New-York tribune., 1868-08-28


results Of his investigations into the origin Of California
potrolenrn the nature Of the differences between It
and that OF Pennsylvania, and other kindred topics
These Investigations were chiefly made for the California
Survey Ar Peckham considered the petroleum Of that
region OF animal origin II differs from that Of Penn
sylvania in containing parahue, in hardening INTO
hsphatum, and in undergoing kind Of putrefacton on
e1ptsure; all OF which qualities make quite inferior IN
technical point of view. The analysis Of Mr. Peckham
showed the presence eight times more nitrogen
m the California than In the Pennsyiyanla petroleum
MI Fair1nan Rogers asked whether any lgLI hat Oeen
thrown the possible use Of the California pht Tor
technc purposes lie wished to know whether any par
cuar beds asphalt had been found suitable Ior pave
Prof whitney replied that the investigations had not
been carried far enough yet 70 settle naJ Question r mr.
Peckbams experiments have been interrupted by the
faure Of the California legislature to make an appro-
ar G5ey spoke OF the deposits Of asphalt in switzer
land, from winch Paris, Jons &c, had been supplied
MI Peckhams valuable paper is to appear in the Jour
ma Of The American Philosophical Society.
EUIOCT UPON PROF A. d. BACHE.
BY vote, Thursday evening was assigned for the de
hyely Of Prof Hcnrys euogy anon the life aud chaIao-
ter of Prof A. D. Bache, the late Supeunte ndent o te
Bnited states Coast Survey, and President OF the
National Academy Of Science IL Is the custom OF me
liver address commemorative OF the life and services
Of the This Is peculiarly proper ia the case OF frTi
Bache whose services 10 the nation were petuIa4IS
noticeable during the war, but have always been great
The Academy tAon adjourned I'LL 10 D. Iu tomorrow
SECOND DAYS PRoCEEDNGs-THE TOPOGRAPHY
or THE FAR wEsT-A STANDARD MEASURE
OF LENGTH DREDGING IL TIE GULF
sTREAM-IHE GEOLOGY OF CALIFORNIA.
HoRTHAMPTOE, Mass, Aug. 26.-Ihe National
lrsdcluv OF ScIeucp rrasseubed no 10 Prof Geo
j. Brush Of Yale appeared and took the oath of member
ship aud of aigaree to me Ju5td state aua was Me
Geo T. Barker and m H Brewer Of Yale college were
The mCInbeis prcseut today we're Prof F. Baird
Gen j. G.. Barnard, PrOfs Brush aud Collin Dr j. G.
Dalton OF NcgYork VIM Ferrel, matho m9tician, Prof
Gibbs Dr. b. \. Could, PrOts Guyot and Henry Mr. j.
L. HOlbrOOk. zOOiogst troiu south CdOHha lIOi D. W
johnson, Dr. lie COnte Pros D. T. Lesley ana Pierce Dr.
j. g. New berry. FtInau hugcrs OF hcWl ork, PIoi Tor
rey Prof. ". 5. Whitney ana Prof > d. whitney AMONG
the invited guests AcX G. TwIning, Profs Barker
aud Brewer of NeW-Haveu, Prof Chas n. Hitchcock son
Of Dr. Edward Hitchcock, aud Professor OF Geology lu
Lafayette College, Etston, Peun, j. Mills Pierce L. J.
PORTALS J. III. Barnard ana VIM. NJ GaOD. go,
Prof Agassiz unable 10 be present oH account or III
Prot Dana VIII be here for single day but his health Is
not such as 10 allow longer stay
The first paper OF the morning was by Prof Whitney
R"TVronaphy and Typographical WORK west oil 'Le I5d
PROT Whitney began by saving that west Of the mori
diGcu pant ol the country for exploration lie referred
to tie valuable ~oi UI Zen Mt5en @ 5n t9s ptson Tptsnm ~
also 10 the work Of Fremont upon which Wnrens Work
IL may Seem .trauecbut the longitude Of salt Lake has
not Yet been decided. All estimates have been based
spon an old observation by Fremont Hence Of
miles in the calculation Of the Pacific Railroad map
of the Of the central Pacific Railroad was exhibited
1t the scale Of six miles 70 the inch The officers
OF the railroad had been anxious 10 make contribution
10 the topography Of the country ana have therefore
spent great deal Of money this direction. Tho char
acter Of the ground through which they were working,
the US Surveyors In TINS region was FOUND TO DC perfectly
worthless and the parties dd no' even take aOus the
Old maps.
