The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-29

conege ls now In the possession of eight resi-
dences for professors, all the fine bluff facing
the town, and another handsome cottage will
soon be completed for the use of Professor wal
ling, of the Engineer school. Two-thirds of
these dwellings have been erected within the
past three years, under the able administration
of President Cattell. 1t is a pleasure to add
that nearly all the funds needed for the compile
tion of these late improvements have been con-
tributed by citizens of Pennsylvania.
The College Grounds.
During the past year, the services of Donald
g. Mitchell, Esq. ("Ike Marvcl'0, have been
secured to superintend such improvements in
landscape-gardening as may be found desirable,
and not unreasonably expensive. Nature has
done much for the college in the way of mag
nifcent scenery; but art and taste have only now
been evoked to prunc off excrescences and de-
velop its beauties. While the institution was i'm
its swaddling clothes, the strictest regard TO
utility could be justified, but now that it has at
tained its majority, and added acre upon acre,
and building to building, the eye and hand of
the artist must be had to harmonize the struc-
lures and their surroundings.
Based upon typographical survey by the
students, Mr.. Mitchell has laid out winding
drives and walks with an intelligent regard both
to picturesque views and to convenience of
access. The steep old wooden steps up the col
lege hill are to be replaced by winding walks,
zigzag in direction, and so comfortable for
walkers that even like Marvel" himself would
be tempted away from his cosy "Reveries of a
Bachelor" on the hill to mingle with the beauti-
full young ladies of Easton.
Ornamental trees, shrubberes, and we'll
trained hedges will give a unity and massive
ness of effect while permitting the most pleas
ing groupings of objects in harmony with each
individual view. Another commencement will
witness these improvements fairly carried out,
and the students will daily see with the eye the
practical embodiment of the theoretic aesthetics.
The Junior and Sophomore classes in the En-
gineering Department have this term, under the
directions of Professor Walling, made an elabo-
rate and exact Typographical survey of the
College Hill. The surface of the entire grounds
and all the heterogeneous buildings belonging to
the institution are carefully portrayed, even to
the minutest details. Upon the map of this
survey contour lines are drawn to every single
foot of change in level, every tree and bush,
every fence, wall, and hedge are painstakingly
located, with fidelity to nature as wonderful
as that of the Flemish and Chinese schools of
art.
The regular engineering class also made a
preliminary survey-more properly, perhaps,
reconnOisance-for q railroad from Easton to
the thriving village of Nazareth, ten miles
northwest. The whole country there is hilly,
rugged, and neyen, with pebbles varying in
size from boys marble to huge bouders of
thousands of tons, thus calling into practice all
the rules of theory and developing tactual skill
in the surmounting of obstacles. The future
terms of this class will witness the extension
and completion of this work upon the same
methods that practical engineers employ in
actual construction. The curves are required to
be staked and the grades established with a
strict regard to the most judicious economy not
at variance with the utility, safety, and effi-
cheney of the finished road. Plans of bridges,
tunnels, and viaducts, as demanded by the
route, are to be planned, and practical estimates
of cost furnished. Similar surveys for water
works and other engineering operations are
embraced within the engineering course, which,
theoretically and practically, is unexcelled
throughout the world. And this is fair in
stance of the general course of teaching pursued
in the Lafayette scientific schools.
ProfessOriaI DOings.
Despite the arduous duties of the Professors
life, the able gentlemen who fill the chairs of
Lafayette College somehow find time to perform
other labors, which alone would seem to be
leisure hours is used to excellent effect in pro-
ducing standard works of science and literature,
and the enumeration of some of them may be of
interest:-ProfessOr Coleman has recently added
TO the works already published by him on Bib
ical Literature, "Prelacy and Ritualsm, pub
lished by Lippincott. Professor March's little
book for school uses, entitled the Parser and
Analyzer," has just appeared from Harpers'
prs Professor Walling is engaged in compile
ting maps constructed from Typographical sur
veys made under his own direction, of the States
of Iowa, Illinois, and New York, in addition to
monograms on "Atomic Forces" Professor JAS
H. Coffin, Lid, has prepared, under the aus
pces of the Smithsonian Institute, second edi-
tion of his work on atmospheric Movements 4"
extending his calculations through the Southern
Hemisphere. lie has just completed PAM
phlet of the TRACK of the Comet of 1860" pub
lished by request of the American Association
for the advancement of Science. Professor
Bloombergh is occupied with "Grammar of the
French Language" constructed with special
reference to its pathological elements. Professor
Osborn, during the past season, has issued 'The
Metallurgy of Iron" work based on the
English work of Overman on iron. Professor
Hitchcock is engaged on a geological survey of
the State of New Hampshire, under the autho-
rity of the Assembly.
AT the last session of the Pennsylvania Legis-
lature, an appropriation was made of $1,000 for
the prospective publication of the botanical sur
yey of the State long ago undertaken and now
largely accomplished by Professor Thomas c..
Porter This gentleman for twenty-five years
past has been earnestly prosecuting this work,
and further collections to complete his explora-
tions will be continued under the auspices OF the
collepe Whom connIeted tile work will be