New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-29

Prof Mayer saidI Is very difficult produce intense
gives very little sound until the Is reinforced
Prof Henry sadTNo not without resoundlng cavity.
into his notice at the siege of Richmond. A depot
placed about six miles distant on tho Appomatox. At
this point II was easy TO hear the sounds OF heavy guns
aud frequently the reports OF musketry. At the time
the fetersonrS mine was EXPLODED there were some
In addition fired ABOUT the time The explosion OF
cannonale. Yet II was not heard at the depot We
could account for the fact that while the report Of
single gun or even Of musketry could generally be
heard this point the noise OF this heavy cannonade
was not heart ut all although officers were listening for
the sound There was no wind, only very slight
breeze. There was little smoke Gimness in the
atmosphere such rs you see on a hot summers days
Prof. Henry REQUIRED 60 one phenomenon In regard TO
these experiments On several occasions with a very
large sound they got distinct echo from the ocean
watch he could refer to nothing except he the erests
of the The echo occurred at considerable inter
walls. Nothing was in sight.
The following paper read by Prof. GIN:
RECENT COMMISSION ExPLORATIoNs-BY A. s. PACK
ARD, JR.. NJ
This preliminary report OF explorations with the
dredge, the United States Consistency steamer
Baohe, in tho Gulf Of Maine during September, 1879
under the direction of Prof Baird, the United States
Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. Letters from
Peake's Island have brought down the history Of Deep
Sea Dredging for TRIBUNE readers to the departure Of
the Bache. The examination confined TO certain
explored portions OF that great tndentation which lies
between Cape Sable Nova Scotia. and Cape Cod and is
called on the charts the Gulf of Maine. The paper
principally respecting the specific discoveries OF tue
Baohe. fine AlectO or C0matula, near ally OF
the Crinoids, aud the first specimen taken by
the Fish Commission during the past season was cap
urcd i'm 81 fathOns off Jetirey's Bank: the head OF
anoth specimen also brought up Cdshs Ledge.
Near Jcfreys Bank in deep brown mud, at 1O faith
and temperature OF j9to, several iyaonena wer0
taken thar were regarded as intermediate between H.
6oreGie OF Loren and H. ionGssipUns OF sars sponges
allied TO HOlteuia also occurred Tle strip Oi mud on
Jefrcy's Bank aud Cash's Lodge was reddish brown,
aud evidently brought by currents from the Bay OF
FundY probably extending rs Tar west as the mouth OF
the Kennebec RIVER, the rest OF the mud being OF the
ordinary blue color.
brought mp Schi.rSter frdgSa bet tu deeIct urchr;
uopOdtd OoTeW'S = sea- acuhner ne" 70 the cYast o
North America; UacOmu ProTtnid ana ApOITaOtS 0cctr
dcnaiiS, shells nvaine IN size thosc obtained OF
labrador tubes Of Spiochai,ptrvs ypcpS OF sais,
worm winch occurs ~ great utpths ~ NOi"aS llef
came tue coolest abyss found during the oNcdi-
fttbpms yielded m1tudes of scapOt,Ocs, ASctdd c0i-
ioSa, aud gorgeous bright red star-ii3h Ashog9HuHa
phrUydHum fully eight Inches across Tue rare HyfimO
Mr. Il. W. Putnam, was brought up on ne way pack 10
Gloucester. AbOl % miles OF Cape Race m 10 flhoms.
an Arctic CRAB, tue Ge Bo" female WIN eata, WIS
fOund fragments OF cup coral, when Count foI-
with specimens procured between CUBA ana Florida.
Great interest Is taken by naturats n tIese ANA oef
discoveries OF similar character Tie Baohe at the
close OF her cruise, arrived 30 Salem.
The following letter from ReaI-Admlral Sands was
read by Prof Henry
THE Transit or VENUS.
L. S NAVAL OBSERVATORY, WAsHINGroN OF. %, 1873.
Prof. JosEPH HENRY, Ill. d., President National 10 td-
emVOf Sciences:
DEAR SIR: Your letter OF the 2ih inst conveying an
invitation from the National Academy of S,cnces TO at
tend their meeting on Tuesday tnc 23.h, at Colnu-
bia College New-Y,rk with q request 10 favor the
Academy with report TO the plans and progress OF
the preparations for the Transit Of Venus inst received
comes unfortunately nc time when the officers OF INC
Observatory member OF the Commission ar ino l'I
upon that very matter, in CONJUNCTION with the att"l
OF our great uatoia 80 a. 20 preclude nc iD!
