New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-16
SECRETS OF SCIENCE.
MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY.

Y. vERRILL.
The National Academy of Sciences continued its
session yesterday, meeting at IL o'clock, with Pro-
lessor o. G. Marsh In the chair. The first paper OF
the day was by Professor J.Wi'ard Gibbs on )" Tho
General Equations of Optics as Derived from the
Electromagnetic Theory of Light" The next
paper was entitled ION an Improved Form OF
Standard Daniel Cell" by Professor George f.
Barker" The substance Of the paper was as fol-
lowsi
tits welknown that the standards Of measure IN cleo
ircity absolute units OF length and time, ana hat
indebted to the English electricians Tor our pres
en system Of units. We indebted for the pracucai
advance of electrical science TO these units In the ao
solute system The units related to each Other anu We
absolute unit Of resistance Is unit of velocity, equal to
oentmetre per second The units OF curI .
force Is defined in terms of them. set OF
concrete units for practical use was 40 Rese
units you oil know In the same way these concrete units
had 10 be defined The first one to be defined was s
unit OF resistance This unit called the Ohn, as Ohe
English wished 1t declared TO bs the resistance or
column Of mercury mmctrs IN aame ~ ror i eI,
length OF this column was not decided Two OF our el
low-members In Paris at conference Tor the
eecro-motive force and OF resistance known some
form OF electro motor usually CELL has been USED 20
by which the measurement Is made requires CERTAIN am
defnte amount OF electro-motiye force Inc
uniformity The metals used In this cell are copper
ana zinc. The copper ia immersed in solution OF cop
mersed in different solutions by different persons.
Professor Barker then gave description of the
early forms of the Daniel cell, including the one
used by the English post office. He then continued
Assuming the Daniel cell TO be good standard wish
TO propose simplihed form. which seems to me to be
Without the objections heretofore urged against these
cells. The usual numerical values obtained from the
Daniel cell are as gwen by Latimer Clark. l.O79 and
o 97S. There many variations found In these
urements | had twentyOne measurements taken from
the same CELL aud they give range Of from O90l to
10Sl am sure that the Daniel cell Is capable OF Civ
ing good results. The difficulty to get perfect form
the cell IN which evaporation does effect serious
complications have, therefore, deyisedthls new FORM
Professor Barker then exhibited the cell 1t con-
sists of two bottles stopped with rubber corks.
Through the cork of one bottle runs o rod of cop
per, the lower part of which is immersed in a sat-
urated solution of sulphae of copper; through the
other cork runs rod of zinc. Tho lower end of
which is immersed in a saturated solution of sui
phate of zinc. Near the bottom of each bottle Is
neck let INTO the side, These two uecks are
stopped by rubber corks. glass tube with a
stOp-cOck IN the mldule runs from the inside
of one bottle, through the rubber cOrks, INTO the
other bottle. BY opening the stOp-cock, the two
solutions are brought INTO contact chemical action
ensucs ana eeclrO.mOtlve force Is produced. All
evaporation Is prevented by the TLbOer shoppers OF
the bottles. Professor Barker SAID furtheri
SHOULD be anna gamaied. Wal piece OF pure zinc in a
solution be polarizedf There great difference
found this to give satisfactory results. It's numer
cal value as nearly rs nave determined IT, is $50.
by the electricians present. Professor W Ocott
Gibbs. of Harvard, then read paper GA Complex
inorganic Acids" Professor Globs has at several
lines gwen the Academy reports on these COM
pounds aud yesterday showed that since his last
report h mad succeeded IN establishing new series
OF bodies, IN which he had already found nifty mem
beers. ana cav 40 Reason why IL might not DO ex-
tended to 100.
Professor Alfred NJ Mayer, Of Stevens Institute
then read paper on A SphereOmeteT for Measur-
ing the kadi OF Curvature IL Lenses OF any Diam,
eter." lie exhibited the ordinary Instrument and
then said;
Tie usual form OF the instrument f. useful only in
measuring tbe ad OF the curvature OF lenses OF large
dlaInt NOw.l have glass plate with round hole
This placed the lens To be measured, ana the feet
instrument ret upon instead OF upon the lens
ment tie zero point is Obtained aud oy measuring the
brass ring tAe most accurate Result can be got.
