New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-07
HODGKINS PRIZES AWARDED.
FIRST AWARD GOES TO THE DISCOVER,
Frs OF ARGON.
DE yARIGNY GETS THE PRIZE FOR A TREATISE
ON AFRO CONTESTANTS FROM ALMOST
EVERY QUARTER OF THE
GLOBE.

Washington Aug 6.-The Committee OF Award
for the Hodgkns prizes of the Smithsonian ihsli-
tuition has completed its examination Of the 2ls
papers submitted in competition by contestants
from almost every quarter OF the CLONE.
The American committee Is composed or the loi-
lowing members: Dr. G.. Browne Goode APP
nointed bv the secretary OF the Smithsonian lnsti-
tuition; Assistant Surgeon-Gener John 5. Billings
by the president of the National Academy Oh oci-
ences: Professor NJ. W. Harrington. by the presi-
dent of the American Association for the ADVANCE
ment Of Science.
A Foreign Advisory Committee composed OF the
,,ta Professor Huxley NJ Jansen Of the French
Academy Of Science. and Professor Wilheim Won
Behold director Of the German Meteoroiosicai ser
vice has been consulted in connection with the
award Of the prizes.
The Committee OF Award announced 'o-uay tic
following decisions
First prize OF $4,000 for a treatise embody1ng
some new and important discoveries in regard 10
the nature properties OF atmospheric ar "
Lord Raylegh, OF London. and Professor Wiiah
Ramsay. OF the University College, London Tor the
discovery of argon, a new element OF the atmos-
phere.
The second prize, Of $1,000 was not awarded
owing to the failure of any contestant to comply
strictly with the terms OF the oner
The third prize of 1000 to DR.. Henry de Varigny
of Paris for the best popular treatise upon atmos-
pheric air, Its properties and relationships ~ ue
Varigny's essay is entitled LAIR ct La We
considerable number Of papers submitted IN
competition received honorable MENTION coupied
in three instances with a silver medal, and In SIX
with bronze medal
Honorable mention with silver medal Is awarded
TO F. A. r. Russell. vice-president Of the Royal
Meteorological Society, of Great Britain to G. IL.
Madsen. of Copenhagen. and to A. L. Herrera ana
Dr. vergara Lopez. Of the City of Mexico.
Honorable mention with bronze medal is awarded
| TO Doctors Franz and Carl Oppenheimer of Berlin;
AHA ~ tha ITp tied
Bureau; Dr. o. Jesse. of Berlin; Hiram D. Maxim
| Of Kent, England: DR.. A. Loewy of Berlin, and H.
| Deberaux-Dex and Maurice Dibos OF Rouen'
Honorable mention is also awarded to pr Charles
Smart United states Army; DR. A. Marquis SoTwaT OF
Ps9lin; pe Nees Ma GSpenhagen: Dr.
deiro United states Navy Professor Prof, f. D Big
Gw wsnnsSR Professor F. S or F. Geser
many Dr. J. b. Cohen Leeds England f tInsyay
Won Macy iosva, Budapest. Hungary. -,uo.
The odgkins Fund from which these ss PRIV by
Thomas George Hodgklns, of setauke n y; the the
nS wp sc to bt h devoted to- the
| fusion OF more exact knowledge in regard 10 one
n nsctIon With 'Se welfare Of man An announce
ment of the prizes which were onered Mas maf n
| March 1888 The offer of prize of this value ex
cited general interest throughout the civilized
1t is not likely that the income from this fund
will be expended exactly IN h, en sd"nfed which viii
| accomplish the same purpose
| The new element Of the air known as argon, ds-
| covered by Lord Rayleigh and Professor Ramsay.
| is n harmless sort OF commodity. and constitutes
| only about one-one hundred-and-twe OF the
| atmosphere The principal constituents OF air exist
in the proportion of about seventy-seven parts Oh
nitrogen to twenty-one parts OF oxygen. by night
| and argon Is believed to form about per cent OF
| .atnospheric nitrogen" Hence. eight-one-thou-
sandths OF the weight Of the atmosphere, or about
two ounces of fifteen pounds pressure to the square
| inch is chargeable to the newly discovered eie-
ment Its density specific gravity Is 1914, whlle
! those of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are re-
| spectively &C. IA and 1. Nitrogen, in order TO De
quified must be subjected to a pressure OF thirty
| five atmospheres and reduced in temperature to LAG
| degrees below zero Centigrade.
Lord Rayelgh was engaged for years IN expert
| ments before he felt that he was deailng WIN
hitherto unknown substance one circumstance ,,c
| which to him seemed highly significant was that
nitrogen Isolated from the air always seemed
heavier than that obtained from chemical comDina-
tons. Professor Ramsay INVESTIGATED the mater
| Independently and reached the same conclusoas
| SAMPLES OF the gas were sent 10 MI. trookes
and Professor Schuster for spectral analysis, and
| these experts found that the new substance gave
| two distinct spectra In the red and the other
I'm the blue at different temperatures. both differing
| distinctly from the spectrum of nitrogen