Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-22

FRANCOIS DOMINIQUE ARAdo, the distinguished French
Astronomer, died at Paris the evening Of SUNDAY ,s
st inst Hewas born at Estage the south If F,anea
and the Spanish frontier on February % zoe M
age was accordingly sxyseyen years and seven months
NJ ARAGo's life was eyentfu He allowed himself but
little tune Tor naction His profound scholarship and
great scientific abilities rendered his opinions much sought
after and his ready sympathy with popular movements
made him prominent actor in the French Revolution of
l04o which resulted in the establishment Of the Proy
sonal Government His father called by the Reyo-
luton Of 1892 to Perpgnan and distinguished himself
FRANCOIS mean time sent to school at Toulouse and
afterwards presented himself a candidate for admission
to the Polytechnic school at Paris At this institution
he gained place and celebrity and signalized himself
whle st youth by refusing his adhesion to the Com
sttuuon OF the Empire. On leaving the Polytechnic
school ne became attached to the Observatory at Paris
ana presently received order Join M Blor in the
measurement OF an arc Of the meridian in Spain
While young ARAGo was in Majorca war was declared
between France and Span and by curious pretence or
misapprehenson he was seized by the popuiace who
imagined pretended to believe that the fires used for
his purposes of measurement intended as signals for
the descent of the French troops upon the coast of that
island. The first attempt to mprison him failed bv his
escape in disguise to the coast but he was refused ad
mission to French vessel the Mysdque and was forced
to return and place himself under the protection az tia
authorities On his return he was assailed by the mob
and received asevere stab Finally escaping from prison
through the cornyance of the officials he reached AL
gers and reembaked for France but when the vessel
arrived within sight of Marselles she attacked by
Spanish corsair, and ARAGo again taken prisoner
Efforts were made by his captors compel him to the
declaration that he was an emigrant Spanard confess
sion which would have ensured them the Of the
vessel IN which he was but he stood firm and was i'm
prisoned lower dungeon was assigned him. and he
endured much suffering lucky circumstances procured
has release The Agerne vessel in which he had sailed
had carried two ions intended by the Dey as present
to the Emperor One Of the animals having died on the
passage ARAGo found to excite the anger Of the
Dcy against the Spanish Government for the seizure Of
the ship, and, the final result ARAGo was Eber
ty. He again departed for Algiers; narrowly escaped
destruction there under new dynasty made another
tempt to reach France, stopped by English naval
1909 Here he elected member of the Institute
The discoveries of Arago in science have been
and important His determination of the dameters of
planets was subsequently adopted by Lapace. His dis
coyery OF coored polarization and that of magnetism y
rotation gained him the Copley medal AS secretary Of
the Academy of Sciences he had vast field for research
and published many notices Of applications and dis
coyeries. lie was member of nearly all the scientific
societies of Europe and Of in this country paper
the physical constitution of the sum- submitted by him
to the French Academy, embraced many of his own in
yesgatons and results and comprised some remarkable
observations on the true plane of the in the universe
the conclusions of which may be generalzedn his
ton that the sun is star, and its physical constitution
is identical with that of the millions of with which
the armament is strewed"
1t was not alone scientific that Arago achiev-
ed celebrity He distinguished in literature in ora
tory and in politics During the brief existence Of the
Provisional Government in France in 1S48 he held the
important post of Minister of Marine and ably gcharg
cd its duties. Since the advent of Napoleon III. M.
Arago has not been known politically, but has devoted
himself with his accustomed industry to the pursuits Of
his profession