Professor Mayer also read short paper on "A
Simple Experimental Demonstration of Ohm's
Law lie was followed by Professor 4. II, r.. Peters
vino was announced 20 read Lists OF Errors in
star catalogues" He did not read them however,
but simply presented them to the Academy lor me
f. Becker, of tho United states Geological Survey,
by invitation then read a short paper on . The
Heat OF the LOmstock Lode" Ito mentioned sew
eraI theories winch had been advanced 10 account
tor the great temperature OF l1O' tairen-
heit found in the lower levels OF th9
the heat to the remains OF organic action Another
held that 1t was caused by the oxidation OF pyrtes
third declared that the heat came from the kaO,
tie subject by means of series Of experiments
which convinced him that these theories were not
correct. lie had finally come to the conclusion that
IT was caused by volcanic action. Professor l.
SteIry Hunt approved Professor BeckerS views aLd
said that ne had always believed III the theory of
yncanlc action, but had never mad an opportunity
10 suDstantate ms belief by experiment.
Professor A. +. NerTlll, OF the United states tlsh
Commission then read IA paper on the physical
and Geo,oglca Character Ot tne sea Bottom on our
Coast especially beneath the GuIt Stream" lhe
nauer was III substance as lOlOWSi
Durng the past eleven years the United States has
bers carrying series OF dredging operations OF our
coasts. total number o OoserYatohs made Is now
800 to wbIon may Do aIued oUU VI ny own PIt'ate
observations, Ihes cover poruCns " INC sea Dot.oln
Tom Labrador 10 Hew-Jels-y. Ihcy range from near
the shore 10 -VV nilos o iH IG n t ~ oaS
a. NLuue we hnd a region OF very cod water
and tho rl NE on swept by slow Arch
current southern cOast oil New-Ensand We were
surprised md ncn fauna OF tropical nature, con
- ING many animals unknown To us, ying near the
coas, gion, from seventy to 10 miles south OF
Gredged. We nad sOO specles not including those
belonging the lower grOups Among These are ut least
200 new species Tuere are seventy species OF nshes
ia of mOilusks, ninety OF cruotaccAhs' anu others
In proportion. our eoseTo oau nave Gov
mics wide We find that he colo belt extends NIFTY OF
sxry miles from shore, and tneR comes warm belt
IhrIieye thaI the Gun Stream lmpnges on coast
plateau. The slope or the Dotton acre is very geAle
shortly afterward IL suddenly drops to 900
cold bell near the shore, then warm DELL ana tnen
as we 20 into tho deep water, another cold belt The
edge of the slope is thlnk, occupied by sue Cur
Srensa Va o. have found the animals al
- Sd in tb. stream at that point.
go ioht m bnst charts the Ought " DC
thirty four thirty five mos i' me- On .no coaS' ine
charts also wrong often 40 ~ va, '1v 90 W
the summer and winter llml - , 800, no nh"
the CUR 81 ream animals alw -o 1uio P1ce sum
mar and WINTER 80 mat think toe variation Is only ON
inoi unr IT, tLc winter tue warm water 10 blown
nu - ond i'm ne slmmrr turt-er in. Inc presence
80 - a great al ference climate Some
"a I wv &c., tLs weather ia raw and sIsty near tins
~ 40 lam and neasant outside. The
noi'' H. ~ 80 wafer have either exceedingly large
hsns nore ar ali showing that the light there
& -. Am Tine color OF all tue which
live the surface OF the bottom l1use9 lon rod 10
orange think this Is protective eooI, as IL could not
be ANYTHING but black III the o!uisneIoth hshl Whlcn
nnst prevail these depths. Tho bottom ID composed
OF very line IL coherent thHt thlnk the DOT
Ton, must be a Eard We have Drought up Doul-
Of haY be