New-York tribune., 1871-08-25
SCIENCE.
,rRs BEFORE THE SECTIONS.

EARTHQUAKE THEoRIES-GREAT DISCOV-
ERY IN ELECTRICAL LAwS-PROBABILITIEs
ABOUT THE ETHER OF SPACE-Uow THE
MEMBERS DID NOT SAVE MUCH on RAILROAD
FARES.
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 2I.-The Association
finds itself pressed by lack of time. 1t realized now
that however enjoyable the excursion to Terre Haute
was. 1t should have been postponed TO the end Of the
meeting. that those who could only remain long
enough 10 read their papers might have the opportunity
TO do There is perceptible dminuton in the num-
her OF members Of the Association present to-day COM
pared with those assembled Thursday, and the inter-
OF the people of indianapolis exempfed by their
presence the sessions of the sections rather on the
waue. The process OF winnOwing the more important
papers and reading the remainder only by ue reduces
considerably the amount of work before the Assoclalon
but nevertheless it will require the closest squeezing to
bring the reading Of papers TO close by tomorrow
night for that has been resolved upon in order to ac
cept an invitation 10 visit NewAbaHy and the Mammoth
Cave windup to the proceedings There nave peen'
in fact, only two wOrkincdays IN the secuonS'
last Thursday and to-day add tomorrow part OF "ilch
may be consumed in discussing arrangements lor 'o
next annual meeting and there is total or scarcely
three DAYS for reading and discussing all tat the SCI
ence Of the entire country has accumulated III "hoe
year The worst feature about TINS extreme preNy oI
time s however that it cuts short dSchsSoh ana the
discussions are apt be OF much greater interest than
the papers The distinctive peculiartes Of the Ameri-
c,n and the british Associations for the Advancement OF
Science are involved in this fact and it may be well
here 10 point tuem out In the sessions Of the British
Association many Of the most eminent members, sdmira-
by qualified for their task discuss in the form Of ad
dresses the various discoveries of the year and with
extended and sweeping congratulations throw food Of
light the dim outlines Of the newyfound prospect.
Bat they rarely announce special discoveries pre-
fcrrug work up those OF others. There is ques
ton hut that this tends TO popuarize science
Tho American Association, on the other hand, has many
NJ IN al
before t; but all that there is Of generalization of the
application of these discoveries by indicating where and
how they ill up the gaps Of knowledge, Of that form OF
discovery that puts other discoveries together and in
wolves great principles is dependent with us upon what
may be done in discussions following the reading Of
papers And when these discussions unduly lin
tied, the results seem sterile.
OF the papers named on the programme to-day, oil
PArERs READ IN SECTION A.
The Daily Motion Of Brick Tower caused by Solar
Heat BY C. G. lockwood
This was withdrawn and paper upon the construction
Note on The Distribution of Population in the United
3. On the Transmission of Heat. BY S. D. Tilman.
q. Longitude Determination across the Continent BY
G. On the Mutual Action of Electric Currents BY. E.
T5" Character and Chemical Composition Of the
Meteoritc that tcli IN May, near Searsmont, Maine by
A description Of tho exact locality of the immense
masses Of Meeoric Iron in Cahuila, Mexico WIKI the
9 Badiation. BY II. F. walling.
10. The Chemical Equivalent Ol Ether By H. f. Wall
r. ON a form OF Boomerang in use among the Mogni
Purbla Indians of North America. BY c. C. Parry.
l] The Perturbation OF Forces. BY James d. Warner.
PAPERS READ N SECTION j.
Observations on the Geology, Ply steal Features and
RelrOcesOn Of the Niagara Fails. By George W. HOley
q On the Earthquake Of October 1870. BY Charles
s. Contributions to Photographic and Dyuamical &C.
= Remarks on the Rocks and Geological Section OF
Missouri By G. C. swallow ,,o c,o.ooo,r. ot ,vo7,.
Jersey BY Edward d. Cope.
ON the Numerical Relations of the osseous System
Remarks On the Geology of the Mississippi Bottom
s. Rock inscriptions in Ohio BY Charles whttesey.
Q. IN Ancient Mound on the Etowah River Georgia.
TO- on the apparently oneranked Phylotaxis OF Bap-
sa pcrolcata and on the Phylotaxs Of Cucubitaeeae
II On the Geology Of Northwestern Massachusetts.
H. Western Goa Measures and Indiana Goals. by E.
T. Cox.
The paper OF Prof lockwood described the method
and results o series Of observations made upon brick
tower built Tor the purposes of observatory, and
forming part of the building of the Sheffield Scientific
school in New-Haven. Conn. The tower was square,
diminishing from bottom TO top from l6i feet to Is
for the side Of the square. The walls diminished IN
thickness p l6 inches The hight 10 the moor OF
the observatory room was rs feet the top Of the tur
ret 90 feet About 40 feet Of the tower was connected
with the main building the north side. The details OF
the eveng instruments used and the mode OF ealcula
tons from the observations presented by means of
diagrams and blackboard Illustrations 1t was shown
that an isolated symmetrical homogeneous tower. placed
at Tie equator owing the heat Of the SUMS and
consequent unequal expansion one side, would have
q, to the top the tower motion back and forth IN
straight line; situated at the pole, the tower leaning
always away from the sum- would describe circle in
every hours. In any place between the poles and the
equator the would be ellpcal The results cor
responded with these expectations but the figure de-
scIbod was rather eggshaped than exactly clip
teal distinction made between cloudy and fair
days and it was found that the curved figure described
hy the latter very largely exceeded that Of the former
In size, while the smaller figure much more dis
tored from true elipse. This latter result partly
occasoned by the partial attachment Of the tower to the
building bu chiefly by the fact that cloudy day the
sun would affect the tower early in the day as
clear day, and hence part OF the elpse was wanting
The effect northeast storm and other variations In
the weather upon the shape and size OF the figure
described was very perceptble and strongly marked.
Tho motion for clear day. was as to the longer
axis OF the elipse, O37 inches Prof Van der Weyde
mentioned the OF town built on the Pac1c Coast
where movement resulted from the heat Of the sun on
the rocks OF It's foundation. He also described an
instance in London where these vibrations and move
Ineuts were entirely avoided by constructing scaftod
Ing which supported observatory within the building
Much regret expressed at the absence of Prof
Daniel Kirwood who had been unable TO remain with
the Association and read his paper the probable age
OF Haleys comet, Anything from such source con-
corning that Of extraordinary size and regular
period of 70 years the accurate prediction Of whose
coming y CsiIaut the first great step in bringing
the come'ary orJs within calculation and proving them
parts OF the solar system, would have been very in
tercsting TO the astronomers OF the Association.
TIE EARTHQUAKE OF 1870
Charles Whit,lesey Of Cleveland Ohio read paper
OH the earthquake which occurred in the United states
in the forenoon OF October 90 1870 II felt from near