Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-25


TIoNs RELATIVE To THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT
wINcHELI.-roREIGN DELEGATES AND THOSE
FROM THIS COUNTRY
The audience that assembled this morning in
the law lecture hall of the Columbian University
to attend the second days session of the Geo.
logical Society of America was not large one.
1t was. however. made mp of many of the lead
ing writer's and teachers of geology in this
and foreign countries. The coming together
OF such notable body of some of the leading
geoiogists of the world is event of more
than usual interest To the average lay mind
the printed program of papers presents moth
Ing very attractive, but to men who give their
days to the study of geology it presented an
opportunity of hearing from men of world
wide reputation the results of their investiga-
ton of knotty and complicated questions. So
when President Gilbert called the society to
ORDER he looked upon group OF men whose
earnest faces indicated their absorbing interest
TRIBUTE To THE LATE PRESIDENT.
From the committee appointed to draft ap-
propriate resolutions relative to the death of
DR.. Alexander Winchell. the president Of the
society, Prof. Orton made report which was
adopted. The resolutions reported lay a just
and touching tribute to the character of the
deceased and tittingiy acknowledged the great
services which he had rendered to the science
in the course of the forty years of srduous and
unremittiug toll, which he had devoted to its
investigation. To his writings and lectures
was attributed in great degree the growing
Gberality and enlargement of thought of the
more serious minded portion of the community
III regard to the theory of organic evolution as
presented by Darwin and b." SUCCESSORS. DR..
Winchell, the report affirmed, stated and de-
Tended with marked ability and courage and
persuasive power this the most characteristic
and far-reaching doctrine OF modern geological
science. "lhe first enunciation of this doc
trine," the report stated, was sure to
| awaken distrust and even bitter hostility
among a large class of people because of its ap-
parent incOmpatibiity with some of their most
fundamental convictions and beliefs. To dis
regard the sincere apprehension of this great
Class. comprising. as 1t does. SO much OF the
moral and intellectual force of the body poll
tic. would be heartless. To mock at its fears.
i'll founded though they were, would be worse.
What worthier service to science and the COM
munity than to disarm hostility by showing
that the evolutionary philosophy, SO far from
degrading and dishonoring man. makes him in
a peculiar sense the head and crown Of the
creation"
In seconding the resolutions DR.. C. A. White
paid warm tribute to DIR. Winchell. with
whom he had been on terms of intimacy for
many years. As further mark of respect the
resolutions were adopted by rising vote.
DIR. FREDERICK scHMIpr's PAPER.
The first paper presented was by DR.. Fred
erick Schmidt of st. Petersburg, Russia. In
appearance DR.. Schmidt is a typical Russian.
A large massive body and a characteristic face,
full bearded and Drowned by exposure to the
weather. He hes not the pale face of a student,
but he has achieved distinction in geology. lie
is a member of the Academy of Sciences in st.
Petersburg, Russia, and has given special at
tention to an investigation Of the Silurian for
nation in the Baltic provinces. His paper was
on The Eurypterus Beds OF Oesel as Com
pared With Those of the Watoriime of North
America 1t was not only delivered in English
but written in English. the professor display
ing great deal of skill in overcoming the diff
cuities which the English language presents to
foreigner.
PROF. ALEXIS PARLow.
The next paper was presented by fellow
countryman of Prot. Schmidt who also spoke
in English. This was Prof Alexis Parlow, pro-
fessor of geology in the University of Moscow
and collaboratQr in the geological survey of
Russia. Prof. Parlow has acquired by years of
labor q reputation as a close student and care
full writer on geological subjects. Unlike his
colleague he has a tai. slim figure and wears a
full blonde beard. His paper was discussion
! of the ocean bed beginning with the cUtaceous
account of the fauna.
BARON GERALD DE GEEh.
The next paper on the quaternary
| changes of land in Scandinavia and was Illus
trated by diagrams which the author Baron
Gerald de Geer OF Stockholm, Sweden. used in
presenting the results of his researches. The
baron is the Swedish governmental gecl-
ogist. being in charge Of the coun-
trys geological survey. In the field of
glacial geology his work is particularly
famous and he is one of the worlds leaders in
that branch of the science. He is a short,
heavily built man who does not lock more than
thirty, aud whose thick curiy brown beard and
heavy eyebrows give him studious air His
paper dealt with changes of level now going on
in his own country and was of especial interest
to students of glacial geology.
Prof. A. \. Arassnof of the Charkow Univer-
sitv, Russia. read the next paper on the black
earth of the stoppes OF southern Russia, its
origin, distribution aud points OF resemblance
with the soils Of the prairies of our own
country. The paper traced the Russian
steppes and the American prairies resem-
blance to each other TO theft similar origin
in the layers of the vegetables OF
years. Their remarkable fertility was touched
origin of tie two plains was given. Prof. Krass-
nof IS a rather young. bearded student who
scarcely looks old enough to be the famous
geolosist he is
PROF. aREGoIRE sTEFANEscu.
Prof. Gregoire Stefanescu of the University
of bucharest, Roumaaia, presented ''Sur Tex
istence du Dinotherium Roumaine," the
next paper. The professor read it In French
i,l ustrating ii by, drawings on the blackboard
and after he had flashed Prof. DR.. Charles
Barrois read it over again in English, SO those
! who did not know French might not lose it,
Though quite short the paper very in
teresting. 1t briefly described large number
of bones of the dinotherium found widely dis
tributed over Roumania. which indisputably
pointed to the existence of this almost un-
known extinct animal in that land countless
years age. This was probably the largest man,
| NAL that ever inhabited the EARTH its epoch
being the tertiary period. 1t had enormous
tusks that curved downward and backward in
| such way that it could only hurt itself with
them, and probably had a massive trunk In
character it more nearly resembied the
elephant and rhinoceros of modem ages than
any other known animal.
After the second reading Of this paper had
been finished the geologists adjourned till 2
o'clock for luncheon.
DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS.
Onaccount Of the Association for the Advance
ment of Science meeting in the lecture hall this
evening, it was necessary to divide the Geological
Society into two sections this afternoon papers
being read before the two sections all the after
| noonin order to finish the list. Papers particu-
larly pertaining to glacial geology were read
before the second section and the others before
the original body. over which Vice President
Gilbert presides. Prof. T. c. ChamberIin,
Of he .1-.l