New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-21
DEATH OF HENRY DRAPER
A GREAT LOSS TO SCIENCE.
HE PASSES AWAY QUIETLY AT HIS HOME AFTER

271 MadsOn-ave The cause Of his death was
pleurisy and his illness very brief for late as
last Wednesday evening he entertained the
members of the National Academy Of Sciences, over
fifty in number at a dinner given at his house. lie
had felt slightly unwell in the evening, and at the
| table those near him observed before the dinner
was over that be in pain. He made light of 1t,
however. and said that a hot bath would soon
bring him out all right again. But it did not, and
shortly after midnight physician was summoned
Acute pains in his chest continued with increasing
severity until he died, yesterday morning at ten
minutes before o'clock. His suiferings were very
great. and much of the time he was kept under the
influence of morphine on account Of the excrucIat
ing pain. He realized that he might die from
the attack early, but he did not
tirely give up hope of recovery until Sunday
night, when he said to DR.. Metcalf. his ply
stefan: " Well. I've fought bravey but they've
got the best Of me. | must go.' Shortly after this
he died. 1t is believed BY his physicians that he
brought back the seeds of the disease in bad cold
contracted on his last visit TO the Rocky Noun aims
and that the state of his system was such as 10
make the end almost certain from the beginning.
Dr. Draper was born in Prince Edwards County
Va. on May T. 1897. In 1sf7 his father. the late
DR.. John w. Draper, who died on January of this
year, was appointed to the char of chemistry in
With his family lie removed to this
city. where Henry was educated. Be
sides Receiving public-School educatloi
and spending two years the Academic Depart
ment of the university, he always under tho
careful instructions OF his father, from whom he
early mIibed his love for scientific research. lie
was not graduated from the Ac Idemc Department
of tho university but at the end OF his Sophomore
year he entered the Medical Department whence
he was graduated in 1858. He went
70 Europe soon after receiving his degree in medi-
cine and spent nearly year IN travel. Among the
places of scientific interest which he visited was
the Observatory of Lord R0s-e. After his return
from England DR.. Diaper rec iyed an appoint
mcnt upon the medical staff of Bellevue
Hospital aud he hell that position un'll he was
elected to the chair OF physiology in the Academic
Department in the City University in 1860 After
he began to teach he left OF The practice Of medl-
cine which he never again took up. All his time he
devoted to stu lyIng the subjects which be Taught
In 1rG6 DR.. Draper connection with the unlver-
sity made sllll closer oy his being elected Fro
fcssOr of Physiology iu tho Medical Department, OF
which his father had been one Of toe founders.
Professor Draper had scarcely accepted ms new APP
pOintmcnt aud been elected the man2glng Otbcrr ~
The Medical Coleg-, when fire DESTROYED the build
ing ~ Fourteen HIST, with Us valuable inusel nm,
library ana laboratory. ms disaster brought INTO
q strong light thai spirit OF seI-cacruce LOT 5cIehcr
u was iArS5iy lhiDugl M en- ~ u a. ~; r' Us
that the present building in East IWenty-slXth-,t
was ere, ted the instruction continued without the
i0s of a. let re and the COLLEGE mus almost dead
raj -ed its prescI prosperous and successful con-
al ion. Or. Draper remained at his posi- ~ tue
Medical school until 1873, when he resigned the
Office retaining however, active relations with the
alemic Department until last September. To-
= her with the study OF physiology be fought ana
irtc.l chem-. ~ Tor several years, taking he stu
dents after they had been two years IN his
HOY md nnan %
htrIcted IL the elements OF the science AMER tht
death OF his father he was e,ected to hll his clair
On account Of tue small income OF the University,
ne continued LIS own ana MS iatntTb c!IS3es uh'I
the summer vacations just previous % tAe Open
irg OF the fil Term, he severed ms connection en-
! urriV VIII the institution, and new professors
were elected. IN the controversy winch arose last
yr"e.sIr DRAPER wa enormously opposed to the
chang ami SC his Ia, her. Their arguments
had great weigh towards influencing the Council
to con inue the cgular studies.
