The New York herald., 1878-09-28
OBITUARY..
DIR. AUGUST HEINRICH pErEnxANS.


vious day, and which mentioned in our cable &c.
spatches Of yesterday. DR.. Peterrann was born Apl
Is, 1922 at Beicherode, turesque little village Oh
Prussian Saxony, nesting at The base OF the wio
Harlz Mountains, in sight OF the Thuringian iorest
famous IN Medieval legend He was studous you'n,
with ,nsxhausIDle appetite for learning facts abous
foreign ands and Unsuitable reader OF tales of ad
venture. His parents, who had set their hearts
upon seeing him a clergyman, encouraged his
bookish tendencies. and alter learning all that
tho school OF his native village could teach
him he was sent to excellent gym ,sium
Tor college, ut tho neighboring tily OF Nordnauson
There he developed such passion for geography
that on leaving the institution III 1889 he allowed
10 follow the ben OF his nclinatons and, Abandoning
all thought OF the ecclesiastical career was sent TO
pursue his studies in the celebrated Geographical
School Potsdam This Institution had been founded
IN 1886 by the illustrous professor Henry Berghaus,
then and now professor OF applied mathematics in
the Berlin School of Civil Engineering with which
the new School of Geography was intimately con.
neced. Berghaus, who is still living in green old
agc hailed with delight tho rapid advances OF his
pupil, the most promising ono he had ever had and
retained young Petermann his side Tor years in
the capacity oil secretary and librarian. and gave him
active employment IN preparing the maps Tor his
great rny,eai A!.as t s.Sshsa. nasa ~oIe
was an era OF geograph cal ACTIVITY. Many
celebrated travellers were living AZ Berlin
It's vicinity aud engaged In publisning the narra
tives and itineraries oil their explorations All such
savans iound IN Bergnaus and his alter ego, young
Petermann, persona who knew quite as mucb, except
IN points detail OF the regions they had visited,
and who aDe TO rectify erroneous impress
sons brought The wilds OF Africa or Poly nesa.
With such persons we'll as with The scientific world
or Berlin, Petermann speedily became acquainted.
ABOVE ali he ENJOY cd the intmAtc friendship OF the
venerable Alexander Won Humboldt, who, having
late returned from ms explorations N the Russian
Orient with tho mineralogst, Gus'av Rose ana tue
Chris ian ,Oit
engaged In preparing the sc'entic results oI tneiI
memorable Journey 10 the Ural the Caspian ana the
Ailai range. humboldt, to wnOm tho geographical
part OF tue expedition had been intruscd, contded "a
Pctrmann l84 the drafting, alter his unpublished
his monumental WORK on Central Asia" From
that time dated the intense interest which up 10 hia
Pclermann always elt In tho geography OF Gen.
tra Asia upon which subject great part OF tue work
of his life 10 be spent. Alter exhaustlng tha
Lraclcd 20 Great Britain as tho great emporium OF
praclca intercourse WITH the East and the West and
depository IN lis museums ana liDrarirs OF the
rlcaest mines OF geographical data. Moreover The
d!sting usned Scottish geographerrOyai, Dr. Aexan.
der Keith Johnston. was then about 70 produce
Physical Atlas" chic fly based upon the work OF
Berghaus, ard natural that he should secure as
did, the services OF the chief assistant oil Berghaus
upon tcrprise Settling In Edinburgh IN 1s45,
along with his fellow student Lange, Peternann de-
voted entire years TO drawing the maps and re-
yisug the text OF that work. st the standard
one OF Brush geography. In their intervals Of
leisure the young men explored tue geography
the Scottish highlands. In ls47 fcsermapl
Ut Baron Bunsen, he became actively connected win
the Royal Geographical Society," then rendered Illus
trious by the grcat names Of Sabine, Murchison,
Wkiason, KawlInson and host OF their worthy
peers. He engaged by the London AhtenGum
prepare those summaries oil geograpnical progress
which have ever suce formed such valuable feature
OF IT'S coi1mns He was employed by Rev. ThomN
Miner In tho preparationof Ills "Atlas OF Physica
Geography" wrote many OF The geographical art.cei
In a revised ediron Of tre ''Encyciopedia Britain
nca" una was appointed goograp6er % 70 tho Queen;
In I849 along with Richardson, their memorable ex
pedt,on Central AFRICA. aud II was largely through
his influence that tho British goveremeus was IN tuced
10 undertake that enterprise. Tho geographical
suits OF that exploration were communicated TO Dr.
