Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-31
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE.


zations in Their Various Forms, and the
Principle which Underlies Them--A Plea
For More snd Better Facilities for the
Study of the Sciences by the Mechanics
and Laboring Young Men OF st. PAULA
Need Which Claims tho Attention of Our
Business Men.
The regular afternoon lecture on geol-
ogy was given yesterday to a good audi
ence by Prof. Daniels, at the Academy of
Science. 1t opened with an exhibition of
fine crystals of quartz, lead and other
minerals, some of wonderful beauty and
perfection. The lecturer described the
matter of the globe as usually earthly or
massive and hence called inorganic in con-
trast with animals and plants. This is not,
however, strictly correct. In the mineral,
as in the animal and vegetable kingdoms,
there are forms which may properly be
called organic. The crystal is the form of
mineral species. Each has its own form.
1t is only under certain favorable con-
d1tions that these forms appear perfectly.
In the vegetable kingdom large share of
the individuals are perfect. In the animal
k;ngdom still larger proportion, indeed,
% undeveloped or monstrous animals are
rare. But the individual form of the min
eral is rarely perfectly developed. Still, it
is true that the power to develop the beau
tiful objects called crystals, that are so
much priced as gems or as brilliant speci-
mems by collectors. exists in all matter.
The organizing force waits upon favoring
conditions. The molecules of matter
will always arrange themselves
under its control when free.
Alum baskets are made by depositing wire
work in warm solution of that mineral.
AS the water cools the particles, being free
to arrange themselves, form crystals over
the wire work. Rock candy is attached to
strings, and the fine masses of crystals
often seen in the drug stores are made ar
officially.
The most beautiful and common exhibit
ton of this force is seen in perfection
here. The air is often filed with light,
feathery snow. If each fake is examined,
it will show group of the most interest
ing crystals. The watery vapor in the air
congeals slowly to make snow, rapidly to
make hail. The ancients be-
lieved quartz crystals to be water con-
gealed so hard that it could not be melted
Not only does matter tend to express
itself in cash mineral species in crystals,
but at times it initiates the vegetable forms.
All of you have heard of or seen moss
agates. Here is fine one. Holding it up
to the light you see delicate tracery of
what seems to be moss. 1t is not, how
ever. There are specimens of white rock
called felcite found near the silver mines
at Leadville, Colorado. You see what
seems to be trailing MOSES
all over it. This is simply
form of mineral matter called dend-
rite. It produces the most delicate and
perfect limitations of vegetation upon the
surfaces of certain rocks. 1t is caused by
metallic solutions or vapors. If these
delineations are covered with translucent
crust of opaline quartz, we have the moss
agate. Landscape marble has clouding
in the same way, often giving landscapes
of rare beauty in a space so small as a
square inch This tendency of minerals
to initiate vegetables is often seen in gold,
silver, copper, and other metals. The most
interesting example of it is also one of
the most common in this climate. Water
crystallizes here into curious dendritic
forms. l often stop as l pass some of the
large glass windows on cold day, and
gaze at it with self-forgetting admiration
till the stinging cold recalls strongly
the danger of becoming crystallized and
dissolves the enchantment. These forms
generally resemble the oceanic fora. At
times, however, miniature forests are pro-
| iected. Doubtless architecture owes some
of its grand forms to such studies. All
minerals are capable of being reduced to
liquid, and even to the state of gas
vapor. In the vast furnaces where masses
of ore are melted beautiful crystallizations
often form in tall chimneys. Scientists
have found identical pieces in their Chin
neys and IN volcanic craters. Obsidian or
volcanic glass resembles exactly some of
our furnace slags. The glass blower fires
his material into fine threads but volcanoes
spin out the same matter in their fiery
breath till it is as fine as the fbers of
silk like this specimen from the
Sandwich islands, known as ''petri-
fed steam" or "Pete's hair"
In the silver and gold furnaces it is most
important problem to keep the precious
metals from vaporizing and going off in
dust. Zinc ore has to be confined in pots
in the furnace on account of the volatile
nature of the metal. You will thus see
how readily in former times, as now, mat
ter was changed in form by the volcanic
heats and powerful solvent qualities of hot
water, often impregnated with acid5,which
produced solutions from which these beau
tiful gems we're produced by deposits or
crystallizations. A knowledge of these
forces gained by studying the simple pro-
cesses around you is essential to a knowl-
edge of geology. The same causes pro-
duce the same effects in all periods of the
worlds history.
1t is quite competent for any child of
twelve to thirteen years to learn the names,
properties and uses of the ordinary gems,
metals and minerals and to distinguish
their crystals as readily as he can tell an
elephant from COW. No knowledge can
be more entertaining and none prove of
more practical value.
Every one should know something of
these forms of matter so common and &C.
cessible and so intimately connected with
our well being. With the means now at
hand to learn ignorance is not excusable.
Such knowledge is an essential part of
what we call general intelligence. To
special employments it ought to be indis-
pensable. The artifcers of stone ought
certainly to know what will stand great
| nress11ra ond what will racJct tho uoabiDr,