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REICHELDERFER, FRANCIS WILTON. 1895-1983.
Aerologist, Meteorologist, and Chief of the U.S. Weather Bureau.
Papers, 1918-1982. Unprocessed. Gift of Bruce A. Reichelderfer,
1983. 83-61564.
14 unarranged boxes, ca. 10 cubic feet of material.
A tentative list and temporary box numbers is given below.
Box "1" Technical Papers and Talks
Box "2" Photos
Box "3"
Box "4"
Box "5"
Box "6"
Box "7"
Box "8"
Box "9"
Box "10"
Box "11"
Box "12": Ross Gunn Memorial Box
Box "13"
Box "14"
ROWLAND, WILLIAM F. fl. 1792. Clergyman of
Exeter, N.H. Diary, 1792. 1 v. (48 p.).
Forms part of Peter Force papers (Series 8D:149).
Available on microfilm.
Records church duties and meteorological observations,
interleaved in "The Lady's Astronomical Diary, or Almanack
for the Year of Our Lord, 1792." Finding aid in the Library.
Purchase, 1867. 82-94334.
RUSSIA. AKADEMII NAUK. ARKHIV (LENINGRAD).
Collection, 1741-1912. 100 items.
Gifts of Frank A. Golder, 1917, and Hunter
Miller, 1929.
Photocopies of the originals now in the Archive of the Academy of Science of the U.S.S.R. (Leningrad). Journals, maps, and descriptions from the Academy of Sciences. The collection includes a transcript of instructions to Vitus Behring (1680-1741), Martin Spanberg, and Joseph Nicholas Delisle relating to the expedition of 1738 (71pp.); and a transcript (in French) of charting and other instructions chiefly relating to the Behring Expedition by the Academy of Sciences, 1732-1733. Cf. E.I. Tichomirov, "Instructions for Russian meteorological stations of the 18th century," (in Russian, English summary) Proc. Central geophysical observatory (1932): 3-12. Finding aid in the Library. 81-71605.
SARGENT, RUFUS HARVEY. 1875-1951. Geologist
and cartographer. Papers, 1903-05. 17 items.
Journal (4 vols.,
1903-04) and handwritten and printed material, relating to the
Carnegie Institution of Washington expedition in northeastern
China. Journal includes topographic survey notes and meteorological
observations. Gift of Mr. Sargent, 1947. 73-38976.
SCHOTT, CHARLES ANTHONY. 1826-1901. Engineer
and geophysicist.
Notebooks containing scientific memoranda,
a discussion of Kane's and McClintock's meteorological observations,
Hayes's Arctic Expedition, etc. The collection includes calculations
and correspondence with Joseph Henry, Adolph and Henry Lindenkohl,
Julius Bien and Frances Amasa Walker relating to preparation of
climatic maps of the United States, 1870-1880. There is also
a volume of engineering notes. Related material is in the Smithsonian
Institution Archives. 82-98251.
THAMES (whaler). Journals and logbook, 1828-32.
5 v. (500 p.).
Logbook kept by Nathan L. Cood on the whaling
ship Thames with records on weather, course, whale sightings and
captures, and events on board ship. Port of embarkation was Sag
Harbor, Long Island. Places visited include the Main Bank whaling
ground (off tip of South America), Brazil, Patagonia, and Traitan
da Cunha Island. Purchase, 1941. 74-99663.
UNITED STATES NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 12 linear
feet. 8,000 items.
The Records of the United States Naval Observatory
generally reflect the activities of the observatory throughout
the 19th century, from its beginnings in the Depot of Charts and
Instruments, in 1830, to its place as the primary observatory
in the nation.
The correspondence with the Wind and Current chart agents reflects an activity of the Observatory which was the sole inspiration and primary accomplishment of Superintendent Matthew F. Maury. With the assistance of ship captains, who collected data for him, Maury was able to plot the normal winds and currents of the oceans during different periods of the year and on that basis to suggest the most advantageous courses for ships to take. He entered this date on charts and sold them through the agency of, first, George Manning, and, then, A.G. Seaman. His correspondence with Manning, which consists entirely of letters sent by Maury, reflects the wide range of Maury's activities. There are discussions about the production and sale of the charts, but also about Atlantic soundings and an Atlantic telegraphic cable; trade on the Amazon and other South American rivers; a planned expedition to the Arctic by Henry Grinnell; Maury's investments; his lecture tours;
the publication of his book, Physical Geography of the Sea; and the attempt to remove him from the Navy.
