Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30
WASHINGTON SCIENTISTS.



''Yes." said Prof. Otis 7. Mason of the Ma
tonai Museum TO STAR reporter yesterday,
I'VE had q most successful meeting Of the
American Association for the Advancement Of
Science in Indianapolis The meeting lasted
from, the 18th TO the 26th and during that time
over 1000 papers on scien tifc subjects were
read The meetings were divided up into eight
sections, each one devoted to some particular
| science, and the meetings Of the several sec
| tions were carried ON simultaneously. Tho
| association now has two thousand members
from all parts Of North America, and is in a
most satisfactory condition. It meets once a
year for the purpose of mutual en-
couragement and Of stirring up local
interest in scientific pursuits. This meet
ing gives scientific men Of the country
chance Of meeting each other personally.
About one-half Of the time Of the meeting is
given up to the reading OF scientific papers Of
the most learned and abstruse nature. The
! rest of the time is devoted to visits to points
of interest in the nsighborhood of the place Of
meeting.
SETTING THE RIVER ON FIRE.
THUS the most interesting points around
indianapolis we're the natural gas regions, and
all of last Saturday was given up to visiting
them. -Four hundred Of us went off in spe-
cial train through the entire gas belt, and in
each Of the cities where we stopped we were
rendered magnificent entertainments. At
Nobesvilie we were shown how gas was fur
nished to the city OF Indianapolis.
"At Kokomo we saw the immense gas works,
we're given a dinner and had speeches from the
mayor and other prominent men. We received
the freedom of the city at Marion and saw the
paper mills ut Muncie. At Anderson we took
supper and afterward were driven down to the
river banks to see a most wonderful sight. Gas
pipes had been laid out into the river in all di-
rections, and when it grew dark all this gas on
the surface OF the water was set on fire, and it
really looks as though, at last, people had sue
ceeded in setting the river on FIRE. 1t was q
most interesting spectacle.
WASHINGTON Ar THE FRONT.
Washington held up her end most beauti-
fully at the recent meeting. The retiring
president was Mr.. T. c. Mendenhall, chief of
the coast survey. His address was an excellent
one, dealing, as 1t did, with the present want of
harmony between scientific men and men of
the world. Out of eight acting vice presidents
four were from this city. They were Prof.
Cleveland Able Of the weather bureau. physics;
Prof. X. b. Warder, chemistry; Dr. Frank
Baker. anthropology, and Mr.. j.. Richards
Dodge; economic science. MIR. Harvey W.
Wiley and Mr.. L. E. Fernow were two OF the
secretaries.
THIRTEEN WASHINGTON FELLOWS"
"Membership in the association is of two
classes-fellows and simple members. The for
mer are mon who have really made n name for
themselves in the scientifi, world written a
book worth writing, or have done something
that was worth doing. Out Of about eighty-five
fellows elected at the recent meeting thirteen
we're from this city. They were DR.. Thomas
Antisell, George II. Eldridge, b. T. Galloway.
Asaph Hall, DR.. Walter j. Hoffman, Walter
Hough, Frank H. knowlton, Artemas Martin,
James Mooney, Warren X. Moorehead, DR.. Al
bert c. Peale, Erwin +. Smith and Bailey
Willis.
THE DISTRICT DELEGATION.
"Nothing shows the growth of interest that
Is taken in scientific matters in this city as
much as the fact that, exclusive Of the two
states Of Ohio and indiana. the largest delega-
ton present at the recent meeting was from
here. There were about thirty in attendance,
all leading men in their respective lines. Those
who went to Indianapolis were 7. C. Menden-
hall, Warren X. Moorehead, II. W. Wiley, W.
]. MCGEE, Mrs. Anita Newcomb MCGEE, j. r.
Dodge, Cleveland Abbe B. I. Galloway, X. s.
Woodward. VIM. H. Seaman, Robert b. War
der, DR.. Frank Baker, A. de Ghequier. B. T.
Fernow, T. W. Clarke, Mrs. T. G. Mendenhall,
Prof. o. T. Mason, L. A. Schweinitz Oscar c.
Fox, NJ. B. Waite, Frederick " Coville, Z. d.
Preston, G. X. Gilbert Thos Russell and G.. L.
Spencer.
The next annual meeting Of the association
will be held in this city next August 1t will
last about ten days, and it is to be hoped that
we will prove no less hospitable here in our
efforts to entertain the American Association
than did the citizens Of Indianapolis"