New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-17
SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION
Meeting Of the American Assoeiatien for the
Advancement OF science.
Specially RsPOrtsd for The Tribunel
FOURTH DAY.

Tze 4
70 the Publication Of the Final Geological sarvey
If that State, was rendered by SOLOMON W
ROBERTs Esq.
The Committee report that the important OBJ
iecs contemplated in their appointment has been
80 fsr sccomplished that an Act was passed by
The LeeiaIature Of Pennsylvania at its late 5ei-
,ion and approved by the Governor authorizing
The ratification of the Final Geological Report in
. ,tyle worthy Of the scientific Importance ofthe
subject and the geological wealth Of Pennsylvs-
nis. Il coptemplGtes az expenditure Of Thirty
Two Thousand Dollars for the purpose and the
work Is TO be done under the Iupenntendence OF
Professor Henry D. Rogers, the able 5eologst BY
whom the survey was made. The Committee
stste that the passage of the act is in great
roes.ure due TO the efforts Of Thomas J. Bigham
Fac. of Pittsburgh the members Of the Legisla'
turs having charge OF the bill. The Chairman
of the Committee appointed by the American
Annexation having gone 20 Europe, Mr. Roberts
communicated to Mr.. Bigham during the session
OF the legislature, the views and wishes OF the
Annexation 10 reference 10 the object which has
thus been accomplished. 49,
The Report was accepted and the Oommi''ee
discharged.
,i6c and economical results Of these inveStgR-
tions. He suggested course Of action regarding
Ohio. similar to that adopted by the Association
in reference TO PeDnSyy Gnia. Ii Is important
that the Geological Survey OF this State should
he completed. in order that the extent Of her
mineral wealth may be correctly ascertained.
Prof AGAssIz seconded the motion Of Prot. Hall
10 include Ohio. He considered it however OF
the utmost importance to select the men for car
wing on such Investigations. They should keep
in view the interests of Science, in connection
with observations useful to the general commu-
nifty. IL, W..
States would be included in the motion. lie al
luded particularly to ArkansaI which he thought
destined to occupy prominent position among
the neurological localities Of this country.
The next paper in order was communication
on The fleets Of the Areas Of Oceanic Temper
aturss on Meteorological Phenomena BY Capt.
WILKES, late Commander Of the u. S. Exploring
Execution The following is an abstract OF the
curious results announced by the distinguished
navigator
FFyICTs OF THE AREAS OF OCEANIC TEMPER
ATUREs ON METEOROLOGICAL PHENOM-
Capt WILKES, prefening, as he said to start
from well known landmarks, adverted to the
theories and hypotheses ia relation TO Winds and
Temperature OF those distinguished men, Had
ley and Haley. These theories had been pro
posed alter several centuries OF experience, and
have been since generally received. Our own
Franklin had laid it down az postulate that the
winds first felt came from the point from which
they appear to blow. From these points, Capt.
Wilkes would 10 part take bis departure He
exhibited a chart showing the areas OF tempera-
ture Of the ocean from 75o to go Fair whicE
demonstrated that belt Of hot water surrounds
- ae.1 . L..
observations of the Exploring Expedition.
Admitting that large portion OF heat Is con-
stanty generated from this remarkable belt 1t
will account for the heat we find in the tropical
zone and this is constantly going on, at night as
we'll ss during the day. Ii will be readily per
ceived that the belt must cause an immense evsP
Grafton and evolve great heat The large mass OF
rarefed air thus engendered must be supplied by
AIR rushing in from the poles on both sides, which
fully accounted for the lower currents out Oapl
Wilkes could not admit that the heated air that
rises goes back to the poles. There were no facts
10 prove it. and the air soon lost its Temperature
in the higher regions. He showed that In the
evaporation from large surface generating heat
cold air rushes in naturally, as into heated room
BE was not prepared 10 say how high, or at what
contact with the air, this was effected but be-
lieved that it il effected, and that it could be
proved that it does occur.
The proportion Of heated wateris greater 10 the
Northern than 10 Southern latitudes, and the
Trade winds Of the South Pacific are found more
irregular than at any other point. The South
East Trades Of the Atlantic and the North East
Trades Of the Pacific Capt. w. had found the
most regular. Now, this belt Of heated water
was the great cause OF these winds, but there
were anomalies in the vATiableness Of the Trades,
which he aGcribed to the immediate action Of the
sun, evident also in the diurna variations OF their
strength after passing the zenith and nsdir points
and this effect is Just sufficient TO account for the
anomalies, but no more. Capt w. went on to
prove that the South. + asst Trades particularly in
the Atlantic occur somewhat similar to the North.
East Trades in the Pacific. He called attention
TO another phenomenon-viz: the regular evapo-
ration and moisture, or deposition, that 10 con-
stantly occurring. From such q vast area Of wa
ter, e vaat evaporation must necessarily be going
on but we find winds blowing from the same d.
rection both wet and dry. In different countries
there 10 dry coast and e wet coast so that the
hypothesis Of moisture being borne by wind, from
one part OF the globe 10 another, Capt w. could
not admit. He did not believe such clumsy water
carriers would be employed by an All-Wise Being,
when the moisture can be so easily conveyed II
other ways and even propagate itself against the
currents OF air He addHced number OF instances
In proof OF this assertion, and detailed number
of curious facts, resulting in the conviction that
the moisture, on rising to the higher regions in
part loses the velocity Of the earth and is thus in
effect transported westwsrdly by the Earth 9
passing under or away from il, which shows the
reasons why the Essterly sides Of the Continents
should be subjected TO 4 greater quantity Of rain
than the Western aides, from the deposition pro
duced by encountering different Temperatures
over the land first taking place on that side, and
that in consequence the Western Continent re.
ceived its supplies from the Atlantic, while the
Eastern was supplied from the great cauldron Of
the Pacific.
At the afternoon session, Prof BAoHE read a
paper on the use Of the Zenith Telescope in de-
termining LAtitudes in the Coast Survey, by Tai
colts Method, and on the Reduction Of the OBJ
servstiOns. The following note upon the paper
explains il:
USE OF THE ZENITH TELESCOPE IN DErFR.
MINING LATITUDEs.
The object of this paper is to spread the use of
the Zenith Telescope and Of Talcotts method
among observers using field inStru nents for the
determination Of latitudeG. IL gives the nethods
L