Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-11-10

DrArH AND BURIAL OF ARAGo.-The
Paris correspondent of the New York
Commercial gives the following account
of the death and burial Of Arago, the
great natural philosopher:
PARIS, Oct. 6, 1858.
Francois Arago died last Sunday,
(Oct. 2, at the age of 81, with the
reputation of being the most thorough
natural philosopher of his epoch. He
was elected to the Academy at the age
of 90, for his success in measuring the
distance between Barcelona and the
Beleare Islands. The object was to find
the exact length of the arc of the ter
restrial meridian, comprised between
the North Pole and the Equator. The
ten millionth part of this had been
adopted by the convention as the unit
in the decimal system of measurement.
fThis part is the metre, or French yard,
or SO inches, about. The legal meas
ure for large distances is the kisometre,
or thousand yards-and for small dis
tances, the centimetre, or one hundredth
part of a yard From this date to his
death, he labored 16 hours a day on
the most extended range of subjects
ever embraced by one brain. He was
astronomer, chemist, logist, legislator,
rural and political economist, meteorolo-
gist, botanist, anatomist. For thirty
years he has been the acknowledged
head Of the Academy, and has been
director of the observatory nearly as
long. He represented his department
in the Chamber of Deputies throughout
the reign of Louis Philippe. He was
a member of the Provisional Govern
ment in 1848, as Minister of the Mar
inc. 1t was he that received the
American deputation at the Hotel de
Vile. In the insurrection of June, he
went through Faubourg St. Marceau,
accompanied by drummer only, ex-
horting the people to lay down their
arms He refused the oath of fidelity
to Louis Napoleon, after the coup
d'etat. An exception was made in his
favor, and 1 believe he was the only
one of a Governmental institution, that
retained his position without taking the
oath.
However, Napoleon had lately exiled
his brother, which perhaps accounts for
this rare exercise of leniency. Arago
was seized with diabetes, three months
ago, and suffered acutely but resignedly.
On his death bed, and on the day of his
death, he revised for new edition, his
tract on thunder, and sent one of his
secretaries to find out the exact length
of certain undulations in given column
of air. Three hours before his death,
he said to NJ. Biot-his colleague in the
meridian experiments in Spain-1
must hand in my resignation as perpetu-
al secretary of the academy, as l can
no longer fill the duties" Every well,
do" replied NJ Blot, "and we will all
come in procession to give it back to you,
and reproach you for your ingratitude. I"
He died without struggle, at six in the
evening, at the observatory, which he
inhabited
The funeral, which took place yester-
day was exceedingly impressive. The
grand gate of the observatory was hung
with black, as was the church to which
the body was taken. The procession
was led by three regiments of infantry,
commanded by two generals of brigade.
This was an intention | should not have
expected of the Government were it not
that Arago was grand officer of the
Legion of Honor, and entitled to mill
tary escort. Louis Napoleon was rep
resented by the Grand Marshal of the
palace, and by the Minister of the Mar
inc. This was because Arago had
been himself, at one period, Minister Of
Marine. The chief mourners were
Jaques Arago, who is blind, and Eman-
uel and Alfred Arago, the sons of the
deceased. The pail was borne by NJ
Blot, by NJ. Gardchaux, Minister o.
Finance under the Republic, by pupi
of the Polytechnic school, literature
journalism, statemanship, and certainly
10000 workmen, carrying black ever
lasting in their hands, (amaranths dice
black for funeral purposes.) The raiI
fell in torrents the whole morning, anC
yet the procession was an hour and {
half in passing given point.