Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-10-15
Published every Thursday
State University.

The annual commencement Of the State University
at Bloomington took place ON "Wednesday the thir-
tieth of September. The spacious University chapel
with Its aisles and crowded to overflow.
ing; and even then large numbers unable TO gain
adnittance, stood around the doors and windows to
catch the voice of the speaker. Upon no previous
occasion Of the kind has the audience been so large
Governor Whitcomb, who by law is visitor, with
his usual Punetuaiy to official duty, present; the
Hon. John w. Davis and many other distinguished
persons were also in attendance. The Synod of the
Presbyterian church for southern Indiana being about
to meet the preceding day, brought together upon
the occasion, many of the clergy of that body.
The graduating class consisted Of the following
members, viz: Thomas p. Connolly of Lafayette,
Jonathan Clark of Louisville KY, Thomas B. Graham
of Jasper, Samuel N. Martin and William p Martin
Of Washington county, Robert r. Roberts of New
burgh, Washington M. Sharp of Abbevile S. c.,
David Shuck of Harrison county, and Homer Wheeler
of Bristol, Ia All these young gentlemen delivered
speeches. These performances were, with a single
exception, highly crediiabe in matter, style, and
manner of delivery. Two or three of them were Of
rare and superior excellence.
TIE graduates in the law school were the following
viz: w. B. Bell of Mount Carmel, H., Lewis Boil
of Bloomington, John Darroch of Rockville,
Alexander M'Cleand of Spencer, T. R. Osborne of
Danvile, Isaac A. Rice of Waveland, and Henry
Tanner of Bloomington.
The subject Of the Baccalaureate address was COM
mon in its application to the affairs of govern
ment. This address had been printed before delivery
and was ready for immediate publication.
In the evening the Rev. DR.. M'Gin of the Ale
gheny Theological Seminary, by previous appoint
ment, addressed the two literary societies on the
premacy of conscience and for period of two hours
by the classical elegance of his dcton and the pecu
liar felicity of his illustration, completely unclaimed
the attention of the audience. ...t
The University is in highly prosperous condition.
From 90 in 1910, the number of students has in
creased to 1913 in 1916.
The next session opens on the first Monday of No
vember.
IMPORTANT DIscovERY.-A German friend trans
lates for US, from the ''Schnelpos tEeunnexed ac-
count of highly important discovery
FRANkFoRr, (GEnMANY,) August 1Oh.
At the meeting of the society for natural philOso
ply, held here the day before yesterday, inter-
esng facts were communicated by Professor Boettger
relative to the important discovery of Professor
Schoenbein at Basic, (Switzerand,) to transform
getable fibre into transparent colorless gass-like
mass The process discovered by Professor Schoen-
bein is as yet secret; but according to commune
cations made in polytechnical journals the following
striking results are said to have been obtained. Or
binary unsizcd paper may, by this process be made
tougher and more durable it becomes perfectly wat
er-proof is not acted upon by either acids alkaes
and needs neither sizing starchng, in order to be
used as writing, printing, or wrapping paper. Thus
it also be made entirely transparent,
exhibiting further The remarkable property strongly
to deveope electricity by friction More important
however are the effects of this process upon cotton,
which thereby acquires the property of decorating
bringing it in contact with live coal. Professor
Boetger said that the reading Of these facts induced
him to resume his former researches in the line,
and that he succeeded in arriving at like results,
whether by like process is not decided. He exhib-
tied to the meeting specimens of paper, which dis
played the properties mentioned above. small
quantity of prepared cotton, TO all external appear
ance exactly like common cotton, when examin-
ed under the microscope, exploded at the moment it
in contact with piece of gnited finder, leav
ing but a very small residuum. On further trials,
made in presence of the writer Of this communication,
the cotton proved to be of more than double the
strength of gunpowder. Professor Boetger discharg
ed from small pistol, loaded with cotton instead Of
gunpowder, bullet, which passed through both an
oak board two inches and half, and a pine board
one inch thick whereas bullet, fred from barrel
charged with gunpowder, Of the same weight with
that of the cotton did pass through the pine board
alone. Further communications this important
discovery are looked for with no small degree of in
terest.