Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-22
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
New YoRK, JANUARY II, 1853.

breathing animal. Such hypothesis mightalmost be
said to derive confirmation from the lecture given In
this city last evening" Messrs Editors, by your own
townsman, Lieut. MAURY, the able and industrious
Superintendent Of the National Observatory. / do
not mean to be understood that Mr.. MAURY called
the earth living animal but he certainly did
make it very clear that it has lifebood circulating
through all its parts, with much regularity and ODE
dience to general law the blood that susains animal
e His subject the and its currents His theo
ry of currents very plausible and interesting
Sea water is found to be the thing all the earth
A drop from the Atlantic the Pacific, any other
sea, when Analysed is to produce the
results Hence Mr. MAuRY believes that all these waters
constantly mnge with each other and circulate in harmo
ny about the earth by of regular established laws
The principal of currents he believes to be
the salt held in solution in these waters which renders
them heavier Of greater specific gravity than fresh
water. The immense amount of evaporation constantly
going on especially in the ATTITUDES takes up
from the surface only fresh water leaving the salt which
it contained to increase the sadness of the surface water
evaporated This increase of sadness gives additional
weight specific gravity to the surface water and
it to move in perpendicular current downward. And
this waters descends the lighter beneath must
give place to it, and off in lateral currents by what
channels they may find Hence find strong under
setting out from such the Mediterranean
and Red Sea into the oceans And hence too in the
great the general law is that Of undercurrents
from the equator toward the poles and
in the opposite direction striking exemplifcaton Of
this observed by the Grnnell expedition when in
search of Sir John Franklin The vessels became asten
ed in floating surface ice and this condition drift
ing south. At the time large iceberg which of
settled deep in the water dred by them to the
north.
This interchange of waters from the equator to the
poles must have material effect upon climates and the
equazing of the temperature Of the 1t might be
very likely to keep open around the north pole,
and may be the of preserving Sir John Franklin
and his companions if they yet alive.
have merely glanced at the leading point ofMr. MAU
RVS lecture There other which affect the
currents such the secretion by shefsh Of the
lime, &C. held in solution by the But if the
fresh water if evaporation took place from its
face he believed there would be such thing the gulf
stream other great current In speaking Of the
gulf stream he gave vivid idea of its temperature
nected with its breadth and volume of water by remark
that the heat of the gulf stream if in
smaller channel, would be sufficient to melt and keep
in motion river Of molten iron large the Mis-
sissipp."
This lecture given in the Broadway Tabernacle, to
audience Of two thousand 1t one of the
Peoples course" series of lectures got up the plan
of inviting able and distinguished lecturers and putting
the tickets twelve and half cents in order enable
all classes Of people to enjoy the benefit of rstcass
lectures.
Never before have lectures been in such vogue in
New York and vicinity during the present
Their number has truly been legion that is to say, al
most nnumerable They fairly divide the honors with the
theatres and other places of amusement This fashion of
L.
parts of the country and has already become marked
feature of the times 1t viii probably have an important
and valuable influence in the diffusion Of knowledge.
The great topic Of interest in this metropolis at the pre-
moment is the motive power exhibited in the
" calorc engine, invented by Capt Ericsson. Our pa
pers of to-day you viii see filed with accounts Of
the trial trip Of the ship Ericsson yesterday which
have proved the satisfaction Of all that the
perfect triumph of science and that
the invention of the most important and valuable of
all modern time There is good to believe that it
is speedily take the place Of the steam engine both
land and sea, doing away with fourhs of the cost of
steam, and all the danger The cylinders of the Ericsson
fourteen feet in diameter and capable of prope
ling her of two thousand two hundred tons ten
twelve miles an hour The power is increased by
largng the cylinders and Capt Ericsson estimates that
with cylinders of twenty feet diameter speed would be
obtained far exceeding any thing aaoat 1t begins
to be thought that byand-by voyage the Allan
tic may be safely made in week Larger ships with
gnes greater power win speedily be built The propre
tors of the Ericsson it is said have determined to build
half dozen Immediately, Of them large four
thousand tons.
Who calculate the important effects this invention
may have upon the history and condition of the world
when shall bring all the nations of the earth much
each other and facilitate to such wonderful
degree the commerce and intercourse between them
Man has q grand future earth before him, and his
proudest theatre for centuries is doubtless to be
this continent. The vivid and prolific magma
ton hardly picture the progress that viii be made
and the state of things that will probably EXIT century
hence.
The Of politics with may almost be called q
dead sea-" At any rate, it is enjoying a dead calm.
We awaiting with patience to see the new Admins
traon under SAIL in the hope Of seeing wise and
vave patriotism at the helm and good ship Of State
bounding her way rejoicing in prosperity. Should
that hope fail patriotic hearts and hands again
struggle for the rescue.
When friends meet in the street for moments chat,
they generally part at last with gancng remark the
weather therefore add that, up this twelfth day of
January our oldest inhabtant' hardly remembers so
warm winter The rivers and the lakes stil open But
the charm is broken at last and to-day having
furious Yankee down-east snow storm. God save the
poor mariners
The appearance Of Senator PHELPS in Senate
rial seat, filing Mr.. Upham's vacancy, on Tuesday
morning, impressed people with the wonderful
change that has been wrought Of late years in the
of inteipence The telepranh eent