New-York tribune., 1870-08-22
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
THE AMERICAN AssoCIATIoN.
THIRD BAYS sEssoN-coMMoN ROADS

Gus PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
Troy, Aug. 20.-The continuous and ex-
haustive Iabors OF the second day. supplemented by
prolonged social dissipation at the Mayors reception in
the evening" leave the members somewhat jaded for To-
days work This morning brought the largest audience
seen during the Convention The list Of now names was
OF great length and very imposing in the personnel OF
the recruits 70 the lcgions OF science Dr. Hunt
promptly called the Convention order and proceeded
with the general businessmen, however. Of special in
terest
Prof g D. Tllman Of New Yorl, read an interesting
essay ON common roads The speaker Traced the rise,
progress and Improvement Of public highways from the
imperial ways of the Roman Caesars down 10 the iron
ramway OF the coal companies To the Romans he gave
the credit of having excellent roads models in width,
durability and permanency After careful examination
aud comparison IL averrcd that wooden roads we're
not really desirable as common gravel or Macadam.
Wood forms resistance TO the wheel when wet the
sharp edges Of the tre sink very deep, and render
/ progress difficult. When dry, the same OBJ
! lection, TO a large extent holds good. Two
horses viii at any time draw on railway than II
on turnpike OF wood. gravel clay. The old
Appian Way was built Of large blocks of smooth stone
accurately httcd together. IL was cri nally 1i2 miles
long and finally $50 miles, Part of the Titurtne Road,
near Tyoli, thus substantially built still remains perfect
after 1000 years. Tn" road from Cuzco 20 Quito 900 miles
long and rs feet wide remains after hundreds OF years
IN admirable preservation. Cast iron blocks could he
employed TO advantage Travelled highways; and per-
haps just WELL better stil iron tgilnway for
each wheel, might be laid, the space betw filed in
with stone, wood OF composition. Roads thus con-
structod would make every horse four times eff
6con and make travelling much pleasant and con-
veniont On greatly Travelled lines, double or triple steel
lines would be much more durable.
Prof j. L. Hgard an officer of the l. g. Coast Survey,
read Description Of Batclcleos Arctic Tdegauge"
Tie apparatus designed for tide measurement, and the
rfr,ffn ffa irtr n
extended treatise on the laws governing tidal phenomena,
with practical sketch of its construction and method of
working. The apparatus, explained by the speaker,
siupfes greatly the labgrs OF the Government coast
survey in measuring the tide by employing glyceine
instead Of sea-watcr itself The gyccne is contained in
flexible bag, which Is immersed IN the so as to be
always covered at the lowest tide This bag is connected
10y a tube with a vertical fournch pipe, in which the
cyccrne rises aud falls with the tide. It acts upon
float contained within the pipe This float Is thrceinch
pipe closed at the bottom and suspended from the top Of
the outer pipe by springs. u is so loaded rs to extend
the springs about inches when the gyoerine is low
that is when the tide is out ard the float is buoyed
by the rising the Ju.d the springs contract BY the
upward motion OF the float pencil is worked by regis
ttIiug apparatus in the usual As gycerne will
ant frfrze this piece Of mechanism may be used all over
the world particularly IN the Northern seas and the
Arctic regions OF our coast
Prof Wang OF Lafayette College favored the Assem-
is impeuetrable" The speaker assumed that the true
cause OF tic mutual rcsietanccs manifested when one
body IS made 10 cncroach upon the occupied by
another is that atoms gayitatc toward each other and
that no resistance is offered by one atom to the
occupation Of the space 10y another atom III 1o
lows from these assumptions that the momentum ac-
quired by mutual erayitatlon would carry each atom
