The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-03

| caTt0Ouakc GIn00uteS.
The Smithsonian Institution has prepared set OF
queries relative to the observation Of earthquakes
and bas sent copies of these to South America. 1t
also furnished Lieut.. Gy with set of instruments
ior observations during his residence in Chill. These
Instruments, however, did not prove very reliable,
though he has made some valuable notes on the oc-
current direction, &C., of the earth-wave. The
nature OF the earth-wave is not yet well under
line, or space. In the first case the dire ,ton of
the mpulse would be that Of the radia Of circle
vded the elasticity of the earth is the same in all
directions. In two other cases the boundary Of the
] impulse will assume an eiptical form. The direc-
ton of the impulse might be mistaken by observer
not used to scientific observation. The impulse would
! tend in some cases to move the other under an
object, or, in other words body on the earth would
appear to move in opposite direction to that of
the impulse. Prof. H. stated that it was not impro-
babe that in some cases waves of translation of the
bending OF the earth s crust Of many miles across
might be transmitted through large distance. In
this case violent upward conclusion might be felt
| without the appearance Of crack or any local un-
| ulation of a limited extent
! Investigations in Analytical Morphology, No. 8;
Forms OF the Elastic Sack. BY Prof. B. Peirce, Of
Cambridge, Mass. give you nothing Of this paper,
because it will be made the subject Of popular lee
| ture before the close Of the session.
Professor HACKLEY, of New York, remarked with
regard to it, that the conversation which Prot. P.
alluded to, viii c he had held with Mr.. Agassiz rela
tive to ramifcation OF morphology some depart
ment of natural history, showing certain very ra-
tional analogies showed the Importance OF scientific
men being associated in universities for mutual aid in
all Investigations
Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth and the visible
Hemisphere Of the Moon, with coDjectures as to the
Structure and Appearance Of those portions Of the
Moon which are Invisible. By Prof Stephen Alex
ander, Of Princeton.
The following is an abstract of Prof. AS paper,
which was beautiful and suggestive, although it may
partake more of "moonshine" than is usual in the
Vaccinations Of that learnedly exact gentleman It
m
"An attempt will be made to show that the disk
spots of the moon which were formerly designated
as seas, are really analogous to the eastern conti-
nent of the earth in all the several respects of gene
raj FORM situation, and relative extent and that the
difference of the level Of the dark as compared with
the bright portions of the visible surface Of the moon
question would require. That all this is, moreover,
consistent with the conclusions of Prof Ponzi with
respect to the peculiarities Of structure of the
several varieties of lunar volcanoes That the
extension of these analogies itself affords foun.
daton for conjecture to the variety Of surface
and the appearance which would be presented
by the other hemisphere Of the moon, which is for
the most part, visible to u.s. the appearance being
that of the western hemisphere of the earth, seen
from the distance Of the moon in the plane of the
earth equation, and in the meridian Of 12O west
That it seems, moreover, to be worthy Of ques-
tion how far singular anaogies may exist in the ar.
raDgements of other bodies of the solar system"
Prof. LOOMS doubted whether Prof. AS infer
ences that the mountains in the southern hemis-
phere OF the moon measured from lower level;
but thought that the mountains themselves might be
considered higher. He proposed, in q test of the
logic, the example OF the noun tans Of Mexico and
OF New England. Suppose we find the average
height OF the mountains Of Mexico to be 1900 feet
above the level of the sea- those of New England to
be 1000 feet dove infer that the Mexican noun
tains are measured from lower level
Prot. ALEXANDER said he had not compared any
New England of the moon with any. Mexico Of the
moon; but hac extended his comparisons to all the
continental ports and all the seas ESQ supposedly O.
the moon. He was tart and severe. But he thought
that even il he had confined his comparisons to
tions, similar conclusions might be arrived at; for it
would still be analogous to what is observable in the
earth.
The member from New York, who is evi-
IDENTIFY determined to have great deal to say and
read, whether it has point not found Prof. Alex
ander with his gloves off.
The paper following, closed the morning session
On the Measurement of Heights by the Barometer.
BY Prof. E. Loomis of New York.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
sEcTIoNA A.
Professor Caswel in the chair. The exercises
commenced by the reading of the following paper,
which Professor Bache very amply illustrated by q
large and beautiful diagram" On the tides of the
Western coast of the United States, from observa-
tions at San Francisco, California, in connection
with the United States Coast Survey. By Professor
A. d. Bache, Superintendent, Washington.
The following abstract gives, as well as may be,
an idea Of the paper. 1t is impossible to give an
adequate conception of the labor Of the survey made
without the proper maps The paper relates to one
of the most interesting points in whole country,
and will be preserved for reference by the thousands
Of readers on the far-oT Pacific shore, who, with
every navigator that enters the Pacific waters, will
benefit by its indications.
Tidal observations have been made in connection with
TIL photography Of the Coast Survey at points
on the Western coast agreepg 10 showing the in
teespg fact OF the large durna usy of the tides
aheady traced by Mr. Whe cell, in the 90 gaons at
the Russian settlement Of ska The diurual inequality
considerable than In Europe and the diurna
of interval il also well ked but both require hume
carefully made observations to establish taeir laws
in consequence Of tho particular relation bet the
semi -durns and du,nal On the Gu1 OF Mexico,
wess Of 81 Georges Island the seai d.urnal tide Y
is quite small At Key West, ard along the Western
Coat Of Florida, where the rpal quality Is large,
the whole Tie and fall of W tide Is small rendering
observations ia blniu reliable nu ner
cal results The saDs is nos th. case On the Western
ot Eva made for short period through
ounsl'y Ige dlurnsl Inequality as the most re.
orc phecogtnln OF the tides. " oecomes
e. of great practical Importance to the navigator
r in san Francisco bag, rock which has three aud
half feet of water upon 1t at the morning high water
ney be swash a. high wa'er of the afternoon; and
chors Of which the souudiDgs reduced 20 mean lon
water will have accurate significance, being liable to
an Of the soupdngs either low water OF the
dsy, cf 1S IT, The resutts which / present and
20 discuss IRE OF two series tides observed in
ection with the Coast Survey az Rncon Point, in the
cit oc Ssn Franoisco Csfoi nt. The obetvstiops
msde uudcr the direction Of Lieut. comme uding James
Alden q NJ, of the assistants in the Coast Sur
Wv itev made hourly except about the tines oil
high end 10y water, when the regular intervals we're
eftceu minutes and the attempt made TO seize the
ri,cie tim Of high low The 6rst series
tended from January IL TO February ID, 1867, and
she socoDd from January % to February Ii, 1853.
Another Get OF eiplsr observations made at San
celtic on the northern ride of the bay of san Fsncco,
hut rot with the ame care which appears to chayac-
tsrize these the results ia the general accoreant
i-h those dedu ced from the Rncon Point series. The
reduction II the work OF 1852 made by Me- w. W.
Gu don and that OF 1858 BY Messrs Fairfield, Mitchell,
nnd Heater of the tidal Marty at the Coast Survey ofce.
TIC f. of 1852 projected in the shown on
doar0m where the absosf@ represeIts the time from
cyptsr o hous yht and vie ordnats REPRESENT the
lcsbr The scaie II such that the intervals between
the csl lines espord 70 two hours and between
the horizontal Inca 70 half foot. Tho curve begins
With midnight of the csendar day Jan. 1Gtb, IL n, add