Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-09-06

null share Of attention al this meeung o. ING
Several papers read detailing the results Of experimsn
and good deal Of discussion followed on two several days
Prof Hoord Of Cambridge who supcrineDded the Pendu
lum experiments at Bunker Hill, gave full account OF
them Professors Caswel and Norton, of Brown University
conducted series Of experiments jointly at Providence ana
presented the results 10 lucid paper Prof. Dana OF New
Haven also presented elaborate paper giving bis expert
mens and mathematical formulas on tAe subject Among
those who took part in the discussion Prof Perkins, O. tne
Normal School at Albany, and Lieut. Hunt of United States
Engineers presented the subject in and interesting
points of view. The subject excited general interest," ana
there many who had something to say upon pu the
result Of the whole only showed that the phenomena Of ne
pendulum have not yet been fully mastered OF c'eaiy
explained.
Prof Horsfod also described the effect of the heat OF the
sun on the perpendculsiy Of Bunker Hill Monument as
shown by the pendulum. In the mornings when hot sun
Is upon the east side Of the monument il ncnes little 70
the west AT noon it nclines slightly the north north
west and towards night the inclination to the eastward
The variation does not exceed half hreequsres OF an
inch But may that be sufficient in time to crumDe tne
structure down and lay it level with the dust
The subject of mete biological observations was mucn os
cusee and considered Of very great Dy
association Prof Guyo Of Cambridge read an interesting
paper the progress Of the system OF meteorological
vaons conducted by the Smithsonian Institute and urging
the importance of the of that system throughout
the American continent He presented diagrams OIL Cross
sections of North America showing the comparative eeva
ton Of different parts Of the continent and It's general lea
lures aud marked out the psn Of the most eecua
s that the region Of the Rocky Mountains much ore
elevated than the region between the Rocky Noun
ains and the Atlantic. This fact IL believed TO nave an I'M
porant influence the me,eoroogy OF Inc continents and
shows the necessity Of very extensive observations before
general deductions be made. There are but about nifty
places of yet established when there ought to be
many hundreds and thousands The Professor pre-
sented Of the instruments provided by the Smithsonian
Inst uon for conducting these observations and pronounced
them the best that could be obtained This questioned
by some and Prof. Renwick, of Columbia College, New
York, named by other manufacturers which ne pro-
nounced superior. Prof Henry said this was very i'm.
portant matter, and should be thoroughly tested. The
Smithsonian Institute making great outlay to carry on
these meteorological observations. They aimed to obtain the
best instruments the world could afford and he wished Prof.
Renwck have opportunity to provo his assertion true II
be could He moved therefore to 60 into separate meteo-
rologica secon and have the whole subject thoroughly dis
cussed This accordingly done and the result was, after
long examination that committee, to whom the whole was
referred, reported entirely in favor of the instruments provided
by the Smithsonian Institute and Of the entire plan Of uni
form system Of observations throughout the continent In
the State of New York the Smithsonian system Of meeoro
logical observations is already established to considerable
extent.
An extensive and elaborate Of observations on the
tides the has been conducted for long me and is
still continued by the gentlemen attached to the United States
Coast Survey Some of these observations have been la
borous embrace hourly records for the whole time dur
ing the year. Prof. Bache superintendent of the survey,
presented two or three papers showing the results Of the OBJ
servaons thus far and illustrated the subject BY extensive
diagrams. These observations conducted near Key
West Floda and Cat Island Louisiana, and were the
nice and difficult from the fact that the tides there are
very small rising sometimes but few inches, and at some
OF the stations believe generally less than foot Yet these
dwarf tides and :" half tides and durnal and seml-durnal
tidal wives observed with such and mnutenes
bring the general laws both OF their separate and COM
bined motions and reduce them to mathematical formulas.
The observations to be continued and more full results
given hereafter It will present curious instance of the
phenomena Of nature in field being reduced to mathe-
NAUTICAL laws. s
Prof Horsford read paper on the permeaby of certain
metals by ercury showing that mercury will penetrate them
as water will soak through soft wood. Prof Henry made
remarks the subject stating that ne had formerly
made extensive experiments of this kind not only with mer
curry but with other metals. For instance silver will per-
meate bar Of copper under certain degree of heat He
once silver platter in Philadelphia. and asked him
he troubled with the loss Of his silver when plating
copper He replied that he that the silver some
times burnt off manner that they could not account Tor
and knew not how prevent Prof Henry asked him tc
let him instance of the operation The artist accord
ingy took bar Of copper with silver it, and exposing
certain degree Of heat the silver disappeared Prof
Henry then applied galvanic battery to the bar, and thu
silver again restored to the surface showing that instead
being burnt off had only sunk beneath the surface Of the
copper The silver platter much delighted and remarked
that If he had known this before it might have saved him
| hundreds Of dollars.
But find am able at present to glance at only few
the important and interesting subjects of those which
had the opportunity hear discussed Among those which
deserve particular menton was one py Lieut. MauTy,
Washington, on the geological agency Of the winds
This quite extended paper decidedly able and nte
resting The paper on the qualification Of the rocks Of the
Florida reefs by Prof Horsord, interesting chapter
Of the physical changes which our earth 10 gradually under
going And the paper Of Prof Stephen Alexander, Of Prince
ton College, the origin Of the forms, and the present
condition Of the clusters Of stars and receivable nebua
able and sublime speculation the movements
the infinite number Of spheres that circulate in obedience
| harmonious laws throughout infinite space.
BIRD'S.EYE.