ARRANGEMENT AND CONTAINER NUMBERS:
#1-13: Superintendent's Office. Correspondence,
1830-1900. 12 1/2 containers (folder nos. 1-70). Letters received
and copies of letters sent, arranged chronologically. A sub-series
consisting of letters sent to Wind and Current chart agent George
Manning by Superintendent Matthew F. Maury, and received by him
from chart agent A.G. Seaman, has been placed in a separate chronological
arrangement at the end of the main series of correspondence.
#13-15: Superintendent's Office. Administrative
Records, 1858-1900. 2 containers (folder nos. 71-87). A sub-series
consisting of accounts, reports, and receipts of chart agent A.G.
Seaman has been placed separately at the end of the administrative
records.
Related collections are located in the National Archives, RG-78, Records of the Naval Observatory.
VESTINE, ERNEST HARRY. d.1968. Geophysicist.
Papers, 1950s and '60s. Box 3 contains an exchange of letters
in 1967 concerning a proposed merger of the American Geophysical
Union and the American Meteorological Society. Correspondents
include Henry G. Houghton and George P. Wollard.
VON NEUMANN, JOHN. Papers.
Includes the
following:
Box 14: Meteorology -- Charney, Jule; Conference;
Rossby, C.G.A.
Box 24: Correspondence, Drafts, Typescripts,
Manuscripts, etc. -- Meteorology.
VON SIEBOLD, PHILIPP FRANZ. 1796-1866. German
physician, explorer, and scientist. Papers, 1609-1927.
20 microfilm
reels from originals in Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, Germany. Correspondence,
notes, memoranda, writings, reports, printed matter, and other
papers, chiefly 1820-1860. Includes notes and writings on the
flora, fauna, geology and meteorology of Japan. Finding aid in
the Library. Transfer from the Dept. of State, 1948; returned
to Germany, 1983. Exchange with Ruhr-Universitat Bochum, 1984.
78-39974 NUCMC MS62-879.
WASHINGTON, GEORGE. 1732-1799. Papers.
Series 1: Exercise Books and Diaries, 1741-99.
Subseries B: Diaries, 1748-99. 36 volumes
These diaries contain Washington's record of
his activities, weather observations, and memoranda on agriculture
and other subjects. Chronologically arranged. Available on 2
reels of microfilm (1/1B/1748-74 and 2/1B/1774-99).
Related material is in the collections of the
Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union, Mount Vernon, VA.
WEXLER, HARRY. 1911-1962. Meteorologist.
Papers. 19 linear feet. 13,200 items.
The papers of Dr. Harry Wexler were presented
to the Library of Congress by Dr. Wexler's widow, Mrs. Hannah
Wexler, on January 28, 1963. Additional papers were received
in 1971 from the Department of Commerce. Literary rights in the
unpublished writings of Dr. Harry Wexler in these papers and in
other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress
are dedicated to the public, except that the use of those rights
shall be reserved to Mrs. Hannah Wexler and her two daughters,
Susan and Libby Wexler, during their lifetimes.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: The papers of the American meteorologist Harry Wexler (1911-62) cover the years 1929 to 1962 and contain information relating to all the major areas of his career. There are early manuscripts of his school papers while he was attending Harvard University and later Massachusetts Institute of Technology and correspondence and related papers for the years he was with the United States Weather Bureau (1934-42, 1946-62) and the Weather Service of the U.S. Air Force (1942-46). The papers also contain a number of Dr. Wexler's speeches, lectures, and articles, many of which are in holograph form.
