Daily American organ., 1856-05-07

Alexanura, ~ agent iof Tue uellvery OF the D0Hy
Organ in Alexandria Orders may be left with
Henry Mansfield, Tobscconist, on Royal Street,
between King and Cameron streets.
iTHE SMITHSONIAN CosrRIBUTIoSs TO KSowLEDoE
The Smithsonian Institution published quarto vol
ume Of some three or four hundred pages, and H.
lustrated with large number of plates, last month
among the Contributions to knowledge" for the
present year II is . history of the survey of the
ancient Indian mounds of Wisconsin, by !. H. lap
ham, an experienced engineer and noted antigua
rian. He was employed to make these surveys and
researches by the Antiquarian Society of Worcss-
ter, Massachusetts, who presented the manuscript
TO the Smithsonian for publication, preferring to
reserve their funds for further research
The MSS. was laid before commission of noted
antiquarans who, after examination reported that it
contained much valuable Information concerning
the formation origin uses, and plans of structAre
of these ancient mounds and that in their opinion
it would be an exceedingly valuable paper to the
ethnologist =
Upon this report, the memoir was filed for pub
licaton in its turn That was in 1851 Last month
it was published. BY this time copy Of that pa
per is in its way to the library of every uni
versty and society in the known world. BY the
System Of exchange practsed by the Smithsonian,
IL is also in or on its way to every ruling sover-
eign's library, from that of President Pierce to
Louis Napoleons and from Queen Victoria's to
that of the Sultan All of these societies. unjver-
sites, and soveregns in turn send copy of every
work published under their auspices to the Smith
sonian, and by these means some Of the rarsst and
most costly works published, find their way to the
shelves of this institution. sgl 80 lsa. T
The Smithsonian is about to publish paper on
the Relative Intensity of the SUMS Heat and Light
The object of the investigation isto resolve the prob
lem of solar heat and light TO the extent OF the
principle that the intensity of the suns rays like
i,,xa tlo oc L.
distance, without resorting to any other hypothe-
sis. The principle is but geometrical conse.
quence of the divergence of the rays Of the sun.
The first part of the investigation was published in
Silliman's journal of Science for 1850 Since thep
considerable extensions have been made including
expressions for annual values.
The value Of this papet may be known from the
fact, that it was submitted to the usual commits
sion, which in this case, was composed of Prof
Pierce and Dr. Could both of Harvard University,
with the name of the author concealed. These
gentlemen upon perusing the paper, gave it as
their opinien that it was worthy publication among
the Smithsonian contributions to knowledge 1t
was written by L. w. Mech, a clerk in the Coast
Survey Office. ~
MADAME ADoLPHE.-The curious can find the
advertisements of this modern prophet in another
column. We have seen many commentators of
her, from the papers of the various cities where
Madame A. great powers of prescence. She her
self denounces fortune-teing and astrology as a
humbug, and rests her pretensions to knowledge of
the past present and future, on phrenology, phys
iognomy, physiology, and psychology.
The Norfolk Herald thus alludes to this remark
able lady
"This accomplished phrenologist and sympa-
thetist left our city this morning in the steamer
Augusta, for Richmond. During her stay here
the revelations which she made to her vsiters con-
corning their past lives, made, we learn, quite
an impression upon them, and they have all, with
out exception, pronounced her one of the most
wonderful women living
FIRE.-About eleven o'clock last night the sta
BILE on the grounds of r. Adams on Eighth street.
near the corner of L, was burned The rain was
pouring down heavily, and that with the labors of
the iremen prevented the fire from spreading TO
any Of the neighboring dwellings,
The horses and carriage were saved, but what
hay was stored there consumed.
We understand that there was some appearance
of row among the fremen for awhile, but that
1t resulted in nothing serious.
Last night six poor homeless wanderers sought
the shelter Of the watch-house and the tender
mercies of Captain Birch in preference to a night
among the board yards, and their other usual sum
mer retreats.
N
PATENT OFFICE PRoMoTIoN. H. Dodge,
late Assistant Examiner has been appointed Chief
Examiner in the Patent Office, vice VIM. Chaun-
cey Langdon, resigned, who retires with the high
est commendation of the Secretary of the Interior
and Commissioner of Patents, for the satisfactory
manner in which he discharged the important du-
ties of that office @
Mr.. Buchanan will be here on Saturday or Mon
day, after stopping one day, in Baltimore. Par
lors have been engaged for him at Guys National
Hotel. &t
HoRsE-sHoE ROBINSON - The dramatic version
of this fine story is still drawing good house Mr..
Boniface is enacting the chief character
FUNERAL.--The funeral of Mr. Benz c. Greenup,
who was killed on Monday night, by fall, while
on bis way with the Columbia company of which
he was a member, will take place at the Columbia
Engine House this afternoon, at two o'clock. All
his friends and acquaintances are invited to be
present.
MUsIc.-This afternoon we are to have music at
the Capitol grounds according to the announce
ment of the Union but five are any Judge Of the
weather, the only public musical entertainment we
shall have this evening will be the fall of the rain
npon the roof
The fishing season on the Potomac ia nearly
over. The "cotch" has been unusually good this
season.
The eth street Methodist Protestant Church
commenced holding sunrise prayer meetings Mon
day morning. We understand that the attendance
is very good
+ "a /. !.