New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-06
PROCEEDINGS or SOCIETIES.

CHEMICAL SECTION, April l3.-Mr. flerre ue l..
Ricketts, presented q paper giving the Results OF
some Experiments upon Cremation, which he had
lately been conducting. He described the construc
ton of the small furnace employed for these expert
ments. and detailed the results in each of four
cases The bodies of mouse. rat, a cat, and a
dog the latter weighing So pounds, were successfully
consumed the ashes and bones were exhibited in
glass lars to the members. The results were quite
satisfactory, as to the and completeness with
which such processes can be carried on, IN mode
rate time and with no unpleasant accomplishments
Prof. Thomas EglestOn discussed at length the
Analysis of Furnace Cases. in paper which
appeared in The american Chemist for April. lie
described in full the apparatus devised for this
purpose by NJ Orsat of Paris, and noted certain
sources of error which may affect the results, even
with this very excellent means of experimentation
He also dwelt upon the variety and Importance of
the applications of gas-analyses i'll many manufac-
turing and hygienc relations. Mr.W. Goold Levison
described Simple Corrective for Battery Cartons,
which he had been led to construct, to Obyate the
Inconvenience caused by the common method,
wherein the carbon rod had to project good deal
above the surface of the liquid and must therefore
have considerable length, and this projecting part
becomes covered with evaporated deposits OF salts.
&C. He drills hole in the end of the carbon. and
drives therein a fine pin, which may be sodered to
the battery wire. The pin is inclosed, ~ far as 1t
projects in fine glass tube cemcned into the end
of the carbon; the latter may then be wholly inn
mersed in the liquid. The device is simple and easily
made, and lasts exceedingly well
Geological Section. April 20: Prof. I. Egleston
read a paper on Systems of Notation of Crystals.
reviewing the history of the science of crystallogra
pby and explaining the methods adopted by sue
cessiye Investigators for the notation of crystal
faces and the steps Of improvement and slmpca-
ton through which the subject had passed Dr. .:
: Newberry presented discussion on the Origin of
the Great Lakes pointing out the fact that these
bodies of water lie in basins that have been mainly
excayated in the nearly horizontal strata Of the
platean that surrounds the old Canadian highlands,
from the St Lawrence west and northwest 10 the
Arctic Ocean, This excavation of the basins can Dc
due to but one cause, the pl0wing-out acton OF
glaciers descending from the Canadian nights ana
This view is borne out by the presence and by the
direction of glacial markings of all kinds, ON the
sides and bottoms of the basins lie detailed these
facts in reference to our own great lakes; az 10
those of the far Northwest in British America these
points have been less examined. During the hight OF
the cold period grd th ended s to
carve ont separate basins than to equaZe the wole
surface but in the period both before and after
great local glaciers existed TRUSTING thelr n i
great depressons Still later, rs the age OF cold was
| passing away, the melting ice formed great inland
level than at present all the existing American
lakes The old lines of elevated BEACH are still con-
spcuous in Ohio and Indiana, where they are known
| "a the "lake ridges" The northern shore OF tns
| vast BODY of water was hanked by ice-clilfs-the
lingering Canadian glaciers-from which the broken
fragments sailed and driited away across the lake.
finally stranding on its southern shores, and leaving
there the powders of northern rocks that so pient
| fully strew the lake ridges now. These powders
Otter rest upon fine cays that are perlectiy unis
turbed that were laid down by the same waters
| over which the bergs toated The powders snow
by this fact that they could not have been brought
thither. in any other way than ny oe'hs quietly
| n1ttnn Ipn
| Prof d. s. Martin made partial announcement
of certain facts concerning the fhomDlc Ery stat
zatlIn o. a but he had Obtained large
| series of very perfect CRYSTALS from 11conderoga,
| exhibiting stne of great dstinctness, which led
him to regard them "a perhaps orthOrhomblc macles
He referred to the recent determinations OF Prof D.
Z. Cooke in his paper on the Vermculites. as bear
| inc very closely on this point, and showing how
much of what has been regarded as baxag0nal crys
Utilization 49, or may be, Orthorhombic twlnning
| At the request of Prof Eglest0n, the subject was
| reserved for fuller discussion.
Boston: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECH
| NoIOGY: SOCIETY OF ARIA paper was read by
| Mr.. X. b. Forbes, on the Means of Preventing Col
l,sions of Steamers at Sea- and the improvements in
| their Construction. lie thought the hull of long
iron steamers should be series of water-tight COM
partments; the deck and matches of iron, and the
compartments supplied with means OF preventing
| the water from getting TO the others If 1t should
| break into one The bottom of the hull should be
| double with a place between the outer and inner
shell large enough for man to get in for repairs
| Although this would entail an additional cost OF
more than fifty per cent for the hull the rest OF the
steamer need not be luxuriously FURNISHED; and
the increased assurance of safety from accident
would be sufficient lnducement 10 secure ior SUCH
| a vessel an ample amount OF business.
The machinery should be such that the passengers
| could help, emergencies ana IL should not DE
crowded in Out-Of-the-way corners, but be so dis-
| nosed especially the pumps that all cOulu au I'D
ppumping out water Mr.. Forbes also urged the i'm
| portance OH the part of steamers or sounding
histles at night so as to indicate the direction,
and thus warn sailing vessels OF their proximity
this being especially necessary IN the case OF pro-
| nellers which are comparatively noiseless.
Mr. c. w. Human read an essay on the Analysis
of Gas.
| RosroS: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECH
| SoIoGY: May IA communication presented
| Inv MFR. A. c. Carey in regard to process invented
by himself of weaving on rotary loom. an arrange
mept by which yard can DO knit in from one to
| two minutes. He exhibited an Overcoat made by
| bs combined process of weaving and knitting the
| material of which had been made in less than two
minutes. A machine for knitting stockings was also
exhibited which was constructed on the same prn-
chile though smaller in size. having capacity for
| weaving fabrics of any desired shape. The work
| dome by this he claims to be stronger than that
| manufactured in any other way, being also close
enough and non-elastic enough to hold water. The
great rapidity of action reduces the cost of manu-
facure materially from several cents to fraction Of
| n mill He announced to the meeting that he was
about establishing machinery extensive scale,
nartly for the purpose of manufacturing cartridge
bags for the United States Government for which it
is important that there shall be no elasticity side
| ways .
paper on some Of the principal points of difference
| befween the American and European systems of
irop.brdge building in the Of which he crit-
cised an article in The Railroad Gazette of April 4.
NV Mr.. Matheson Of London, in defense 0f tho En-
giish methods.