Reference was made to the party which has been sent
10y the Government under Mr. Clarence T. King.
Mr.. CONFESS procured the passage Of bill sening cut
MI Rug, with party OF 100 men, This is the best expe
dluon mat has eyer t5ae3 tnG m neg, IaeS mean 70
paTV show at tier work is 10 be very superior and
great advance upon previous achievements. The
party was last advces near Austin with tie eNpecta
ton of reaching salt Lake CITY this season. Their
peuQltufts
small compared with the sums thrown away by the
Prof Leslie did wish 70 detract from tfe value Of
the work and Of the maps, which were certainly very
beautiful but he believed that when the element utlme
was considered previous surveys would be allowed more
than Prof Whitney had been disposed TO accede to
PROT Guyot spoke of the necessity Of rapid surveys in
country 80 immense as the country beyond the Rocky
Mountains, and with such small parties as have been
able % through IT, lie believed that the time spent
u accurately bringing out the topography OF small local
ites might vel be spent iu general tIIaug guatOn tie
region He was unwilling 20 have 10 continue true Of
great 4S I.Sa naion i' 5at had ia" no complete 5fans
uon Of is surface Tie &IAe TSiA S must Ge one
energy OF character 10 must occupy 90 least quarter OF
a century The state o. the map o. North America shows
that 10 is duty OF the scientific men Of the country %
push with every energy lOI this result I We hd Lad hdH
dozen sctunc parties Ike Prot. WAituey's at work
great and satisfactory results would De- obtained.
tion il'I IN the Eesi. ~ 90 ' ~
Prof Alex. c. IUluiug iltu brought forward paper
"On an Unavailable standard Of leiAtA' uIol. I"4n4s
% lB
but is now resident OF NewiaycuJ
We have no present uyariaDle standard OF length Sup
measure which upueaval earthquake. Gc would affect.
and confidence in IL would De destroyed pendulum
IA better IS succt 20 anomalies which have not yet
been explained jIuca,M would affect the vibration OF
pendulum. We cannot for long periods, De sure the
EayitatIUu az given localities vil be i4yaral'-.
metal bar protected from al otner sources Of vsr-
tion, cannot DO certainly protected from molecular
resulting u course of time from the abnormal
state oi lts particles caused hy mauufatuEc.
Prof TWHug described au Instrument which lc would
lI-ll
melting ice. BY The expansion and contraction of col
umn u mercury ia another instrument, which should bo
compared with the standard various degrees Of tempe
nature tue variations iIon neat and cold, the change
the length Of the instrument &C. could be avoided
1t might be objected tnat tie proposed iustru.
meut was too fragile, but 10 could be protected
sufficiently By its case and he considered it a great
advantage 10 have the standard Of length one
that would break before IL would yield Errors might
thus be avoided agan ana agun. In maAihg GerInh M
experiments upon steel sprDgo IN connection with tAs
subject he had noticed very remarkable fact In loading
down a straight steel spring very nearly point OF
fracture and then removing the weight tie spring takes
any means with non or any other metal This might be
also with glass; in that ease with your glss standard
Of length If il does break YOU would know
Bor could nOi aTise from the bending Of the tnbe.
Some discussion followed between Prof. Twhing, Cen
Barnard, Prof Henry and Prof Brewer Prot Brew
Si giass was pcrnianenty changed; he believed that
experiments made IN Europe showed this he Illustrated
81 by the parallel case Of slab Of marble which was
supported at the corners by pillars, and found,
after abou fifty years, 10 have sasged peIcepuby in
on motion Of Prof Wolcott Gibbs who was seconded
by Or. Gould Prof. J. D. Whitney unanimously in
vted read before the Academy the paper presented
two or three weeks ago at the meeting Of the AssO
for the Advancement Of Science AT Chicago on the
human skull found two years ago IN deep excavation
IN Caaveras County, Cal The skull is considered as
furnishing strong additional testimony 10 the existence
OF pre-AdaMte OF men, and much interest and dis
cussou therefore followed the presentation Of the paper
at Chicago Prof Whitney will probably present tis
paper Friday Saturday and exhibit the skull al the
saLle time. Adjourned TO O'Clock, p In.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
James c. Watson appeared and took the oath Of mem
bership and Of allegiance 10 the United States, and
received the welcome Of the Academy
he frst l. T. POurfaleg OF Washington