New-York tribune., 1876-04-20
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
ANNUAL MEETING AT WASHINGTON.

ANNUAL MEETING AT WASHINGTON.
aUEER APPROACHES TO TIE sMITHs0NIAN-BorANY
AT PEANUT sTAND-TIE GRAY BEARDS or
sCIENCE--AN INVENTION THAT WILL TEST TUN-
ING-FORKs-THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR AN EX-
pIosION Ar HELL GATE-BRIRF NOTES on MAGIC
SQUARES.
IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUNEI
WASHINGTON, April 1S.-It probably never en-
tered the heads of the gentlemen who organized the
National Academy of Sciences and liked by charter
from Congress its annual meeting at this clty IN
April that they were thus selecting time of year
when the capital appears to great advantage The
dust, which makes Washington almost intolerable
later in the season, is laid by frequent
showers. and the tempered AR is midway between
Summers heat and Winters chill To reach the
Smithsonian Institution where the sessions ot the
Academy are held. the visitor must pass through one
of the queercst outskirts Of she city The old canal
now filed UP. used to border side The Smith
sonian grounds. II brought motley traffic along
its banks, which has not wholly died out Long,
open sheds yet remain covering and mounted upon
such wooden platforms as might betoken "a railway
station but only serving 10 shelter the dealers III
hay and tho colOred drivers of hay wagons at GER
tain hours in the day. Before the hay wagons ar
rive and after they leave, the sheds are deserted
On One side there is q vast mound Of min
gled earth ard asphalt, nauked by mnumer-
able broken barrels and colony OF furnaces
for heating the mixture. Sometimes one or
two of the furnaces may be at work, and occasionally
laborer may be driving pick INTO the
mound with that leisurely style of work that sug-
eests 10 the observera Government contract Doubt
less there are "pOultice payementS" manufactured
here The ground around was torn up undergoing
improvement in the vicinity last year; at ms hour
il is still desoate, though within the ratings the
outlines of road and graSsP0i arc becoming stihct
But before entering the grounds pause at a trans
parency which indicates the strides of popular
science. The booth TO which the canvas serves as
sign, is, OF course, kept by colored man. La large
letters appear the words:
"AEACms HYrGGGA
OR VA. PEANUTS"
The park that surrounds the Smithsonian build
ing contains large number of cyersreens; these
and the rich grass beneath, give 1t Geepef tone
than the other pleasure grounds ct the city though
the native trees are already bright with leai ana
bloom, the double peach flower adding its scarlet
blaze at intervals Outside the 5rown-St0ne walls
robbins arc chirping; within, the scientific fok are
assembling, but doubt whether they nave anything
more curious to offer than little negro boy has
under tree where he is holding kitten that News
and for every is answered by an initiative note
from a cat-bird in the branches above.
Prof Henry apologzcd 10 the gathered sayants !
for few minutes delay in his attendance The at |
mosphere OF Investigations had penetrated 1t ap
pears even the closters of science and he had been
spending the morning witness before commit
tee of Congress Lot us hope that the rage for re-
trenchlnent VIII not be allowed to interfere with his
. priceless abors which concern both humanity ana
science in the Lighthouse Board. nor with the ser
vices which no and Prof. Bard and their small
l. to4 lsfln mt 4
the work OF the Smithsoma Prof Henry called
the meeting to order it was not large, bur it largely
represenfed the science OF America. The SecTetarJs
chair was occupied by the genial Prof }. +. Hllgafd
looking llttie the worse for a serious illness I0m
which he has jast recovered. As Prosident-elcci OF
the American Association for the Advancement
of Science. he holds this year the highest
honors which his brother stadents of nature can
confer The gray haiIs that deserve veneraiion are
somewhat abundant in the Assembly PIoi. W. b
Rogers in this respect might fairly contest the PALM
OF perhaps the crown, with Prof. Henry; and the
brothers Barnari-Prof Z. 4. p. and Gen. g. L.
would be close competitors. Prof. Spencer Z. Baird
looked in for a moment, aad then messenger
handed him o telegram. AID be had 70 leave; sup
nose there was fish ont Of water somewhere that
he was Obliged to attend to. Ihe army was well
represented by Major-Gen. Meigs, Gen. iumphreys,
and Gel. Abbot, all of whom specialists in
science. Prof. Hayden looked as though he
thought that the survey Of the West was
not going to stop with the appropriations
for it from Congress. The scrape5 OF
Prof Silhman have not yet affected the rotundty oi
his figure There is prospect of information as TO
the way of the winds, as Profs LOOMS and Ferrel
are here and Of astronomical lore from Profs New
comb aud Asaph Hall There may be q battle OF
dry bones as Prof Marsh has come and Prof Cope is
expected and there are possibilities in the presence
of PrOfs NowcOmb and Gil If question Is started
about the most horrible Of fossil fishes. Not t. cata-
logno tho attendance let us stop in the list OF names
lust here. after noticing That Prof. Mayer has
brought some acOustieal apparatus, and that Prof.
c.. F. Chandler enters at tie last moment
"Ifnd il difficult 90 coutriye suitable title for
nv paper" sad Prof. 4. NJ. Mayer Of the Stevens
archaeological Institute, hoboken There Is eyi-
dence OF the embarrassment III the utle furnished
rs fOlows "On the Precise Determination Ct the
Number Of Vibrations of luring-torkA, and on the
Effect of Temperature and OF Ampht0de Oh Niora-
tion on the vibratory Periods Of Forks.' The paper
was not so dscouragng its title. 1t appears that
timing forks are now largely used for determining
short periods of time. by means OF apparatus in
yolyiug their vibrations. Among these uses, one Of
the most prominent is in ascertalning the rate OF
flight of projeciiles another is for patb0-
logical experiments upon the. rate and chalac-
ter of the pulse; still another is connected
with telegraphy, both to the absolute speed OF
the electric current and as to determinations oi
longitude But the results obtained IN these To-
searches slightly yitatcd by erroTs OF whlch the
sources and laws have been as yet very tt!e aSce-
tanned. 1t has been customary to ascDe the greater
portion Of these errors to differences of temperature
Instruments have been constructed at groat expense
to indicate the exact Of time taken by tun-
;uc fork their Vibrafous. little certainty