The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-12
NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION.
Amerfcan Association for the
ts'a Advancement "a Science.



Spocisl Report Of tho New York HersIa.
THE FIFTH DAYS PROCEEDINGS CONCLUDED.
SECTION A PHYSICS AND NETEoRoLoGY
This section was intensely interesting The papers
very Ds on the
Position Of the several Glasses with respect TO the
Primary Cause or lnitatory Processes-by Lorn
Biodget. Of Washington, was continuation OF Mr.
Nodget's summary in mete0rology, for the Smiths0-
Structures on the Mechanical Explanation of the
Zigzag Path OF the Electric Spark BY Prof. o. N.
Stoddard of Miami University.
The xigEag path which the electric spark usually de-
sorbes e oIs II the most marked among the varied phs
oossss q sSi. sssdssul agent Says Bot " The zgssg
1rsssioa Of the air In font which turns il fron it,
:ourrs TIE cir is again compIea.sd and thu spark
of the explanations given and which, distinotions
Aks can mechanical 1t assumes that the spark in ts
7hAt any other body would under the same cirsum.
ntaScea me same method Of solution used La est mating
re d.tabiag effect OF an eeotac medium upo. body
govern the detection Of body. by lateral force from
1ectDear COURSE In which IL moving, al govern here
The terms Of tho explanation shut up o0adi
Mons, and We are not sowed in the invest to in
REDUCE supposihons or draw conclusions which virtu-
AIsy (As is in the above explanatory within the pro
sinoe Of mechanics then py the laws Of mechanics it
snpnsrsa h. the sgsas path Of the electric spark Is
Dwisg to e compression of the atmosphere in 'front.' in
vcves ssvsrei ssppositions First, that the electric
AgAe OF that which produces these phenomena itself
body, cold, liquid fluid and indepetde Of the
dun which II naversss. Secondly that the spark
not symmets icsl inform, &c.
That electricity is natural body Just Is disa ct from
and independent Of other forms of matter they
each othsr it is necessary here to afrA or deny
That there s In every electric discharge mass Of nat
ter passing from point to another may be questioned
MAT the superstition which structures
raves option II must DO matter o. kind
pablo Of accumulation within definite Knit-of being
ivnknu
si..gs Of state In word. Il must have ali
that it is body. and that the spark is caused by
it's motion through resisting medium, then It
body moving in homogeneous medium If uniform dsa-
ty would not be detected fr' right line unless the
resistarce greater side than another.
perfect sphere in motion atmosphere of uniform
sasiy could be changed from its original direction
by the retsnce Of that atmosphere, however great II
might be. The resistance the right Of tine line OF d.
sectop woba be counrerbaanced by equal amount on
the lsft ie resistance above by equal below
A 6eAeoNo0 from right line cannot take plsos in
sviug body, unless there DC greater force
ahAn sIctber and such Of forces exists
She present therefore detection could not occur
The would hold true OF regular body, provided
the line along which it comedies with any princi
pal which the parts Of the body sym
posed Of strata Of different density, In tbs case
II atmosphere, then the electric spark. II its
describe straight line It seems hardly necessary to
Stale here what obvious to possessing
t.oviedgs q the ssssr. PRINCIPLES Of %schascs-hst
i could not possibly be zgxsg But supgoes 20 grant
that - spark not syDmetricalthat it may change
alsng its pstA then the limo could not become
broken The Of pressure side Of the
spark arising from the condensation Of the ,sphors
would indeed produce deviation, but the Ia simply
that in which body Il acted upon By mpuisive
curved path will inevitab be the result, A Sgzag
path would in this be marked transgression of
physical laws q the supposon OF some of the ancient
nh rhA~e that h. ahu IN
sArtA fell by succession OF cps The last supposi.
tsnthat the spark ia turned It's by meeting
with strata OF varying neglects the fact that
these vazatess constitute regularly sing de-
srsAsng SERIES and the number of strata becomes in
II .rrSsr "a each iasssossy mall saaiD for@nr
havs not deemed T. enter 1T all into
detail IN presenting this and for the oSvou.
that the principles involved simple aud their
application direct tina, statement Of them all
that Ia needed to bring the subject fully within the
nne case which peibaos does really exist viz that the
ppsrk not only impeled from point IL given drec
oa but that the point ~ards which it is impeled
ssuscts This neglected bscsuse the TIVE forcss
in the time, the i'm peing the other attract.
thee fcrcss are found to 10 variabls then the cur
would be changed in form but it you'd st.i be
IT, then. we giant all the premises embraced 10 tho sx
yanaticp stated ut the oeginncg viz that hs electric
spark material independent body aad t1ss it is
rot symmetrical Ia form, even then the path can
. straight ano occurs, it must be ia curves.
The or,y importance which attach to decision Of
exist Bet the spa'k and the nud;um which il is
produced cot the true II is not my intention az
tits tine 20 sttsmpt any expaoaoo Of this peculiarly
in the electric discharge; the period has not for
anything more tnsu PROBABLE conec urs The indica-
lions eed enough to the direction in which the
SutL is 70 be sought lhAt II viii be found ultm sicily
that the relations Of electricity matter Of mole
oular chsncter IL than probable but the precise
e.udticuA ef these relations yet be sseasd Pro
fesso, Fsnsdsys staterenr, though not exp,aatin
may embrace the elements OF one, to b. modified
wrought into form by succeeding isborers The II ate
Of fhc Ii.
resultant d all the ilductiys forces acting through
ard ny the instrusasutslity Of the medium ia
sver caute or causes produce rregulsrty in the
action Of tbess forces. would produce corresponding
not fail to perceive tina. line of discovery electr
uaty nd ia those which hold intimate re.a
po. though that may BE- eseaed The
way sesus 10 be preparing for some sublime gsners,sa
on, vhich shall include these related sciences under
ssme great law as general as that which holds the
beavers ard the earta in its grasp. Win IL be out of
place to suggest in this connection that tue Individual
Who fhsn 6Lsy eliminate from the vast collection of
materials this Law and By explain, not only what is
regular but What seemingly Irregular will stand side By
ede with the great hour that
coverY il not arciiui 10 suppose, viii be sgcased
above every other perod In the annals OF sciences Is
tbs exesqesatiory Wait little time will show !:
science the product OF eternal ages Afford to bie its
time.
Theory of Molecular Forces, explanatory Of the
gaseous, liquid, and solid conditions OF matter
by Prof. J. l.. Riddell, of New Orleans.
Illustrations OF Cohesion. By Prof. Joseph Henry,
Of Washington.
On Modification of Soloils Polarising Apparatus
for PROJECTION, BY Prof Joseph Lowering Cambridge
This was illustrated by diagrams, and could not be
reported.
On the Bar0meric Pressure in Extreme Latitudes,
and the Existence of Belts Of Low Barometer in the
Arctic Regions. BY Lorip Bpdgot, of Washington.
On Optical Meteorology. by Prof. Joseph Love-
ring, Cambridge.
Before closing the list of papers, l wish to give
she following which is an abstact of the very int
resting remarks Of the professor alluded to a few
days since. The paper caused as much merriment
- any ever heard read before the association
Professor ALExANDER remarked that it would be
unnecessary 70 state to his present audience that
hrge body OF liquid Mt present exists in the moon
and that If he should have occasion to speak Of
portions OF the moon oceanic and others as con-
finental, that would be but as an indication that
they heretofore possessed the respective characters
which those terms would Indicate He remarked,