|
The Networks of Tidal Correspondents
Synthetic Harmonic American Institution
Each tidal correspondent focussed on one of three separate networks: synthetic, harmonic, or American. With the whole correspondence under way by about 1828, it petered out in Britain by about 1906; yet continuing for some years more in America. As many of the correspondents were members, and often officers, of numerous institutions, a mention is made of them. The synthetic and harmonic networks both centred in Britain. The earlier network busyness subsided by about 1851, and in 1866 its work was said to be complete. While the later network sprang up from 1861, it flourished between 1867 and 1903. The third network is of those people working on tides in the United States. The American group, concentrating on the 1850's, is known to be incomplete for the second half of the nineteenth century. American tidal workers corresponded with those in Britain, actively linking in to both the synthetic and harmonic networks. Additional to the correspondence conducted between individuals, are those impersonal letters addressed to or sent from institutions. For the work undertaken across the British Empire, the list is comprehensive of the known tidal correspondents. From the list, a biography of the correspondent can then be located. The biographies concentrate on the tidal aspect of any particular person. The depth of each biography varies from being full-some to that of a few meagre facts. Additional information, to augment that published here, is welcomed. This work is one of the few publications directly concerned with the papers of Sir George Howard Darwin. The main workers were: Adams, Airy, Bache, Baird, Beaufort, Bunt, Darwin, Dessiou, Gordon, Lubbock, Pourtales, Roberts, Ross, Thomson and Whewell. |