Professor Draper began has investigations IN
science when - stGdent. one Of MS first expert
ments was the iuuctions of the spleen IN which
he was assisted by microscopic PnOtoSIaphS. Al
this stddy ne discovered iue attou OF PIolO-
chloride Of pallad I'm m dar6onlng colo lion ntH
auvrs. He had stu tied photography under he III
sruCtlOu OF Ms tatncI. VINO vas inc uts1 person 10
take a pnUtOgIapb Of the human lace; ana
his became proucent IN to use applying
II principally III bis udes OF the heavenly
bodies Soon AT er his retuIn from EucOpe III
1860 ne organ the construction OF a nccdng
telescope WIN an aperture OF lJl2 inches. heh
1t was completed ne COX a photograph Oh the
moOn 80 IIc1e5 IN diameter. lie soon aittfWard
prepared Tor the Smithsonian Institution full ac-
coul, of ms metuoLs OF gnndins ana poIsnlng
reli-ctinI n.rrOr, aud also hi- system o. testing
10 m which was prnted m 1864 aud Il sflIl cOu-
sldrred ,h- standard authority Oh Tue subject
An equatorial Telescope was atler" I'D constructed
BIZ Professor DrL per- wlth aperture OF = Inches
ir hIs observatory at llasting--o -the-liun'Oh on
MS iafntl's IaIl. and two miles from his own
summer u"me al DObbs fefIy. HIS p'ihciP' o'Jr1t
u procuring this telescope, which Is the largest now
u The Unltrd states was 10 photograph the speclfa
OF the AS, .Ach lie JccJnPiisLeC i%.cr. IL
wrote pa per describing Gotta the results ana tue
ctaOd, pursued III rcdulng them. me ihstluueht
va, WAOly tuc WORK OF III own h4udo Al'ei
long series II * peri.neuts he hnlsaei IL ia Iol-
President Barnard IN MS FIRST Cenury OF the hr-
public sand tnA, this telescope was probably tue
most difficult and costly Is. crI-nsht IN c,I-slIai
chemistry ever male u was oy no single 4c-
coMpshiGent mat 10 bucCoeutd la achieving Tue
w0uueI4uI ceSseS taIt followed tue CON
plraOu Of Tat 'cOsly ex pertinent" In
aeis.Auding astronomy. chemistry AMI DhotOI-
TapnY, ald cXcrllng IN each suD-
gect by discovering means of Gbyiatiug many diin-
culies IN cres TAT Investigation, he obtained. Pho
iOgr4pheI and classified mere tban nuudred sleI-
.ilS as economical Studies were carried on mostly
AT mis- observatory IN hastings. aud us chemical
elecTI, al uG DINER scientific pursuit - AT has mouse IA
Inns cry the observatory consists oil three parts.
an instrument ana general WORK room, he Iarg'
transit room and u pIOtographing room. The con
ect.d buildings aoOU. siXty icct long by luiruy
feet wide. lie transit room Is IN brick buiidlEg
with high movable dOne, ana IL 10 IS the equa-
,OTial telescope. Professor Diapers house at 40
III MadlsOn-lve.. wnrr0 ne has spent ms winters,
IS a fine mansion which was let MR. Draper by her
father Connected with II Is laboratory wmch.
ia is equipment, p.Ob2by ~ not ,qIaiiod III
the country. IL cOh,ains the most dcncate
InsIIumcuts useful III me study Of astronomy,
spectrum ana .yss and yhOtOSr-pAy aud also COM
pete series Of tue Ccst and most recent electrical
appAIatusrs, including tho different varieties OF
dynamcal machines, arc aud 1uctnde5cenJ Lamps,
batteries together with a fOur-hOrse power gas
engine, InducuOn coils, etc. Ihe laboratory Il the
top door OF the staoie, facing on t0ructhsL 10 Is
connected by budgc with the 5hud story OF the
house. When Professor Draper Ocglu To ex pertinent
WIN MS new TELESCOPES Ia "a 10 OOtaInei ono
tOgTaph of tac ixcu the speCrl OF stars and