The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-06
THE SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION.
meeting or tho American Association for the
AdvaLcsmenr OF Science.

SRIsGnELD, nAsz August 6, 1859
thursday afternoons was largely attended by
bosI seSes' In section A, paper read by Pfoessor
A. ID BsSoe emitted Gan Abstract OF tie Principal Re
suits OF tue Observations for Temperature Al Van Rensse
lAer Harbor, North Greenland made by the second Grin
nell Expedition, under Com maud OF Or. X Kaoe o. 8.
NJ during 1858, 1854 1855 The lowest Temperature
observed was sxty six degrees below zero in February
1854 and the highest city degrees above JAR
OF the same year July the hottest March the
coldest month Of the year. The range Of temperature
sev ny three degrees The regularity OF the progress
temperature when the above the horizon
remarkably with the irregularities the opposite
An investigation Of the effect Of wind upon the TEN.
peraiure showed that winds generally tended to raee
and calm 10 lower the temperature Daya Of calm were
more frequent Than windy days, including all tho winds
That blew The difference Of temperature OF the ,s
ard coolest winds nearly three degrees Of FArenhe
The wNmest wind blew from the Spitzb egen Sea- and
the coolest from the northern part Of the American CONT
nent The bearing Of this result upon the probable
is'ence o. an open Polar Sea obvious, and the
more striking that the winds which were recorded
- from the s. E., S. and S. w., being re-.
ferred to the compass directions, actually blew
from 'he true N. E., EN.E and E.SE
The ial Of rain or snow raised the temperature the
average during the year. degrees and euhs
above the mean. In seventeen months there were $50
hsurs Of snow and 60 Of rain, the falling every
month in the year and the rain only July. The season
Of full Moon with coudless nights corresponded to the
lowest fall Of temperature, result which attracted Dr.
ksnes especial attention rhe period for the recurrence
OF cold was found from tho d, be nearly TWEEN
eight days The highest temperature occurred at new
winds from the true NE and Sc. The occurrence
OF cold in May, pointed out by Professor Dove,
in 1854 to the 18Th OF be month Tbs Son,s
Of Z, Q, 0, adopted by the Smithsonian Institution
,or observation, as Pvicg the mean temperature OF
the day even u that high latitude result
which correct within tsnths Of degree; the
same hours with the last taken twice gave the mean re
suit within ess than one tenth Of cegee. The surface
temper aluls Ct tie found bs constapi a.
rs Deg. MN Fahrenheit during the winter mocths and
tie sheat IN July was 80 deg. min Fahrenheit
Prct.sor EsNRY here rose and said these facts are OF
ne highest interest and tend 70 prove that heavy dc
was 'esd oy Professor Wocot Gibbs, OF New York on
Platinum Me'as me substance Of ths treatise
sepas aIrg ,bem which was exceedingly TECHNICAL and
Only comprehensive TO the scientific portion the aunt
ehce The gravity OF osmcioium was 10 IS, and
be same mt III from California could not be fused with
the flame OF b compound olow pipe.
Ala p H. the sections Adjourned The whole town by
nat time wsa in corrmorou on account of the coraipg
evee 10 be held by the LADIES Of this city the City Ha
BE- eight ocoek Ia the evening ninety guests had regis
tereu their rames at the Massasor Among those from
New York ware Cyrus W. Field and George Folsom
Carriages completely filled the near the DEPOT and
ksp unIeniited stream VI transportation and from
ne oiy EAU during the evening and the greater portion
Of the night At eight O'Clock the large hall where .he
esee was be was thfopged. The eeats had been re
brilliantly hghted Up, aud the hail itself presented
very handsome appearance, if the ceiling had
S aes,ed 10 be o'S no Of Ssd depot There ap
ighs to reseive the guests AS they h,cked
INTO The hall each couple joined the crowd followed
two and Two, in an e'ipucAl promenade There mus:
nave been eas, 200 persons present The music was
very Rcod ,he band beng from the Armory, composed
Of sixteen OF Col. Cote workmen.