Petermann at London, who despatched Dr. Edward
Vogei 10 join them in soudan. They furnished him
tho materials Tor volume entitled "Au Account VI
tne Exped iton 10 Central Arican The next subject
TO when he turned his attention the little
geography OF the Arctic regions, aud he wsrKed out
theory OF open Polar Sea which soon received bril-.
liant confirmation BY the discoveries OF Dr. Elisha Kent
Kane. In 1854 nc was invited by Justus Perthes, ol
oha The direction OF hts great geographical
esta bsh ncnL ut Gotha-the largest in the world
ana he renamed in that nightly honorable position
until bis death In 1855 he began tue puDlcaton of
the cee bratod geographical monthly magazine, mo
NittAelungen wnicn twcnty -ieur volumes nave ape
peared up TO the present year, each illustrxting
pleie summaries and biographies OF The entire GOO
graphical activity OF tho world lu this capacity be as
the conra geographical parsonage OF tue world, aud
Tor many years no exploring expedition, pubc or
private, has left Germany without enJvyiug the
preliminary advantage of his counsei and co-opsra.
uon. To his efforts were due the important German
expeditions OF 1865 and 1888 In search OF tho North
Pole ior The latter OF wnicn he himself advanced tue
funds and their results elaboratey worked out
by him in the N,tthe,lungen He also promoted the
organizat,on oi soverai African expeditions, and
watched with vigilant eye the explorations OF
Mongolia, Turksstan and Thibet In 1854 the Sove-
reign Duke OF Saxc-weimar Gotha, descendant OF
the patron OF Goethe and Schiller, honored him with
the appointment OF professor OF geography al the
University OF Gotha, and In January, 1850, he re.
ceved from the University OF G0ttingen Toe honor
ary diploma Of doctor OF philosophy. In 1869 tho
Emperor OF Austria conferred upon Dr. oetermann the
Order Of the Iron crown. 10 rsGosni,ion H, Q, n,a
and otner Arctic expeditions He TOOK leading pare
In the preparation Of stieers Hand Atlas" ioi
which he executed The hnest maps Including ono oi
tho Uuited states In SIX parts he kept up an activs
Communication With the gsographers Of the whole
world, but moro especially with his oil friends az
London. He visited the Unued Stues IN 1875 ut the
lime Of the Centennial Exposition, was received, as
viii be emembcred, with great honor by tho Amsri.
Gun Geographical Society and the acquaintance
OF the leading American scientists DR.. Petermann
took the greatest Interest in Dr. LvinssIoneA Jour'
neys ana the various efforts TO discover hts fate.
No living person haed win heartcr applause the
success OF stunley's expedition In scarch VI Living.
stvne, and none gave more generous recognition ol
the merits OF that dauntess explorers hoinerN
traverse 'rhrouga the dark conhnens," which hat
only recently become known In Nil us dramatic
completeness. He also took a lively interest 10
the HKEALD's projected expeditions 10 tho Arctic
regions and gave the Dcheut oi MS stores VI
ledge the organization oil the enterprise Tue
NEW YORK HERALD OF July 10, 1873, contains SIX.
column letter. dated from Gotta Juns ~ aud devoted
TO narrating detail an interview with Dr. Peter.
mann, In which he gave a resume OF the entire
geographical literature OF the Arctic regions, OK.
presse mis- firm belief In the open Polar Sea and as
serted that the ISOLATION oi the problems connected
herewith forms tho bcst existing field ior sceutiuc
enterprise. BY the death oil Dr.. August Heinrich
Peterinann science loses OF her greatest orna.
mcnts anu the iuturo historian of this century Will
ma lew scientists deserving OF greater respect ho
is already commemorated by various ncwly explored
localities which bear his name on tho msp, aud his
country will doubtless him htting memorial
In The city aud unvsrsiy which he SO long adorned
THOMAS J. HALL.
Dr. Day, Sanitary superintendent, accompanied By
well known theatrical gentleman OF thus city, Wis.
tied the Coroner's ofnce yesterday aud held whs.
pered consultation with Coroner Ellinger DR.. Day
refused to make known the nature OF his call. aud
his friend who appeared to bs equally mysterious,