The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-12

ica, !" by Professor CoFYM, was first taken up. II
stated thathe had been long deferred from expert
menting by the occurrence Of winds from all points
of the compass in circle Of 100 miles dismeter and
also in pronouncing wind which prcdominated
even slighty, the prevalent wind, regardless OF all
the rest. He thought that observations to determine
the specific gravity and velocity well as the prev
alcnce of winds, would be valuable; but, for the
want of means, il was hardly practicable now; yet
what he could do was worth attempting lie cx-
hbted an ingenious chart representing various cir
cular sections of the earth's surface, whose winds
were represented by a shaded margin Of breadth
These were based upon experiments made in over
two hundred localities in the United States, British
possessions, and West Indies. Those Of the Uni-
ted States could be shown prevail very uniformly
from little south Of northwest Eddies in the air
caused very great variation from this direction. He
thought the subject could not be investigated.
The PaEsIDEsr said that Mr.. Coffin had procured
from the regents results Of the experiments on winds
in the different colleges in the State of New York.
He was anxious to pursue the investigation OF
winds.
Professor REpvIELp spoke Of the Importance Of
some of Mr. C.'s distinctions, and gave him credit
for great zeal. Observations made by himself Pro-
lessor r. gave the same results. The track Of a
storm indicated its course. He would soon be ready
to describe a great hurricane, eight hundred miles
broad. passing over Central America towards Ja-
maica and to the North Atlantic
labors, and wished he and Mr.. Redfeld, who had
frequently entertained them orally on that subject
would continue their inquiries in concert He then
spoke ofthe necessity for appointing committee to
arrange subjects for reports at their next annual
meeting.
hoped that of the winds would not be overlooked.
Mr.. REDFiELD thought it would be best to leave It
to one gentleman, to avoid compromise and conflict
of opinion, which would give the report more
weight.
BY vote, Mr.. Coffin was requested to continue
his observations.
Professor REDFrELD in reference to the instruc-
tons to the Surgeon Generals Department, said il
was gross mistake to select the lower strata Of
clouds for his observations.
Professor SILLIaAN with high compliments) sub
mitted report on coal mines, from Mr.. Taylor, an
English naturalist, engaged in writing a work on
coal.
Professor Rooms said he felt it his duty to aid in
every way in Mr. T. 'senerprise, as he alone had
dertaken work on the extent and distribution Of
fossil fuel throughout the world 1t the great
est Of the Creators mineral gifts, and the source o.
all mechanical skill, national industry, wealth, and
power. No public library certainly no geologst'a
library should be without the work.
Professor BAILEY read paper ION plants Of the
genus RkisOmorpha;" and a desultory conversation
took place on phosphoretic woods and minerals.
DR.. Jackson next made an able address con the
copper region of Lake Superior" A brief de-
scrpton, he thought Of that tract of country, might
be interesting to men Of science, now that the pub
lie looked towards that country, and many mining
enterprises are about TO be commenced. Some
thought too much Of mines, while others overlook
ed them, and neglected opportunities of making
good investments of capital. One buying mine
bought but raw material, to be made valuable BY
labor and skill. The miner should understand hi
business, and know the value and extent Of hi
the cheapest rate. At times, the extent and value
Of meialliferous lode may be known by measure
ment and calculation; but more often, rude explo
ration only can be obtained from the irregularities
of the ore veins, and the liability Of the lode Z
change in character. Geological science should ait
in such investigations, and moro attention should b
| paid to the phenomena of mineral veins and thu
associations Of meallierous Il 10 said that &c
ology does not give adequate information on THU
subject; and it has been left to the mneralo
| gist and practical miner. The subject is one o.
great practical interest, and he would commend j
to the attention Of those called to explore local.
ties where such phenomena might be studied
Chemistry would share in researches of this char
acter for nature often presented chemical facts diff
fering from those observed in the laboratory, and
other fine illustrations Of weLknown principles
He now passed to the consideration Of the minera
L
river--the outlet Of Lake Superior--lhey left tn
fossillifcrous limestone, which occurred abundanty
farther to the southwestward, on the shores of Laks
Huron, and came to the red and gray sandstoneI
and conglomeratts bordering Lake Superior A
the falls Of Sault Saint Marie, Lake Superior dis
charged itself over slightly inclined sheets Of rec
sandstone, dipping towards the lake in a series o
shelves, or slips, over which the water produced
| q roaring rapid more than two miles in width. Ths
fall is about eighteen feet and the distance thence Z
the lake about one mile It is contemplated to cana
around the falls. Only three six-fcet locks are re-
quired, and the cutting through soft ine-grainet
sandstone is easy; whilst rocky walls will give per
i mancnco To the canal entertainments. Myriads o.
large boulders of rounded sienite, porphyry, trap
| rock, and sandstone, cover the ground around thu
falls. Before the memory of man, drifting ice
floating at higher level than is covered in THU
agebrought. some Of these specimens to this local
4 ity. There have been two or more paroxysmal eeva
Il tons Of is borders or subsidences Of its bottom
for there are two we-marked ancient shores Of tn,
1 lake, from one to two miles inland. The first il
i the gravelly bed just behind the present shore
4 the other ia the base Of the hills, one two mile
further from the lake. Slender white birch ant
spruce pine cover the first Shore between which ant
the other all is dark, Doggy swamp, covered witt
| dense forest of white cedar, and few hemlock
and pine trees Back on the hills the soil is good
i and bears heavy growth Of rock maple, yellow
1 birch, larch, and Norway pines. These forests ar
like those in the eastern part Of Maine, and will fur
nish more than suficiency for charcoal fuel TO
| smelling copper and other metals No limestone
but large veins of calcareous spar, are found on tn
borders Of the lake; more than enough, too to fur
| nish the fux to be wanted for working the metal
or for building purposes. Fine sandstone, for build
ing furnaces, &C., may be had near the mines. Thi
red sandstone seems to dip generally towards tn
lake. AT the outlet Of the lake the red and grey
sandstones occur in their sheets-ther coors inter
mixing and their strata alternating with each other.
THE LATE ANNIVERSARY MEETINGS In
NEW YORK CITY.