New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-22
Srisnliic Convention at Philadelphia.
Mad Or ne Coreqs MAJ ofr, Uairsrsi'y, Ni1A.'rea
Reported for he Tribune
PHrtApEIrHlA. lanr.day mornins. - q

assembled al the University. Mr.. REDFlELD % the
Chair The attendance was very much larger
than Yesterday numbers Of other members having
arrived in tie laes, con7eyances The scientific bust
ness Of the week fairly commenced this morning and
already the proceedings are very important ana N
teresting
After tie organization Of the meeting The stand
in- Committee reported on division Of the Assoca-
ton into two distinct secaons-one embracing Go0a'
pbrs,-. Mathematics. Chemistry. Civil Engineering
.rd the srued sciences generally; the other inciut-
n- vrfsr1l Hsf0r Geology. Physiology ana Meolelhe-
Accordingly the Convention divided ifsel INTO tne-e
two Sections, each hold ns separate sessions "a uei,
rooms Of the University. OF the H5-'. ,ou u.ns-t
pLvsc-. Prof HENAT was app0ntld chairman aN-
prot SKlLNAS. To. secretary.
OF the other, the officers CHOSEN Wt4,' D'D' '"-''
Prof AsAssfl. SfrrcGrg Dr. x. ". Gn1Es
Each section recouvcued 90 about ID Goes.
and each forthwith proceeded WITH 20 appropriate
business. First will give You the proceed p. tl'
Section OF Natural History. over whose leN'eiai'n'
Prof AGAsslz. temporarily presided
TIL, first thing in order was q communication
bv Lieut. DAVIS e. : \ on the Geological dr01 e' ~
Tide. presented by Prot pEacE) froi- T. preface
Lieut. Dagiss communication. by q IT," remarks on '-s
General principles Of bis theory the object OF the paper
being % exhibit the action Of the Moon A. iendns %
alter the cure of the Earth
%, Nv of the tidal currents the North eastern
c.st IT The United states Lieut. DAVIS has been led 90
and currents and tie ngr-f ltJosfs on IL borders and
in il. depths The connection Is thus traced the drec
ton and velocity of the tides az any place Wnere hcs.
ills eyist-thaf IS where the ocean u Etl-nt'd
with matter held in suspensicn-dccldes the form.
amount and locality Of tn deposits The direction ~
the tides is different AZ dircrent places out me resaN
Of their action is % produce certain uniform or sla
formations. and 10 was the observation oi tnis Nilcn
led Lieut. DAVIS o. the introduction Of Tidal Theory
into Geology the object OF which j. 90 develop the laws
bv which agueous deposits l0i the sea- made during
have Ifaon Re-
sno., that such laws must always have operated eN-
cent when suspended or controlled by the Floem
changes that mark certain Geological epocns. Lieut.
Dvis ann s. these principles of tidal action 20 explain
,b s, of the-e great sandy IA, 'sts on the north.
a.tr border OF this Continent well 81 those al the
f0ftoru of the Bay of Bscay The Landcs o Franco
and ina the North sea. lillNlnt. NcJ
ln order 20 Illustrate Lieut.. DAVIS views more
fIiv pr.f PIERCE entered into some OF the details
upon which they have been formed.
For this purpose he exhibited number ol cnrtri
the r.t of which represented the deposits around the
leland of NavrUcxEr. The tidal current mere comes
freighfed with sand and as u strikes the Island Us On
n9.fsf Yet The current which Is acting mere al ihe
time Il not only depostng but II is $50 1AhS A,'5-
30 that a the time lowing n ever direction ana UNI
,arsaly distributed not very much Is accumulated ln
any one place The deposits are nearly equally made
The serenity of the Island has been supposed 20 be-
formed 1y deposits coming from the Island itself o.
bv the shifting influence of the chaugi current BUT
TIL shown not % be the case that poluon o. inc
ISLAND being formed soly By the tidal currents As an
instance Of t1e force of these currents ffOf ftEL
cited AN instance 4 short time a-O ship was
wrecked II end Of the Island ana the hreper OF
the Lighthouse che ohU End actually supplied him
self with uol from the coal which was originally de-
posted with the wrecked vessel The coal vas brought
clear round Island and deposited az lts larthest eN
tremty by the mere force OF these currents bncH.
have IN the manner lcen carried ana az Slacoh'tt
there Is now standing chimney actually PAM rom
bricks which carried all round me Island 10 ihe
/ same way.
