New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-19
SCIENCE.
THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION


| INDIAN. tPoLI5 - REPLY BY THE REIIR,Nc
| PRESIDESi, PRoF. 7. sTERRY HUNT.
i INDIANAPoLIs,Aug. 18.-Chief among the in.
uences which brought about at the last meeting In Tiny
the resolve that the twentieth meeting Of tho Amere,
Association for the Advancement Of Science sbo,l -
held in indianapolis, must be accounted the untrins o.
erOns with reference to that end OF Prof y. COX 0,
this city state GeOogist OF Indiana. He has for ou,
while been engaged in bringing into public not CO IN.
mineral wealth Of the 5ateand Its riches In coal and
iron will day perhaps not very far distant make IL
PeDsy lyana's most formidable riyal-but his exerop,
did not stop with the official duties Of bis position and
it not in the details Of State reports that thrso
riches are brought 10 light And 10 body Of men could
be better fitted 20 spread abroad this knowledge th,
our annual convention Of men Of science. whose position
places them above that suspicion OF interested mO,cA
which naturally attaches to tho excursions pro
jeCted by tho promoters and stockholders Of m.aas
and manufacturing cnterprisea.
Under these circumstance indianapolis has gathered
together by tho railways which center here from oyhi
points OF the compass, with almost the eHlctneos OF
cOmpass-card assemblage more than usually marked
| by the presence Of the older ana moro dstngd,hea
members of the Association large proportion OF III,
members present consists Of who ut least beyond
middle age with rather slender spTnklng Of ladies
And looking upon 80 many Old gentlemen persi tent,
wpng the perspration from their bald heads aud broad
foreheads while perfectlng the fOrmacs Of tho bad
ness organization of the Association impossible no,
to feel thankful to those who taking much roubo
In order that the world may know what progress ha.
been made during the year that has pl't in scientific
discovery IL II impossible 10 enumerae all tie name,
| of the distinguished present. fey
! must serve az instances. Among them are
| the President elect, Professor Asa Cray o,
! Cambridge Prof T. SteUy Hunt, Retiring President;
Prof Jo4 Lowering OF Cambridge Permanent Secretary;
the distn ushed paleontologis, Prot. b. WstcrhoIss
Hawkins, F. L. s.. F. s. g., formerly Of England now
HALL
! gst New-York; Prof Joseph Henry, Regent OF Tie
Smithsonian Institution; several representatives Of the
o. g. Coast Survey Naval Academy, Statistical Bureau
and other departments Among those who are
eminent in practical well theoretical sciences there
appear Prof p H. Wander Weyde OF this cSy and james
H. Bowen OF Chicago the presiding genius OF the under
| takings Of the Calumet and Chicago Dock Company.
Some delegations OF students 1t is said, vera expcctel
but have yet put in appearance Tho microscopic
seeiion-or rather sub-scction-is reported as very
strong IL to be customary in the Association
pronounce microscopy with the accent upon tAe second
| syllable.
The officers Of this meeting, appointed last year IA
| Troy are President, Prof Asa Gray; Nce-PresHehN
| Prof Geo r. Barker Of New-Hayen; Permanent oecre
tary Joseph Lowering; General Secretary, +. W. Put
nam Of Salem: Treasurer WIN. g. Vaux OF PhadeiphiA;
but the retiring President, Prof T. Serry num- occupied
the chair at the business meeting TINS morning. he
briefly stated that the Local Committee composed OF
OF their anxiety to give reception to the Con
vonon Of the most liberal character, making provision
for various excursions The entire session OF the meet
! ing is expected to take up a week A rcsoluuoh was
adonted to divide the meeting intotwo sections AMI
b. with reference the reading OF papers and thai
microscopy be made subsection OF Secuof a. Prof
| Higard Chairman Of committee comprising himSeh
and Profs. Henry and Coffin, reported that
under the instructions Of tho last meeting, they
had taken steps TO have bill introduced into Congress
10 establish observatory at the highest point OF the
Pacific Railroad. The object is to have tho observers
situated at hight where their vision VIII be ar clearer
and more unob tructed where in point Of fact at leas!
onehrd OF the whole atmosphere and that the most ln
pure third would be beneath their feet and where mag
neto and meteorological results OF great Importance
could also be obtained. All that needed was shelter
for and their Instruments the approp2
ton required $4,000 The session OF Congress v.
too short permit the passage Ofthe BILL but good hO
are entertained for il in the coming session Prob
wnchell Hail. Hilgard, Lapham Cox, aud j. Lawrence
/ Smith were appointed a standing committee.
Before the o'clock general meeting to receive the adj
dress welcome of Conrad Baker, Governor OF Indiana
a thunder shower slightly cooled the air That meeting
and the which Prof T. serry Hunt delivered hii
farewell address, held in the Academy Of Music tho
regular business of the Association and the meetings
sections take place the State House in the rooms oil
the Indiana Legislature. The sections were also muoh
occupied by routine business and appointment Of COMMIT
tees, the only paper read being by Prof j. T. Hlgara
Of the U. s. Coast Survey concerning new Use OF the
telescope sextant means OF determining latitude
1t has only been within the last ten years that the pub
lshed maps Of the heavens have attained suha degree
of accuracy as to render this method Of service Obr
yaons taken OF any two stars, that may happen 10
visible, provided is each side of the meridian
answer this purpose though the stars are Of the
third or fourth magnitude and give great accuracy
for the purposes OF ordinary navigation as could be OBJ
-nf
| observatory
The address OF welcome delivered by Gov Baker 10
the afternoon brief and cordial The au Hence was
somewhat thnned by the uncertainty OF the wea'h'r
Prof T. sterry Hunt responded 30 the Governors specs
by reminiscence of the early life and origin OF the Az
| ISOLATION. 1t grew out Of an annual meeting OF so0
logical society. Prof Hunt said that but few OF no"'
early associates were still living: Prof Hall was one
Prof Hendrick whose discoveries in electromagnetic
had paved the way for the telegraph; and fIoI oia''
| the President-eect were Others and Proi O"cn' w"
had come back this year, after long absence "
longed to that list and TO that yet carrier nunOe "
geologists Of whom william Mcclure was the pionepi
Profs Cruise and lie seur, the associates anu no"
I Eaton and Hall the comparatively modern ioaowcio
Prof Hunt dwet upon the geological riches OF 'ho aii
sssippi Valley at some length, ana urSeu lne Iou'
OF scientific schools in this section OF country ho Hop
that when the wealth that now lay beneath It's eo" %
distributed among the people its surface there "ou
be developed along with this inevitable increase "
wealth. artistic, literary, and educational nstltuuoH'
alike worthy Of the Valley and the nation.
The storm having cleared away, a large audience was
present in the evening listen to the farewell address
Of the retiring President of the Association Pfoh 4
sterry Hunt.
PROF. HUNTS ADDRESS.
! Prof Hunt began his address by an announcemeh'o'
the death Of Prof william Chauyeret, who wa, the Ee'
ident OF the Association In 1862 and the immedi''
predecessor in Office OF Prof Hunt. He alluded IL az
propriate terms the long services OF Prof Cha'o
in science during years connection win the H'
Academy at Annapolis, and several years IN 'he
sity at ST. Louis OF which he ultimately became '"'
| CbapcelInr Prof Hunts address prin palB ~,