New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-01-29

SCIENCE.
Interesting Scientific Intelligence. Nc. v
Cleaned ior The Tribune from the Latest Sources

1
I last annual meeting OF the American Association
[ Of Biologists and Ns:urslsts Reid az Boston IN
September last. statement was presenicd. on me
subject heading this notice, by Captain WILKES
\ l. !. y. 70 whom the questions were referred al
/ the last previous m Getting Of the Association. The
/ communication Of Captain Wilkes Is given at
/ length in the January number of SEiaGn's Jour
/ nal. He said that with the depth Ct the ocean
/ there were connected many interesting subjects Of
4 inqairy--amoDg them, Us actual depth. its mean
temperature and density. the penetration OF solar
| light submarine currents and the sadness aud
/ spec &c gravity Of ses.water.
| Although experiments ~ ascertain the depth Of
the ocean have been frequently made we are as
l vet ignorant Of It's maximum depth. and continue
20 be satisfied with the lectures sni the results
/ obtained from theory. These as IS well known,
vary in the limit OF depth from five TO eight miles
/ The greatest depth 90 which the ocean has been
penetrated Is 1900 fathoms. or $1,000 feet about
| hve miles and quarter no bottom was obtained
! This was the result OF experiment by Captain
/ Ross in lat. 5 5 and 81 w. longitude. Several
experiments have been made at other points. and
some with success bottom being obtained In sp
parent mid ocean in between $4,000 and l. 600
feet from two miles and nearly third 70 about
three and two thirds The ocean has been pene-
trated in few places 10 afford any satisfactory
or decisive results upon 50 interesting subject !;
and. considering the vast space Of our globe occu-
pied by the great ocean il cannot but strike every
] y
/ experiment, and how many interesting geological
| results may be elected and are connected with
! these experiments Sufficient facts have been de
veoped 10 prove that the inequalities of the level
/ of the oceans bed are much more remarkable than
I those OF the land.
Capt Wilkes proceeds to many interesting state
ments, but We only give a bret summary.
He remarks that although the actual depth of the
ocean has not yet been successfully determined,
/ the numerous trials have resulted in determining
satisfactorily its temperature and density.
Its mean temperature is 20 5 though often placed
among others, by NJ. Lenz-down TO 3o' and
| 81, which is reported as the temperature IN the
/ tropics at 1000 iathoms though without doubt
nayigators have here fallen into an error Capt
| w expresses himself well satisfied that 50 low a
temperature viii not be obtained within the tropics
at any depth unless through the agency OF subme
| rine currents According TO Captain Ross exper
/ iments, the zone Of mean temperature hes be
tween the parallels of SO and 500 OF south latitude,
not only at the surface but 10 AS great depth as
| the ocean has been penetrated. Future trials will
In all probability reduce IL 10 narrower limits It's
position In the northern hemisphere remains yet 70
! be accommodating mean temperature Is met
with both ia the polar circles aud Is proceeding TO
ward the Equator. In the higher ATTITUDES above
600. the ocean IN descending Increases In tempera
| ture until il arrives at its mean point while pro
| ceedlnE tOWafu tue IquhtpI IL uttftbsts h'U thc
surface downward-this decrease, hey ona the trop-
ics circle s about twenty three fathoms for every
degree of latitude within the tropics II 10 l' tor
every thirteen isthoms OF depth, until 400 isthoms,
after which il requires descent OF from 200 10 800
iathoms to effect a like change
| From the observations OF Admiral ID Urvllle Il
would appear that the waters OF the Mediterranean
do not follow the rate of descent of the Atlantic and
| Pacific Oceans He estimated the mean tempera'
tura of that sea below 200 fathoms at $50 and tins
from the fact OF his having obtained that tempera
ture at the depth of 900 tathoms. II this be So
IL leads to an interesting inquiry whether II may
not be in consequence OF the vast internal hires
that known 10 prevail In the countries that sur
| round II.
The sadness and specific gravity OF the SCI
have been frequent subjects OF inquiry The result
OF the Exploring Expedition will throw much high
optbis suhiset. Th~ si..,ss vfsea a.vT ODthne'
! in different ATTITUDES were. on the return OF IN,
Fxnadition. placed in the hands OF DR.. C. I. Jack
son OF BostOn-whOse ability as chemist is wei
known to the country he has Analysed them, and
as il will yet be some time before the fall results
can be published IN the volumes OF the Expedition
Captain Wilkes laid before the Association sketch
Of Dr. Jackson's mode OF snay zation OF these spe
cimens together with few OF the results
The curious will lind these given at some length
| in the latest issue OF Silimans Journa--FraDcis,
Broadway, has It.
Subsequently. at the same meeting, Prof AGAs
sIz took occasion to express his opinion OF the Elk
petition and spoke OF the results in the highest
terms He bore testimony to the beauty well as
accuracy Of the engravings, acknowledging that
| they were not surpassed by any that had hitherto
appeared in Europe This from so high an au
thorty is very complimentary 10 the various artistic
corps attached 10 the Expedition.
Pleasant Iagred,ent, Of Mineral IKateys--In a
| late number If the German AHnais Of Chemisfry
! and Pharmacy, arc some observations, tested by
| chemical experiment on the existence OF Arsenic,
| Copper, Aotimony aud Tin IN mineral waters Some
time since NJ. Tnpier detected arsenic In the min
| eral waters Of MeskOntne In Alglers, ADD Nj.
Walchner having found that small quantities ofcOp-
per and arsenic are generally present IA various
ores OF iron. the hydrated oxide sparry iron ore
and the argilleceous and bog ores which may be
regarded as deposits from ierruginOus waters,
was led 10 search Tor them IN the deposits from
I cbalybeate springs These were dissolved in hy-
drochlOrc acid and treated with phuretted hydro
| gen the precpitate was then examined for these
! metals in the ordinary manner. I'm this way. II.
/ w. examined the sediments OF the chay Deate
/ waters of Griesbach RIppoldssu, Tiensch, Roth
enfels, and Canstsdt-as also the bot sp.ings Of
! Wiesbaden, and the etiervescent waters OF Ems,
PyrrnOnt Lamscheid and Brohl-arsenic and cop
per were found in all these, and sntimony ia that
! OF Wiesbaden. These results have since been
| farther confirmed by repeated analyses. ~ Will
has since detected il the cbaly beate water Of
I Rippoldsau, tin. sntimoDy arsenic, copper, and
lead. Beside this the waters of the three springs
ofSt Joseph, 81 Weocelss and ST. Leopold, yielded
on analy zation proportOnate parts Of arsenous
acid protoxde OF tin, oxide Of antlInoDy. oxide OF
lead, and oxide Of copper
These developments may serve as food for the
imagination Of the Summer frequenters Of our
fashionable watering places-ssratoga, Newport
&c
Artifcial Production Of Minerals and P,eoi0as
St0nes-A process has been explained 20 the Paris
Academy OF Sciences and patent obtained for. IL
whereby artificial stoHe OF every quality may be
produced from artificial granite 10 stat1ary mar
bic. This discovery will rank well with the des
cription Of an invention for obtaining oil from
stones-an account Of which was given in a prey
o1s. number Of these collections. Both appea ar
equally astonishiDg-but II may be so
This invention is il is said from It's cbespness a
great advantage tor all the purposes OF arch,tec-
tural decoration, and from It's plastic nature before
il becomes hard Of great service to sculPtors 10
taking casts Of statuettes, bgsts DC. aud even Of
figures OF the size Of ife. The cost, In all cases
where carving is required in stone in which this
composition is substitu ted IL less by nine teDths-