New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-23
SCIENTISTS IN COUNCIL.
PAPERS BEFORE THE NATIONAL ACADEMY
MOVEMENT OF sToRMs-sUBMARINE GEOLOGY NEAR
NEw-YORK-KiNSBIr.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNH.l

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBUNH.l
WASHINGTON, April 22.-Ien papers were
offered for reading in tho National Academy OF sciences
TO day Goodwin Smith appeared for the hrst uihe
Tomorrow is the day for the election OF ne" inen
There are eight vacancies, but only five new members
can he elected in any one year The hrst paper ie'
to-day was by General COmstock. OF the Ohi'eu 0'a'o
ARMY on The ratio OF the metre to the yard
Professor Able OF the Signal Service. read paper ny
Professor LOOMS of Yale College, on The progressive
movement of storm areas. or areas OF low pressure
The movement OF storm areas. he said, had been
attributed to drift current. as the water oil river
is carried all advancing in the same direction But IL Is
found that direction OF storm ooeS h"'
coincide with tho average direction OF the wihu' put
rather with the and direction OF the special wihd Oh
the moment and ten there Is no eydehc OF exact
agreement Air rises from the centre OF the 10" ARIA
ts vapor is condensed and air PUSHES In from the base
1t is like great atmospheric wave Often such ""'es
have two centres starting from different points ana
coalescpe or they novel with Iul volocitie' at an
ane of ninety degrees or more. one great storm area
NAV divide and develop several centres moving WIN
different ye.ociticS When maps are made twehty-i"ur
hours apart 1t Is almost impossible to identity tEe
centres as the same. Storms move toward tue east
because pressure the west Is steady ana iOrcibe on
the east only temporary. If storm area is thrust west
ward it is only for moment III soon yleius 10 tue
western wind. "a steady force.
Professor HigarI read a paper on the submarine
Geology of the approaches to New-fork'' when ha'
been prepared by Professor Lndenkohl and was
aprroyed by Professor Dana In 1914 specimens were
secured the bottom Of the harbor and investigated
by CONT Pourates and Professor Bailey OF West Point
within five years of the Typographical survey The sea
bottom showed peculiar submarine valley with clay
bottom running a hundred miles ont to sea, with deep
ravne on the edge OF tie submarine slope Deel mlu
holes were found and Dana showed that these might
nave been part of previous Hudson River enamel
Careful sOundngs finally showed the muc mole coh'h-
nous The channel is from au eighth of mile to "a mile
broad its banks OF the height dropping from
seventeen to iorty-nrce feet The bottom is Of sandy
clay and there is at mouth bar of fine sand eighty
miles below Sandy Hook. Its depth drops from twenty
i've to forty-three feet. 1t undoubtedly produced
by erason Tho mud is the actual sort OF sandy cay
like that OF the New-Jersey coast This was part OF the
terminal muane of the glaciB period, which the geolo
gical survey found extending from the Allegheny aey
TO New-York Bay. 1t forms mLddy belt het %eeh
prccpitatcy from 100 to 1000 tathoms. lne Drawn
from Trenton. n j., 10 Ne%-i York Bay Separacs i9e
feet To iile. The bar probably Is rene OF an a'e
cedent condition. m e,,, q nh
orders OF sLes" lie asserted that Systematic ichthy
oogy is a Renaissance vi past age. IL retention due 10
nufsh and that 1t Is the disgrace OF sciences
in America such word as fishes " was restricted TO
vertebraes living In water but had no mOrpholOgcdI
value. II mus: he discarded in scientific sense.
LIhiS ipaper was followed by one from MAJOR row., U
"7The ganzaOn OF the tribe Many years ago LOUIS
H. Morgan had called attention TO the significance OF the
kinsrip system. There was only small material In
those DAYS for conclusions but in the Immense mass
OF later accommodations nothing Lad inyaiiaed them.
They hal gained ne and dceIer signihcahce. Nhat
were ouce only curiOtes OF scientific Literature can now
he shown TO be In tribal society tribe nj the
beginning is group Of brothers. husbands TO group OF
sisters. The children cal all the brothers idther hud al
the sisters mother. The only alhulties are those OF
husband and wife; the only colHerals are those OF
brother and sister This and its inducive hypthc0ss
were originally based lilgual characteriscs. those
terms in "a language which expressed its relationship
TIE first development from this state Is one IN which the
wife and the sister not tho same aud the husband
and the brother are not the Then the Idea OF
incest as a crime is originated. These systems are
founded o determinations OF generations ana SEX
Father and son are terms which indicate relative age.