New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-30
MemYmk daily Gribn,rs
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE AD-
VlNCEMENT OF SCIENCE.
TWELFTH MEETING.
From OaT 0~ [ Reportes.


BALrnoRE, April % isJs.
Although The attendance this tint mornn is less
than usual in the August meetings there are many Of
the familiar faces present. Dr. j. II. Gibbou hs. en-
tered .evera papers on Etynoogi,sl AMI Physiological
questions. Profs. Henry and Bsche are here from
Washington City and Prot. Lscopte from South Car
olns, Prof PIERCE proposes to read additional papers
on Anay teal MOrpbology and the tides in s,.urns
Rngs. Prof Lowering of Mass, to give US notes
the Australian Boomerang Womers; tina. realiz
OF Muncbausens weapon which after hitting the msrk
aimed at returns to the fee. of its master. Many other
members who have heretofore given interesting pspers
are present. and the appearances thst he meet
ing will be equal il interest If not in attendance Of
M rnbers, TO those previously held.
AZ TO- O'Clock The letting WAS opened with prayer
by the Rev. Dr. A. C.. Coke of this city. Ills Honor
the Mayor III babe tue members of the Association
w>lcome and in the name of the city thanked them
fr the honor they had done to baltimore 10 ceptlng
their in vta.on TO meet i'll this place. lie alluded 20
the historic IecteG with the locality
and TO i.s central geographical position, in reference
10 the internal improvements of the counsrysnd ex
pressed the conviction that these meetings had Ict
only their scientific, bat political value.
Prof A. Casweli, who had 10 the absence Of tee
President and Vice-Prejient of the S,eie.y been
elected President pro tempore, responded ~ terms
very cmPlimentsry 70 the city, and 70 its Chef mag
trate, the Hon. Thomas Swami. He assured the Jcs'
Committee that he also believed IN the prac utility
of Science is utility TO the mstera and also /, the
spiritual and intellectual nature Of mar
Prof. VIM. Gillespie Of Union College, Schenectady,
Was then elected eenersl Secretary place OF Prot.
VIM. CbsuveDet who was detained by Illness fom
attendance.
DIR. Wolcott Gibbs, Prof S:ephen Alexander, Dr. p.
y. Lynch, DR.. j. L. Leconte, /. A. Laphim, esq, AMI
Prof. j. ID. Dana, then elected to the Sanding
Committee.
Prof Bacte then moved 20 group the science unde-
TIE sections and b, in wfe. he conceived natara!
manner and his grouping was adopte< by vo'e OF tue
Association.
Aaer n half hours recess a large number OF new
members were elected and the Assoc On as divided
into two sectional containing Mathematics ana Yen
eral Physics, b Natural History Geology, hnology
SETON was organized by the election of PROF. j.
Henry az Chairman and Mr. j. ID. Runke as Secretary
Mr.. j. f. Higard, Prof. Coffin and Prof. Is ledsoe
were ele ted members of the Standing Committee OF
the Section.
Mr.. Mayer Of Baltimore read paper 10y Professor
LOoms on remarkable electrical phenomena in houses
of N.w.York city in cold dry winter weather. Sparks
of one quarter Of inch in LENGTH capable os Lighting
ras and even gniting ether could readily be obtained
from the finger of peron skipping across the room
OIL dry carpet. Mr.. Mayer also read coniirnstoy
paper from Prof *. John, who mento ned the beaut.
iul appearance Of the spark thus excited when gwen
to gilded wall paper.
Several gentle men orally coDii.nAd the statements
Of the easy generation of electricity in our dry Ameri-
CAD atmosphere.
Trof. Pence read note npoh the Atlantic Cotdal
lin. q, bas d up1n the Equilibrium Theory. Hs had
calculated the codal lines of the North Atlantic on
that theory as they would be if tnst ocean were
closed trsng sea- and briefly discussed the cause
Of the variation Of these theoretical from the actual
tits and their value in the empirical nvsstigson OF
a,tua tides.
The Rev. Thos Hill, of w altman, Their read psper
upon tystens Of coofdnates In plane. lie MAJ taken
position tbs: the simplest expression OF truth was
in general the bestexpresi0n-an on the o,her haad
hat truths which could be simply stated were gener-
y Of most value. Applying these principles to the
discussion of curves, he hal discovered eight curves
which had very simple laws but which had not here
oore b, en- noticed and he exhibited drawings OF them
Incidentally he alluded TO certain modes OF metamor-
pnoss, by which he conceived lines and curves con
pected by parallel wires, and generated new curves
by simple Blu. regular movements Of these wires.
Prof PIERCE expressed his interest In both points OF
Mr.. Hills paper. BE thought the subjects worthy Of
special investigation by mathematical minds, and said
tuat he had, 10 consequence OF Mr.. Hills previous
D, pr on the subject given some attention TO them
81 would unfold the results in paper tomorrow.
Section A Adjourned.
Was organized by appointing Prof swallow, OF Mis-.
souri,, Chairman, and DR.. Christopher johnson, OF
Baltimore, Secretary.
Prof. J. ID. Dana, DIR. q. I. jackson and DE-. ). q.
Nouia were chosen a. the Standing Com nittee OF the
Section. ~
After inc et ,usl efforts induce Dr. Gibbon to read
his paper the Section over to his opinion snst
the lumber in attendance was too small to make u
worth while to read anything, and voted to adJourG.
At tie close o. the days session niaety members nso
registered their names as in attendance.