Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-14
Scientists Symposium.

Sc10nG196S SympOskU"s The Deaf fRace-Saturn' Mass-The scfen. lists Present-The Themes to be Treated in the Sessions To-Day and TO-MOrrow.
 body of men composed for the most part of those who have made their names fa- nous in connection with some branch of science was assembled in the North Sheffield hall yesterday morning at the opening of the three days session of the National Academy of Sciences. The meeting was called to or- der by Professor 0. 0. Marsh, of Yale col lege, who is the president of the society. He alluded to the fact that it was nineteen years since the academy met here. He said that | the relations between the academy and the | government were those of great cordiality. | During the year the government has consult 1 ed the academy on three important matters connected with the rsteMue in regard to which report will be submitted in due time. The government has been saved considerable money already owing to the advice of the academy.
 The reports by Professors O. A. Young. E. s. Holden and o. s. Hastings upon the solar eclipse of May 9th, 1885, as seen by them at the Caroline Islands, where 8 remarkably ex- cellent view was had, was continued to await the arrival of Messrs. Young and Hastings, at the instance of Professor Holden, who briefly alluded to the work and to the inn portance of it as already established.
 Professor Alexander Graham Bell read an interesting paper on ''The Formation of Deaf Variety of the Human Race,' in which he made the statement, which was explained by charts, that @theory asserts that if you could make congenital deaf mutes marry con- genital deaf mutes for several decades the I. Al. iety of the human race. He alluded to the fact that there are now deaf mutes in our schools whose parents and grandparents were both congenitally deaf. The sub stance of lengthy paper went to show that our system of teaching deaf mu5es is wrong. That we are separat- ing them from hearing people and locating them together. Hence, they marry within themselves, and by a system of evolution the result is the formation of 8 deaf variety of the human race, with language peculiarly their own. It is not too late to stop the mel aneholy progress of these steps. The mute children should be schooled with hearing children. Many of the exercises in our schools of to day are visual and can be learned with readiness by the deaf. Place the mute where, as he grows up, he will see large propor tion of hearing women than mute women and less deaf children will result.
 Prof. Brewer spoke upon the paper, re
  stock, while it tended to hasten and increase maturity, did not promote durability. Ma jor Powell, of Washington, who thought that the law of the survival of the fttest had been repealed in the case of man, and Prof. Newcomb, of Washington, discussed the subject briefly. The latter thought that in community composed entirely of deaf mutes the proportion of bearing children among them would constantly increase rather than diminish
 At the afternoon session, which was con- vened at 2:50, Professor A. Hall of Wash ington, read paper on the mass of Saturn. The paper was abstruse, and dealt largely in mathematical cal culations involving the principles of higher mathematics. The professor illustra- ted the various steps in his calculation on the blackboard Among those present at yes terday's sessions were: Professor Marsh of Yale, Simon Newcomb, U. s. N, Washing ton the secretary, Professor Asaph Hall, U. s. N, Washington, and the treasurer, John H. Q Coffin, U. S. N., Washington; Professor Francis A. Walker, president of the Boston h. stitute of Technology; Prof. Wolcott Gibbs of Harvard college, Professor George F Bar ker of the University of Pennsylvania Major John w. Powell of Washington; A. Graham Bell, Washington; William H. Brewer, New Haven; George J. Brush, New Haven; James D. Dana. Now Haven; T. Sterry Hunt, Mon treal; Professor H. A. Newton, Yale col lege; -HrofesSor F. C. Ilcker1ng, or liar yard college: Professor Henry A. Rowland, of the John Hopkins university, Baltimore Professor Samuel H. Scudder. of Cambridge; Benjamin Silliman, New Haven; Arthur W. Wright, New Haven Charles A. Young, Princeton, N. J. Josiah Willard Gibbs, New Haven; Professor Edward s. Morse of Sa- lem, Massachusetts, and c. s. Hastings. The papers to be read before the academy are:
 On the solar eclipse of May 6. 1883, 1e- ports of c. A. Young, E. s. Holden, c. s. Hastings.
 The Animikie rocks of Lake Superior, T. Sterry Hunt.
 -,. On some now primary cleavage forms of albuminous matter, R. II. Chittenden. (By invitation )
 On the use of the word "Light'' in Physics, s. Newcomb.
 On the theory of errors of observation land probable suits, $. NewooHb. On the subsidence of particles in liquids, W. H. Brewer.
 On new photograph of the solar spec trum, H. A. Rowland.
 Notes on the mineraIogy and lithology of the Bodie Mining district of California, B. Silliman.