And farther. Lets ship be sunk there, and iu few
year. il viii Boz completely covered WIN sanu mus
Hook il deposit OF this KIND the HOOK Oh OaPe Oou
j. another.
There is beside the tidal. another small current
which meets Inc other. and both together possess great
force and where two tdcs meet as they pass out
there viii be dcpo-ite And if An Island shore that
ssnd will fins s0oa be o0apedfed rith D,e main land
The deposit taking place at the mouths OF harbors IL
| generally an ocean deposit Although often regarded
As brought down BIZ the rivers being sand, It's origin
| il AZ once developcd-At Nantucket, continued Prof
Pierce the land l. prevented being shut IN by the
force OF the water which must md passage yet some
portions Of IT, where there Irregularities in the
shore hare gained upon the water and partly surround
/ cd H. by which the enclosed lagoons are formed
Ga this theory of the Tides, remarked Prot
PIERCE Lieut. Davis thinks he can explain the sand
deposits all along coast-ln connection with this
Mr. DEsoR has made observations ON the D'sfH0HtoH
n ne Marnt fHimGls H. which he endeavOred % &C
count Tor the changes existence, etc OF the different
speces lie observes that at different depths OF the
ocean. distinct hlNu- are luiultu ALu JUICES
hat geological Investigation may account Tor IL
Regarding the theory Of the Tides advanced by
Lieut. DAVIS, some discussion was excited Mr.. RED
FiELD opposed the views entertained by Lieut. d. lie
reasoned eng and wei that the deposits Of sand are
not SO much owing % 1idal action 10 the direct
agency of the waves Cthcr gentlemen thought some
thin, others another and nothing was agreed upon
definitely.
DR GouLD observed that he was never able TO
ind sea weed on the beach when the wind was toward
the shore but way WHEN blowing Oh the land deposits
were made upon the bea,h This he had heard account
cd for he presumed correctly As the effect OF an UNI
dertow which acts always IN severse direction TO the
action OF the wind.
Dr. DIcKEs0N related remarkable incident,
where ~ the Island OF Galveston ia l-a9 vessel from
New Orleans was wrecxgd at the south end with
considerable amount of specie. The officers Of the
Custom House took immediate measures to recover the
valuable cargo and IN avery little time the worSmen
reported the vessel nearly covered with sand A few
weeks after ~ the othe- end Of the l-iand-some .
miles or thereabOuts-some fishermen brought up some
of the doubloons. They were arrested ami imprisoned
on charge of robbng the wreck their prot stations ~
having really found the gold AZ great distance not
be NJ credited for moment TIL scientific research con
ginced the authorities that the metal was really carried
20 that distance oi course by the force OF the current
instance OF the way heavy bodies are transported
RIFLE NAKKs.-SOm conversation ensued on
this point Prof AGAssZ observed that ripple marks
often formed by the action Of the wind upon the
dry sand But there three distinct Kinds ui them
the tidal those formed by the regular action OF water
I
shows the importance OF distinguishing between them.
Ripple MARKS he observed, only exist where tides ex
it the earliest periods of the Moons action may thus
/ he estimated.
Prot. PIERCE remarked that wherever very high
tides exist as on the coast Of Maine the coast was
washed away.
LAKE SCPERIoR-Fisles-COmP aris0ns.-Proi.
AGAssIz remarked thu; it had been his good fortune
during the past summer to have opportunities, in
pany with several iriends-some Of whom he now saw
preseut-to explore the Northern Lakes and more
peciaIy Lake Superior. lis attention had been called
particularly to the Fishes, subject always OF very
great interest 70 him and OF which be had acquired
| the Lakes some and valuable knowledge His OBJ
/ ect he Observed not 90 much o. eject cOmpar
between the Fishes OF the u. :, and Canada as %
ascertain their Geographical Distribution, and % salts
/ is himself whether they UNFORTUNATELY DIS
IRiBUrED through AL these Lake, whether there
/ were differences 10 the localities where found.
On carefully comparing he found that the dstribu
ron l. entIrely diierent-that particular families are
IN some. ana other families In another part and that
they lerT ieIts their peculiar locality tie nnds that
l there families in Lake Huron which are not IN
| Lake Superior and some In Lake superior which do
| not move down into the lower Lakes, although the
communication between the j. always open and easy
The Fishes then OF the several Lakes very dier-
] noffh no ~