New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-20
PRovIDENcE, Friday, Aug. L, 1855.
MOREIEG SESSION.


MOREIsG SESSION.
The Association met at 10 O'Clock.
DIR. PETERS mede s}me remarks on the last paper
OF yesterday. He would conclude from the data of
Prof PeIee that the catacysm of tho contact of the
ing would occur about 1893 instead OF 1885, But
Sruve has strangely omitted the observation of Bes-
sel made with the heliometer more accurate instru
meut than the flar mcrOmetcr used by Strive at Dor
pat and by Encke and Gale at Berlin. BY using these
data the time would be reduced that the present
generation may hope to see 1t.
Prof PEncE thought the data too imperfect to use
in calculation Of time 1t does not appear certain
that it is not vibration which will go on in cue time
to seoede again from the plapet But Of this we can
as yet obtain 10 evidence.
Prof JAMES II AL gave some notes upon the genus
GrGItoithus The genus Graptodthus includes now
abcut ten species of SSH Eemains, most of which are
American, and Of some of which Prot. Hal has re-
Gently found better specimens than ever before They
aye compound animals q. the family Bry0zoa the low
est tyne of the class MOusca. They consist of kind
of Iooiafi1g frame apparently covered IN whole or IA
part with kind of web as 10 resemble the rays and
doth of a pITasol. But they DO nO. radiaie from
center but IRON two ,ds OF line by bhurcatlon or
trCt otocny 70 e. to preserve q bilatera symmetry
The separate rays only have generally been observed
which have been referred TO CephalOpods OF Radiata
They appeared 10 be tubes with one or two rows OF
seIatues on their edges The Professor nov regards
these notches each part OF simpl animal, and
that where there il but of serratures visible II
is because they 50 folded to hide the other.
Prof AGAssIz thought the case before us a good
example of the difficulties with which the fossil zoOo-
eist has to contend Who would ever make out the
structure ard use Of this tool the pafaso by finding
only eli Gle sticks OF one The difficulty Is srea or IN
q compound animal, for if man substituted the laws
thnt hold q community together for the physiological
L., mail fl.h ne cot
" dey sstray. But Prot. Agassiz had met something
very ike the Greptothus amOrg the marine animals
of Key West, furnished him by the Coast Survey.
And here we fnd further instance Of the fact that
apcient races extinct in the Eastern Hemisphere, are
sili IoITeJonied by 'eg species IN ,he New World.
The next paper was on the Wilmington Gunpowter
Explosion OF 3lst May lsJ4 by Prof OLNsTEAD.
On 3ist May, 1854, three wagons from Duponts Mills
we've pss-ing through Wilmington, Del each with
l50 banes OF Gunpowder about T. 900 barrels in all
exploded dtmoishing buildings and destroying life.
such Wagors accustomed 70 pass that route
daily iOr tfty yoaTs Tie regulations prescribed had
fallen into disuse. They had left the mill az distances
Of hslf an hour but had got within twenty-five feet
Of each other Wishing 10 trace out anhIOgles be-
tween iAis explosion aud rome phenOmenz OF lorna
does. Prcf. Olmstead wrote Bl,aOp Lee whose house
was destroyed, and received IA answer FROM his son
sCle interesting fGcis TIE cause OF tie explosion
foes cot fpneHr. but Il k Known that tgO OF the
wee smoking by the side OF their teams. Some OF
he phenomena were surprising. splinter from
NeIeiiGu blind Wes blown through an Inch board,
uok.De ss smooth a hole as if pointed with steel
Metals were often displaced. The shoes were tJrn of
the loes feet castOTs from furniture and hinges from
doors and wsgOl-tiTe was torn of aud s.ra .htened
and ore piece left on hill quarter OF q mile Of
Windows were Destroyed for the distance Of more than
nile. Those near the spot burst in, those
IN iher of hsd the windows burst in the Others
out; those further of were oil burst out. A piano
oTer tie SPOT little injured; closed fur
ther of, burst open anj nearly ruined The effect
on the animal system 70 prodsce sense OF suffo
cation al FIST and efierward soreness OF the throat
or even heuoPfys.s. Many were carried some feet
and dropped erect. man on no. ebask was
Mted Of the saddle and dropped nto i again But
the nos w0udrous eject exhibited by three de-
yIsss.oIf ThsTe tie We. ons tad s;ooi Tie one IN