through and beyond the position Of the other; tend
ency to subsequent separation OF enormous intensity
would be produced and t this dynamic tendency to
separate constituting virtual Tcpuision and not i'm
penctIabiity real rcpuson, that causes the apparent
resistance to mutual interpeEetrion This virtual re-
pusou though il docs not prevent the actual oecnpauoh
lie instance. limits the continuance OF this oc-
cupatcn. 10 explain how atoms could Dc ele pene
lions of atoms impenetrablc, 1t was explained
that the resultant motions IN the atom WOuli l
he snch as 10 present tie appearance OF resistance
which i'm reality has existence IIis curious lact s
OF hc dyuaulcai view OF beat accepted by eaGst
physicists both in EuIope AMI tls country In Hliis,
bu arises from TIE virtual repqlson already traced 70
TIE atomic nOmCHta. Animated discussion Io9We t .i
reading tls paper, involving very profound nNesu
CATION Of t4is old puzzle Of science aud specua,ioa -
Tsfed;f he Leyeirr Of the Axis Of Transit In
| slrluIeut' was read by Prof Young OF Darlnoatb'
OAer papers more less Interesting, were lreoene,
YET none so s,dney original in theory a. to warrant
opo;n1in,. Prof. Walhns eNpaiIed Easiiciiy y as d
liropOuudcd IL a paper read yesterday on Kindred
meme prot Hors'Ord Of Harvard defined the condon
of "GascOus and Liquid Rings sneari$ sueges,.Ne
title in this vicinity. It singulaly able and inter-
esng Papcr, consulting largely OF Praeic9 ii',tatoms.
Prof C0fn clO-ed tue session with brilliant paper en-
titled Invest tiaOn Of the Laws OF the Winds oi great
length ad exhaustive re- eaIch' Lahcal d aiu rIri,
! tinued debate stirred MP by the suWcct, "hfh
would seem 10 Lave special study of tie greater
| number present
PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION b.
Pending the regular paper called by the President
scene totally unlike that narrated in the transactions
/ Of the "sauislaus Society" by Truthful James,,
! ennvened for a moment the solemn atmosphere OF
| science and wisdom. without warning of any kind
lVY.ug Tho gflrN cd
/ President YCLcmeutly, and for time unlntcihgily,
/ protested against personal indglty put upon ms
name of tie irate sage almost breathless with the
fapidity of his broken, tEngsh and the con, con,
tc.pation of his wrOngs, then proceeded more calmly
to explain that his paper (Prined en- IN ,nit tne
ritsh Association Of sconcc) had been read by Prof
Ar1ssiz and other noted American scholars, who mad
Sro of vital national Interest before the great body OF
American scholars Of his AssocatiOn But ne ig utfig
refused dCmeau his high STATION III science ny %
before mere fragment OF the assembly paper Iac It
world Prominent members Of the Association had
| "IasnnOi,t him to favor the Convention with
his nc coe @d beoTe Ts ohe s The Professor
vas permitted to withdraw almost unnotced IhG up
rifed In Il press Of the French Academy is a. foiows
'DscONeri,s IN the theory OF the law oi sr"33 3 @ vty
hcng the motive power OF cosinlc bOdies; anu giaf ny
not The principal motive power on telIestdL nm o
acting very secondary al the iGgaS eica conres
r. dr1matc episode was followed by the reading OF an
dDs ive ~ fre,tise on "Reptia" by Prof COpe sub
tt Irce occupying the attention of scientific minds
}ust now The substance Of this paper however mas mas
gircadv been made known in previous abstracts. me
81 jgres of West America" by Prof NeWDeIrgi @ lui
nisled considerable instruction, ana was iono"eo py "n
| animated debate ,,, ho-yations I'm that
| .,,Dyy interest nearly every class III an educatu
country we're the following BY pr prasds1 aGh '1g o
% sociaton concerning the petroleum deposits Oh tne
SSrth-wes especially in the vicinity o. Gcag9 mc
1nes not however entering into them ~ Is SOME
s9td by distllation from neighborng schlsls rse t
istS nave not been subjected TO great neat ana tne
oeun limestone often lies far below such lot
III a. INV found In patches and bands, WIN straa