Nor ynfFl a I
MAKE an extended report Of progress.
We can only say that all the instruments arc cor
racted for aud ia progress OF cOastt ction. ana ueIng
delivered as they are Completed all are expected u
be- finished during the Winter except possibly some de-
cxporiipeut The Photographic trials are being made
under the direction Of Profs Sewcomh ana Harkhcss
They nave been somewhat retarded owing l" me Az
srnee o, NJ 80, IN AZ, honc1 70 avail our
selves ana tine examination Of candidates for the pos.
you VI @ Mr. REfb@rfur mas kindly offered
which offer We shall thankfully accep m The case OF
such candidates As live ia or near Nc@-Nork. ,,.
Ole transit instrument is already here. ana IL about
htu, put operation IN it, temporary ut Tor pidcc
and IN the course OF few weeks we hcpe TO begn 10
select from the applicants to organize TIE parties
and initiate the practice which is deemed necessary Tor
made progress to us that the parties Wltn
their outfit viii be ready some tine oe3re ~ WIZ 90
necessary leave our shores Tor Their Destination
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
b. f. SANDS, Rcar-Admirdl ana Superintcndiug
President of Commission on Transit OF Venus
ON TIE CONSTITUTION OF THE SUNS sURFACE-Br PROF.
ca. YOUNG.
In advance OF IFS order in the programme Prof.
Young Of Dartmouth was called upon for hi PAPER in
regard TO the Constitution of the suu." Prof. Young
had not expected to present va paper" but III BRIEF
extemuorueous address placed before the Academy lis
latest views on that subject with view 10 promote dis
CUSTOM Every is he thought OF the tact hat
AT the present OF science it is impossible TO regard
the sun az anything but gaseous body the law OF
density 1t seemed him. could not be reconclcd with
fe sond constitution Of that body and 1t Is difficult 70
see how il could be liquid "a the liquids Of which We
know II must DO composed are largely metallic
II is mainly gaseous. Another thing might be
said The luminous surface from ITS appearance,
changes in the appearance and constitution OF the sur
face IL j. impossible 10 consider II anything bht III,
Gull floating in gas But when We come TO examine INC
everything chiCmospnere WIN the teesI9ps we u,
evidence OF violent OutburSts from btncaih OF PNlTtc
Intensity At first sight. II was thought That II might
be only an apparent motion OF INC SUM hinu Yi lo
that We when flame jumps mp from coal nfc, anu
So.fi9n. But that would not account the disturb
ance OF the spectrum lines. IL il not uncommon TO hl
disbursements of the spectrum lines indicating motion
i'm line that Joins the with the observer of one
hundred and sometimes two or three hundred miles
mat these masses, which We see-inasses thrown
vertically from the sun--haye really veocues
of "a corresponding magnitude. The question mat
pressed upon his mind was reconcile that with the
cloudy character of the phoosphere any here inc
densatOn that in the photosphcre II the neat
of the Is anything very great Qt would melt aoVu.
40 feet OF Ice a minute the whole SurIaeel, Tue
amount that Is turned from vapor into liquid e. lne
amount OF condensation the surface ot the sun y
something very enormous. On the surface NJ ne ear u
shower chat gives us two inches In an hOur Is SOME
thing tremendous The RAIN descends IN buckets ba, u,
the rate is exceedingly small compared Win the rate oi
condensation the surface OF the sun.
Now these dropets produced would at hrst descend
in fllets with accelerated velocity, ana therefore
growing slenderer they fall. But soon they would
down to place where the atmosphere ana gises
are denser The materials they would encounter In the
first and still In the nrst 800 OF 500
miles would become denser and the motion would DC
retarded. They would tmcken In 1t: Besides, what
| ever weight Of liquid drops down from the clouds
| In minute, that amount OF gas must travel
! inward IN order 10 maintain an equilibrium
That would cause the passing upward to be ex