Morning journal and courier., 1880-03-25
A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY.

A LESSON IN GGEO4sASAREHE
 The American Geographical Society. whose headquarters are in New York, has not taken 8 very notable part in the geographical work of the world, owing mainly to lack of means. Yet it is by no means an insignificant body. It is now fifth in the number of members and is in prosperous condition. It has geo. graphical library which numbers more than IA, GOO volumes, and which, in it's diversifis ed character, embracing works of travel and sx- ploration in every part of the globe, in the possession of the best editions of many rare works, of the most desirable traatises upon the scientific department of geograp play, and in an unusually large collection of atlasss, begin ming with the first atlas by Otbslius iR 1870, and extending in 8 continuous chain down to the present time, Is pronounced equal to any that exists in any country. The society holds monthly meetings, and at one cf these meet ings each year 1t is the custom of the Prssi- dent, Chief Justics Daly of Now York, to make an address reviewing recent geographi- cal work. These addresses have come to be eagerly looked for, presenting, as they do, briefly and thoroughly, all the importa Tt achievements in Geography during the pe- riods they cover.
 In his last address, delivered Tuesday even ing, MT. Dnly reviewed the geographical work of 1878 and 1879, and 1t may not be unintsr- esting to turn away for moment from the fasoinations of politics, the Monroe doctrine, etc., to see what has been going on in Geog- raphy during the last two years.
 First, it may be noted that there has been 8 great increase of interest in the subject Eight new geographical societies have been formed, and there are now in the world fifty one of these organizations, the last two being one in Algeria and one in progressive Japan. The need of these societies is s-greatsr than might appear at first sight, for there Is large por- tion of the earth yet unknown, and gsograph- ical societies encourage exploration and thus open up great and fruitful regions to general intercourse.
 Among the most interesting results in gen. eral geographical work is the completion of the measurement of 8 new erc of the meridian. instituted by the governments of France and Spain. The great difficulty was to extend the line of triangulation from the coast of Europe to the coast of Africa, which, after many feil- uEC6, WEE AuAl1y ACCOLA Rl2SAGu by A4AC0AS VI tAC electric light. The vspors of the Msditsrra- mean proved impervious to the rays of the electric light, and to produce sufaoisnt inten- sity 1t was necessary to construct an electro magnetic apparatus, propelled by steam en- zines. After twenty days of repeated efforts and failures, the electric light from Tetica, in Spain. became visible to the eye on the Af- rioan coast, like round, reddish disk on the horizon, and on the following day the electric light from Eulshacen, in Spain, was seen, and the work WAS accomplished, so that we now possess 8 meridian arc of 27o, the greatest ever measured on the surface of the earth. Attempts have been made to get the nations to egrse on common meridian. M. de Beaumont, president of the Geographical Society of Geneva. advocates meridian pass ing through Behring's Straits as the initial or first meridian, and Justice Daly coneurs h M. de Bsaumont's suggestion.
 One rathsr unexpected result of some meas uremsnts made Is the demonstration of the fact that the city of Lisbon, and indeed the whole coast of Portugal, should be laid down on the charts considerably more than two minutes of longitude to the west of their present place.
 The explorations of Sir Wyvill Thompson, made during the recent voyage of Her Mai esty's ship Challenger around the globe, have demonstrated that the average depth of the ocean is about 2,ooo fathoms 12,0oo feet), and that depths beyond 1000 tathoms are very rare. In the deeper abysses below 5000 fathoms the soundings revealed an extremely reddish clay, apparently the decomposition of submarine volcanoes and of dsccmpossd organisms. Dr. Kroll, of Gottingen, esti- mates the mean depth of the ocean at l, SIT fathoms.
 There is no branch of geographical science which has made more advance during the last