The morning times., 1895-08-07
Hodgkins' Offer Of $4,000 GOES
to Discovers Of ArgOn.
GAVE 100000 TO BE USED
Lord Ray1eigh and Prof. Ramsay the
Successful Competitors for the First
Piace-The Second Prize of $1,000
Was Not Awarded-Dr. Varigny
Receives 81 900.

The Hodgkins prize OF $i10 900 for the best
treatise embodying some new and important
discovery regarding the nature and proper
ties of atmospheric air, probably the most
important prize ever offered in America, has
been awarded tn John William Strut Ray
leigh, baron, professor OF experimental
physics at the University OF Cambridge,
Eugland, and William Ramsay, professor
OF chemistry, University College, London
for their work upon the discovery OF argon,
the new element OF air
At the same time with the large awards
the results of the So 900 and $40 900
prizes We're made known as wellasthe names
of persons to whom medals were awardedas
deserving honorable mention. 1t is also
announced that superb gold medal WI!
heuceforth be awarded for eminent service
in this line. The gold in the medal will be
worth S7OO.
COMMITTEE OF AWARD.
The Smithsonian Institution is the agency
through which the prizes We're offered.
The committee Of award consists of s. p.
Langley, Secretary OF the Smithsonian,
ex officio; DIR. g Bro wne Goode appointed
by Secretary Langley; Assistant Surgeon
General John s. Billings, from the Ma.
tional Academy of Sciences; DR. Mark w.
Harrington, late chief Of the Weather
Bureau, from the a merican Association for
the advancement of science. with a foreign
advisory committee composed OF NJ, Jams
sen, OF the French Academy OF Sciences,
aud VIM. Won BeZold, director OF the Ger
man Meteorological service.
Profs. Won Hemholtz and Huxley We're
success siveIy members OF the foreign ad-
visory board. but both died before rendering
a decision. DIR. Won HelmhOtZ was replaced
by DR. Won Bezold, but time was hct-
ing TO supply Prof Huxleys loss
The papers, 21S in number. have all
been before the committee since early in
January last, but delay in making the an
noUncenenu Las been caused by the sick
ness and death of the Two scientists last
named
Secretary Langley went to Europe two
months ago and part vi his business there
has been 10 secUr re a conclusion ofthe matter
and announcement OF the result 1t is
more than two months since the Aneri-
can committee made its return. Secretary
Langley cabled the vote of the last foreign
adviser on Monday.
The prizes were offered by the Smith
sonian on March 81, 1893, In pursuance Of
the provisions OF the VIII of Thomas George
| Hodekins, an Englishman, who made a
fortune as a candy manufacturer before
the war and spent the c,Qsing years of
his life in scientific research at Setauket,
Long Island.
HE GAVE 5000 900.
He was specially interested in the use
fulness aud relations OF air to man and at
his death. in 1891, gave 100000 to the
Smithsonian to be used principally / n
stimulating investigation upon this sub
ject. He directed particularly that a
very wide scope should be given to the
ESSAYS. for which prize should he offered,
so as to embrace almost every Science.
The first prize offered was 100000 FOR an
| importaut discovery in the field indicated.
I The second was 1000 for a compendium
OF all existing knowledge on the subject,
together with q treatise indicating the best
! lines for research in the future The third
was for the best popular treatise upon at
mospheric air, its properties and relation
| ships Tho essays We're TO be handed in by
| July ! 1894. but upon that date 1t was
| found the circulars issued by Secretary
! Langley had been so slow i'll reaching their
| destinations, and there was such u general
| call for extension, that the time for clos
I'M, the contest was postponed TO January l.,
1895. Even after that date essays con
| tinued to come ill, and one was received on
Monday None was examined which had
been mailed after January l last.
The essays were to be written in any
| language and the writers were not re
quired to sign with nom de plumes AS
matter of fact, most competitors wrote
in English and signed fictitious names
The second prize was not awarded. Nc
| essay of mort was received which GOV
cred both the specifications OF the offer
The third prize, $1,000, was given tc
DR.. Henry dc yarigny, q popular writer and
contributor to the Revue des Deux Mondes
for an essay entitled Air and Life"
The medals awarded were never Offered
at all They viii be copies of the golt
medal henceforth TO be awarded for dis
coveries in investigation Of air or i'm
| portant original work.
|