Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-08-29
Meeting of the sections,

SION oI me last paper OF the morning,
t.lat by Frank c. Wagaer on Electric
Light Tests"
Prof ". q. Cooley read d paper On a
new smoke burning device which is t.
Consume ali gases by the admission of
hre 5sts OF steam to incaTcescent coal.
Prot. Robert T6 6urston OF Cornell read
an lmPort%n5 paper on Cylinder Con-
nsdrIon In Steam Engines"
The geologists heard paper by Henry
>. Williams. descriptive of the upper De-
vonian rocks.
Pre-, ident Edward Orton Of Colum-
Pew oil aud gas fields of Northwestern
Ohio. OF the oil there is but small
product, but gas is TO be found in large
quantities. At Finlay there are six
wells. with yield of between three and
four million feet per day. At Bowling
Green there are three more, and one al
Fremont, making the total daily products
about 100000 cubic feet. He also
touched on the source of the product, its
horizon being some distance below the
fields of Eastern Ohio and Western
Pennsylvania.
Among the biological papers were
Parasites Of Hessian Fly" by Prot.
Z. V. Riley, and paper by Prot. 7. j.
Burrill on THE Mechanical injury to
Trees by Cold" in the latter of which
the freezing of water and its composition
with other matters is given as the ex
plsgnation Of splits aud similar Injuries
zeal discussions by completing the cen
sideration Of Laws and Terms OF Rela-
tionship Of the 0mshas." Dakota Indian
mounds aud some other topics Concern
Ing American aboriginal customs oc-
cupied the rest JT the day.
he afternoon meeting of the eco
! nSmic scientists opened with a paper by
Gov. John W. Hoyt on The Need Of a
| Systematic Reorganization of the Ex-
| ecutlve Departments of the Government
| IN the Interest of Science and Public
| Economy" He advocates sweeping
| changes In the present executive branch
| OF the government, suggesting new de-
partures and radical changes in those
now existing, all being with view to
cheaper administration of the govern
ment.
Between the afternoon session and the
lecture of the evening the local commit
tee entertained the association with a
lawn party on the college campus. To-
! morrow there will be no sessions of the
different sections, the members being the
guests of the city of Detroit for an ex-
cursiou to lake St. Clair.
THE INTERoCEANIc PROBLEM.
In the evening, at O'Clock, the scieu.
lists, their friends aud the citizens oi
Anu Arbor heard an address by Capt
Il. l.. Corthell Of New York on The
lnferoceanic Problem and Its Scientific
Solution" HIS lecture was illustrated
by number of plates more clearly eX-
planning the construction and method o.
working the proposed ship railway. ThC
following is an abstract of the lecture:
THE ADDRESS.
Accomplishment of science increas,
its quiIements. The most serious OBJ
stacleS nave been Overcome-all excep
this one that lies 10 the center of tn
wOrld-a uarrow neck OF land uniting
two continents and allowing no passage
All interests and tr,e interchange o
comm rec is seriously hampered by thi
lnteroceauic problem. Tae great eX
pease of traus shipment excludes the ex
ten>ive use nf ordinary railroads. Cereal
Of the Pac fc and other products, agri
cultural aud manufactured, traverse Ion
and expensive routes to markets. Ou
manufacturers, who turn over 50, 900 600,
600 worth annually, exporting only 2 pc
cent, cannot participate In the $1,000
, 100000 worth of trade in far Paciti
I countries The American lsthmus hs
. been considered for TOUR centuries.
has beeu examined, surveyed, plan
made and projected, but nothing resulted
There are three routes-Panama, NicaI
. aqua and Tehauntepec. Assuming tn
q practicability of the last, its advantage
o | will be acknowledged. Its commerce.
4 advantages are evidenced by the fac
that it is near the axial line
productions, passing through Hong Kon!
e San Francisco, New FORK and Liverpoo
and its nautical conditions are muc
more favorable. The true scientif
= method is that which transfers shil
, from ocean TO ocean most promptly an
j economically. This method is ship raj
7 way. Its details embrace the liftiu
n dock, with the system of hydraulic ran
It so arranged as to hold up and perfect
a distribute the weight of the vessels;
4 regulated system of carriage supports
: be plac, under the vessels hulis; roat
5 bed to be built of materials to be four
0 along the whole length of the railwa
. the superstructure TO be long steel tie
3 on which will be laid heavy steel raj
weighing about 100 pounds per line
yard Powerful locomotives, weishiI
N 102 net tons, with capacity of 800
gross tons on the level, will haul shi
&c across the Isthmus Three of these VI
Is haul maximum weight o. $3.50 tons
'e fifteen miles an hour on grades up
e twenty feet to the mile. Abru
st charges in the direction OF the roa
! made necessary by following the vs
= leys, are accomplished by means
l. floating turn tables The harbors
'r both ends are commodious and exceller
E, Large numbers of experts who exsmin
As the plans testify to its practicability al
= economy. The time has passed for pro
ing the feasibility of the method. ]
NJ superior economy in construction a.
ot operation is the next subject TO be CO
IS sidered Ordinary canals aud railroa
es have been tried, the latter being superi
;. in economy and dispatch. In the sb
= canals and ship railways the difference
= favor of the latter is greater. Historic
- examination of the actual cost of movil
y y freight by canal and railroad shows tn
:. the latter is lar in advance of the form
"a in economy, and in the question OF til
a. there is stll greater difference. The c:
rs rying out tendencies are evident in the O.
TO of railroad transportation, and instead
rs the average load of fifteen tons, or thil
re for the maximum moving on two raj
90 put on 1900 tons, the moving on
] rails and with great concentrated mott