Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-15
SCIENCE.
Meeting of the American AssO-
citation.
DoIngs of lhe Sayans YESTERDAY.

DOIngs of the Savans Yesterday.
DETROIT, August 1.-THE fourth days
general session Of the Association for the
Advancement Of Science assembled at the
Opera House this morning, and was called
to order soon after 10 o'clock by President
HilgsrL.
Prof. Rutman announced that payment
Of $50 would secure one a life membership,
and exempt him from the payment Of
further dues. The money paid for the mem
bership Is used for the announcement of
original research. 4 number Of announce
ments IN regard 10 excursions, etc, we're
made by the General and Permnent Secre-
taTies. No other business Gaming before
the Association, it adjourned 10 meet in
sections.
In section A, the first paper read was by
Prof. Leonard, Of Iowa City, Iowa, upon
the passage Of an Iowa meteOrite. he show
ing some fragments of it. It fell on the
10Th CT February last. The sky was clear.
The disrict in which it was seen was $50
miles long by 2jO miles wide, the length
running from southwest to northeast and
the width nearly east and west. The
meteOrite looked like a cylinder. It had
the usal tail, and exploded somewhat like
the bursting Of a rocket. 1t separated into
several fragments, some Of which were sub
sequently found in the earth. II left a
train Of inky blackness, though the meteor
tie itself was intensely brilliant. Some
noise was heard when it fell. The frag-
ments weighed in the aggregate 500 pounds,
and must have been hot when they fell,
for they melted the snow where they were
found.
The next paper was read by Prof. LeYe-
ring, Of Cambridge, ass, on an acoustic
method Of measuring velocity Of electricity.
He said electricity has no technical velocity,
as the term is applied to other subjects.
The answer to the question Of velocity re-
CURED a knowledge how far electricity is to
travel. II is supposed that one experiment
proved that electricity travels 2SS, COO miles
in a second, under the same circumstances,
as when used on a very long conductor;
when travelling upon a short conductor it
may not travel more than 500 miles per
second. The longest lines Of telegraph will
be required for satisfactory experiment.
In section B the first paper read was an
account by X. J. FarqUhaisOn Of recent
mound explorations at Davenport, Iowa.
These mounds were o. small size; some
fifteen in number were especially interest
lLl1 lDAl tic ldtD LAldb ak Iellldlllo Vi illt
mound builders were found al considerable
depth beneath them. The other papers
read before the section were as follows: In
dian mounds and shell-heaps near Pensa-
cola, Florida, by John NJ. Steinback; notes
on aboriginal money Of California, by l..
G. Yates; prOtoZean studies, by W. 5. Bar
nard; demonstration Of lOcOmOtion in the
Larvae estridR, by Charles Haller and o. S.
Westcott; method Of bleaching the wings
Of lepidOt6ra to facilitate the study of vena-
tiOn, by Geo. DmmOck; indications Of the
descent exhibited by North American ter
tiary mammalia, by Z. D. Cope.
In the morning the members of the As
ISOLATION, as the guests Of the citizens, took
an excursion nearly the entire length Of the
river. Two steamers were lashed together
and the excursion lasted five hours and
was a grand success.