The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-15
A GREAT SCIENTIST DEAD.
PROFESSOR JAMES DWIGnT DANA
 PASSES AWAY AT HIS HOME.

WOrld-The Eminent GeolOgist Suc-
 cumbs Suddenly to Heart Failure-Wai
 Down Town Saturday-A Professor al
 Yale FOrty-fiVe Years-His Sagacity and
 Profundity of Thought-His Conclusions
 in Science Have Stood the Test of Time
 and Discovery-Was Made Professor
 Elm eritus in 1899.
 Prof. James D. Dana. the world re- nowned geologist and author of stand ard and famous works on geology and mineralogy, died suddenly at his home on Hillhouse avenue last evening at 9:45 o'clock of heart failure. He was to 1H indications in his customary fair health day before yesterday, and on that day had been out walking when his I step was so light and active as usual, betraying none of the infrmatives usually consequent upon advanced age. day night, and so remained in bed all day yesterday. He was seized last ev- ening with heart failure, and before his physician, Dr. J. P. c. Foster, arrived, he had passed away. His death will j. be sincerely and deeply mourned at Yale and is a loss to science the world over. He was daily visitor at the postoff1ce in pleasant weather, and few who noted his active step, his affability of manner, his alertness of action would 4 have taken him for man of upwards of four score. He was a man of notable gehtleness of nature, wholly devoid of ostentation, and one of the most genial : and kindly of men.
 He leaves a widow, who Is the third daughter of the elder Prof. Benjamin Silliman, and four children, as follows < Edward Salisbury Dana, professor of physics and curator of the minerological collection In Yale university; Arnold Guyot Dana, Yale 's3, who is employed on commercial paper published in Brooklyn by a brother of Prof. Dana; Mrs. Colt of Norwich and Miss Amy ; Dana, who lives at home. About year ago Mr. and Mrs. Dana celebrated their I golden wedding. Prof. Dana had re- Bided in his house at the corner of Hillhouse avenue and Trumbull street ever since it was built.
 His death coming so suddenly was a great shock to his many lifelong friends hnd acquaintarces, who had been inti- nately associated with him.
 Prof. Brewer, in speaking of his de- eeased friend last evening said:
 tTIe was a man of wonderful sagacity fn coming to conclusions. He was a profound thinker and his conclusions have been found sound and stood the lest of time. The minerology which he #bublished in 1887 forshadowed changes #n chemistry, which have since brought bout almost a complete revolution in hemical science. His work on "Corals nd Crustacea" are absolutely classic. He was with the great scientist, Dar- vins on the celebrated cruise of the Beazle" in the South seas and shared #vith him two great discoveries relating 10 coral islands. Dana showed that the feef- building corals lived only in water 2 bf at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which proved that the distribution of corals depends on the temperature of the wa Ter. Darwin promulgated the theory bf the origin of atolls, although not so definitely traced out. His theory is now # questioned. But the observations of #0ana have been found in almost every base accurate and are recognized and | |ound in all text books on physical l beography. This is an unprecedented l |ecord for a man, in these days of start ! ing scientific discoveries and changes. | His ninerology stands at the head of | III authorities, and is so recognized in | ] III countries. He was made professor | meritus two years ago, when Prof. Henry & Williams Yale '68 was called b Yale from the chair of geology at tornell university, to take up the active uties of Prof. Dana.
 "Prof. Dana was on the Wilkes expe- ition in 1S42, and was snipwrecked at r near the mouth of the Columbia riv- %r in Oregon, and he was one of the |arty that crossed the mountains near Tt. Shasta and made thek way down The Sacramento to San Francisco In is report of the expedition he said that 2 he geological features and layout of he land indicated the presence of gold. A'his was six years before the discovery #f gold in California. But rich mines ave since been discovered in the very round that Dana went over. On ac- punt of the great danger the party Fere in from Indians, and the hardship hey were enduring, they did not have opportunity to search for the gold shey believed to be there while going Aver the ground. "Professor Dana had just finished a l ew edition of his geology, which has pme from the press since January 1. 1
 notice from a scientific magazine l hys that the manuscript for the book ent to the printers almost entirely in he handwriting of Professor Dana.
 'Professor Dana was great mot only
 minerology and geology, but his ( krvices to chemistry and natural his- l Iry have been of inestimable value, I hd show a depth of penetration and ental insight rarely equalled"
 James Dwight Dana, minera1ogist, brn in Utica, N. T., Feruary 12, 1913. 2 e was attracted to New Haven by e reputation of Professor Benjamin Iiman under whose guidance many ;
 the subsequent leaders in Ameri- I n science received their earliest train- 2. He was graduated in 1883 and ! pointed instructor of mathematics to dshipmen in the United States navy, q in this capacity visited the sea-