Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-21
SCIENTIFIC RECORD.

Providence is made to assume the re-
sponsibility for a goodly share of sins of
| omission and commission in this world, but
about the toughest attempt at this kind of
imposition is the latest and singularly
enough it originates with that good man,
DIR. McCosh, President of Princeton Col.
lege In referring at commencement to
the death by typhoid poisoning of eight of
the students of the college within the past
few weeks and the critical condition Of as
many more, he closes some very touching
and sympathetic remarks by asserting that
the calamity was "a dispensation sent to
chasten and humble u.s." If Providence
had been awarded the contract for the con-
struction and supervision of the drainage
of Princeton College, the imputation would
be justified but DIR. McCosh knows full
well that the authorities of the college are
alone responsible for the criminal negli-
gence that converted the college buildings
into breeders of filth. disease; and the fact
that the President shirks the responsibility
in his attempt to saddle it on Providence,
proves that he is not yet sufficiently hum
bled After one or two more such dispen-
sations, it may possibly occur to him that
they were sent to make him and his asso-
ciates more careful of the health and lives
of the young men intrusted to their charge.
Engineering Journal.
The Franklin Institute still continues to
faithfully publish the announcement in its
Journal, where it has appeared, to our GER
tain knowledge, for the past seven years,
that Uriah A. Dryden of Boston, Mass,
has deposited with the Franklin Institute
of Pennsylvania the sum of 81, 900, to be
awarded as premium to ''any resident OF
North America who shall determine by ex-
pertinent whether all rays of light and
other physical rays are or are not trans
mitted with the same velocity" There
has been but one applicant thus far for this
award, but his memoir was not esteemed
to be worthy of it.
From the reports of the Railroad Gazette
we record the building in this country,
during the present year up to the middle
of June, of lob miles of new railroad, as
compared with 6S2 miles reported up to
the same period of 1879, 1872 miles in 1878,
$50 in 1877, 6S7 in 1876 and 3l2 in 1875.
The same average maintained during the
rest of the year will bring the figures of
1880 up to 8, 200 miles, which is consider
ably above the figures of the preceding six
years.
In late references to the uses
of new metallic compound, known as
.'Spence's metal" it was stated, that
among other things it was applicable to
making joints in gas and water mains. The
London Journal Of Gas Lighting now af
firms that experiment and observation
with this compound show that, owing to
its brittle nature and its rapid cooling, it
will be inapplicable for such purposes.
The Dundee Harbor Board and Town
Council have petitioned Parliament to sus-
pend the standing orders of the House OF
Commons, to allow the North British Rail
way Company to present bill during the
present session, for the restoration of the
Tay bridge. The petitioners make the
point that the bridge was of incalculable
benefit to commerce and the travelling pub
lie, and urge that its speedy restoration is
public necessity.