After the Gro xd had satisfied themselves by PRONE
nadibg, il adjourned to the lower ball, where a gram
tquetze took place through the supper 70 I'm door, y
din, Of muscular propulsion and couoron they
ed IN reaching the supper table It very tastefuy
sst ana profession Of flowers were arranged
OF rs'ursi flowers hung pendant from the ceiling. The
we're very good at least they looked very
good there WAS no wne punch anything in the shape
Of smulanis but the beauty Of the i.dss Among the
distinguished guests were Gov Morgan and lady, Gov
Banks aDo lady, Of Massachusetts,, aud Lieut. Truck
Governor OF Connecticut, also present
AL the savanta there in full force The Of ths
evening ext nded into the 'swee sma' hours" Of
Lieh The array Of beauty considerable but in suca
crowd allowance must be made for the effect OF CONTRAST
for accoropg TO Blair beauty ID never 20 beautiful
when IN cont est with ughnees
7HIsD DAYS PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION
Notwithstanding the excessive perspirng the midsso
ell tie gayety Of the preceding evening, the learned
doctors again assembled this morning general session
The President Professor ALEXANDRA called the meeting
to order The minutes o. the previous meeting wore
read.
The following names. among others, were offered AZ
candidates for aomesivn.-u w c,aap S,e
chen A. Could N e.; George A. Doland, BENZ Howard
Vim. staDlsus, Marlborough Churchill A. J. Briggs Rev
Chss Hammond, Rev. John Dcrr, Salem; George East
~oeo, Il. B. Clark, Cnas G. Spring These names were
offered Tor acceptance and the gentlemen were admitted
members
Alier the President had announced that would be
general Eesson TO morrow Saturday but sectional
at bali past nine o'clock that members could
prepare fer the and excursion TO Amherst, the meeting
adjourned to the section rocms below.
O'Clock. r. Hitch
cock ia The chair After some preliminary business end
difcus,on whether the unfinished programme Of yeste
cay Should be carried out, or the new programme
oommenced upon, Prof. J. W DAWSON read paper
rhe Receut Discoveries in the Devoninn and Car cone
very interesting The description went very much into
technical DETAIL.
GiBBeS, on the subject, is Iadian Corn Ma
tive Of Three Continents Ike Cotton and Tobacco? This
proce eded to the half OF his notes he interrupted by
Dr. ASA GRAY, Of Cambridge who requested the speaker
10 oncontinue all Incidental remarks, as time was pre-
cious
Or GlBBoS Immediately said that he would omit the
whole Of II If the gentlemen present desired it,
Dr. GRAY explained, and Dr. Gibbon left the desk and
took hs seaI
wbereupon DR.. GRAY took the floor and said, "ro be
cure Dr. Gibbon has made several assertions he hl.
proved that something like azs exists in Asia and Africa
But the question ia, ID II yea maize or is it the common
douish?'
GEORGE FOLSOM Esq took the floor and said tnat he
greued very much snai tue gentleman requested
resting subject and every incident connected with it
would throw more ghi or it and make it more interest
ipg Mr Folsom continued giving his experience while in
Egypt He thought that both the varieties in question
exnted in Egypt, but thst both wers called aourah"
Dr. Gbbon has an opportunity will give the contents
of the paper il full
Afterwards Professor HITCHCOCK read paper on srhs
amount and proofs Of erosion in Vermont, with special
reference the peaks Of prorusiye rocks" he Illus
uated bis subject BY diagrams Of certain valleys and
mountains In Vermont. In q county in Vermont, he
said, there mountain eco 500 feet the
vsey beneath. On the top OF the mountain is cavern
and il this cavern running stream rhus you have
the deepes, valeys in Vermont, thirty miles in extent
whsh prove has been worn out by some eroons
other He then sbo wed another agram repre-
seDii;g mountain He gave DO conclusive proof in this
case, but rested with tine remark, after describng the
locality that man wEo had betn there could heatate
In calling Il q clear OF erosion He remarked that
great OF The Of New Epg'and the rcsult Of
the CRY nerg q ks. This is sell evident He said
would leave the subject, hoping some geoosst would
throw more light upon II.
Prof HEAGER, Prof. Htchcocks assistant, then made a
few remarks and was followed by
Prof G. B. ANDREWS, Of Marietta, Ohio lie said that Or