphed from the signal-olSce in ^V ashing- ton. This has been attempted by four of the local servicea. Ohio led the way a year or more ago by arranging with several railroad- lines for the display of colored signals on the sides of the baggage-cars, and this system has been extended into Canada and Pennaylva- nin. Louisiana had at last accounts sixty- seven stations at which flags were hoisted to forewarn the planters of probable frosts. Ala- bama has a system of three flags in nine com- binations, in operation at about thirty stations. The system is approved, and is extending month by month. Several towns in N'ew England are adopting the Ohio system, intro- duced here through the New-England meteor- ological society. Besides all these, there is a considerable number of volunteer-stations at which the ' cold-wave ' flag is displayed.

The latest suggestion for local signals conies from Vermont, where it is proposed to spread the indications by factory- whistles. The point is made that the out-of-town farmers, who have especial need of the weather warnings, have the smallest opportunity of learning them soon enough, either from newspapers, post- offlce bulletins, or local flags. Blasts from powerful steam -whistles could, on the other Imnd, be heard five or more miles around ; and they would caiTy the news to nearly every part of a manufacturing state. All the Vermont boards of town selectmen are to be petitioned to consider the matter, and we shall be glad later in the season to announce good progress in the work.

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