Among the subjects in which Dr. Wexler was particularly interested and concerning which there are numerous papers are meteorological satellites (Tiros I), the use of high-speed computers for numerical weather prediction, and weather modification. An outstanding portion of the collection contains records of the United States expedition to the Antarctic for the International Geophysical Year. Dr. Wexler was Chief Scientist for the expedition and the Antarctic journal which he kept for the years 1955-59 is a detailed record of the organization and conduct of the mission. Among the correspondents represented in the collection are Werner A. Baum, Charles F. Brooks, Hugh L. Dryden, Representative Oren Harris, Henry G. Houghton, J.C. Hunsaker, Hugh Odishaw, F.W. Reichelderfer, John von Neumann, and Fred L. Whipple.
ARRANGEMENT AND CONTAINER NUMBERS:
SERIES I: General Correspondence. 1929-62.
14 containers. Chronologically arranged by years.
SERIES II: Speech, Lecture, and Article File.
1930-62. 10 containers. Segregated according to type of material
and arranged chronologically thereunder.
WHITE, JOHN. b. 1722. Farmer of Salem, MA.
Almanacs, 1774-90. 1 v. (ca. 100 p.)
Nine almanacs and MS. journals bound as one
in which White has made notes on such topics as the weather and
farming. Purchase, 1919. 79-58420 NUCMC MS79-1810.
WILKES, CHARLES. 1798-1877. Naval officer
and explorer. Papers, 1607-1959. 18 linear ft. 6,500 items.
Mainly a gift of Mrs. Rosalee Lockweed-Jones,
Mrs. M.L. Hull, and C. Denby Wilkes, 1921-64. Finding aid in
the Library. A microfilm edition of these papers on 26 reels
is available from the Library's Photoduplication Service for purchase
or through interlibrary loan. 14,380-3N; 15,66403P; 16,501-23N-26P.
75045716, NUCMC MS62-4650.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:
1833: Headed the Depot of Charts and Instruments,
Washington, D.C., which later became the Naval Observatory; 1838-42:
Commanded an exploring expedition into the Antarctic, islands
of the Pacific Ocean, and the American northwest coast; 1851:
Published Meteorology (Philadelphia, Printed by C. Sherman,
76 p.); 1859: Published On the Circulation of the Oceans
(Philadelphia, 24 p.); Died 1877.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: The 6,500 items in the Charles Wilkes papers span the years 1607-1959, with the majority dated between 1841 and 1865. The collection contains family, official, semi-official, and general correspondence of Charles Wilkes, letterbooks of Wilkes and of two other U.S. naval officers, journals and diaries, a manuscript autobiography, scientific tracts and notes detailing weather and tidal observations. The papers illustrate much of the career of Charles Wilkes, noted for his command of the exploring expedition of 1838-42, which engaged in surveys and exploration of the Antarctic, numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean, and the northwest coast of the United States. Other documentation relates to his special duty in Washington, D.C., in the period 1843-61. During this period he consolidated the scientific data gathered on the mission and prepared his narrative of the voyage together with other scientific volumes for publication.
Container No. 20, Reel Nos. 18-19: Exploring
Expedition File, 1838-1840.
Container No. 21, Reel No. 19: Observations:
Journal of tides, air, and water observations, 1839-40. Scientific
data in the collection consist of observations on weather, tides,
and the use of astronomical instruments. Related papers are found
in RG-37, National Archives.
WING, PELEG. Ship's captain. Logbook, 1862-65.
1 v. (150 p.).
Logbook of the whaling bark Awashonk of New
Bedford, MA, containing brief daily entries (May 27, 1862-Aug.
1, 1865) on weather, course, ships sighted, and the pursuit and
capture of whales. Purchase, 1918. 73-99440.
WRIGHT BROTHERS: ORVILLE (1871-1948) AND WILBUR
(1867-1912).
Airplane inventors. Papers, 1881-1972. 30,000
items. Correspondence, diaries, notebooks, business accounts,
legal papers, minutes, reports, half-tones and other illustrative
matter, photos, photographic plates, and printed matter. The
notebooks contain scientific and meteorological observations made
at the time of the Kitty Hawk experiments and other flights.
Finding aid in the Library. Bequest of Orville Wright, 1949;
gift from other sources 1949-1982; and transfer from the Library's
Science and Technology Division, 1980. 78-46706 NUCMC MS60-588.
Related materials are found in the National
Air and Space Museum.
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