New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-28
BRITISH UNIVERSITIES.
THE KELVIN JUB1LEE-A GREAT MANS
uIyMIIITY-WOMEN AT CAMBRIDGE.

The Kelvin Jubilee has been unique tribute
70 Enplands greatest man Of science. The cor
poraton of Glasgow has united with the UNI
yersity In commemorative the hfteth ami
venary of his appointment to the proiessorship
of natural philosophy. There has been re-
ception which attended by over Z.oV" guests
of the University; the Queen and the frince VI
Wales have sent congra tory messages 'he
learned societies of Great Britain, the Continent
and America have paid homage to his genius anu
character in a series OF remarkable addresses
the University has conferred upon him the hs"-
est degree which II could bestow upon i's iios'
eminent son: France has honored nm WIN '"e
Araeo medal. and the Lord Provost has presided
over public banquet, at which his heaith was
drunk with enthusiasm ard profound respect by
a great company Of men Of science. SELDOM IN
deed. has a University career been crowned with
cousl honor and distinction, and never have CIVIC
and academic tributes been received with more
genuine simplicity more unanected mooeS'''
Few men could have resisted the temptations
o. a personal triumph of such magnitude Inc
circumstances would have justified an acaoehic
review OF the progress of science In the MY
years during which Lord Kelvin had been oe-
livering lectures. or to use his own phiuse'
holding conferences with the students OF the
University. Only supremely modest man cou'u
have succeeded In avoiding ostentatious discourse
and in accepting with sobriety of judgment and
humility the honors which were showeieo uPon
him. Lord Kelvin did not exaggerate the I'M
portance Of his protracted period OF University
service by making an extended survey Of the
march of science and conquests of invention
He received an unprecedented tribute OF admir'i-
zion and respect with meekness as evidence or
the affection of indulgent and generous friencs'
He disclaimed having done anything for Gas
eoyr or for the University. He confessed his own
obligations to the city and TO the UniVersl'! ior
enabling him TO have happy life ana 10 perse-
we're In congenial studies. When thlnH' he
said. ''how infinitely little Is all that nave
done cannot feel pride. only see the great
kindness OF my scientific comrades and OF all
nv friends in credting me with so much.
II m other object was accomplished by the
tubilee II has enabled vanglorlous ana sei-
conscious world to perceive how simple ana
modest wise man can be. "One woro' he sa'''
.characterizes the most strenuous OF the ehol'e
for the advancement of science that nave ilaue
perseveringly during fifty-hve years. Ihat worn
a tai,ure know no more of electric and mag
netic force or of the relation between e'hei'
electricity and ponderable matter. or OF chemical
am,,tv than I knew and tried to teach to my
students of natural philosophy fifty years ago
IN my first session as professor. Something OIL
sadness must come Of failure. but in the pursuit
NJ science Unborn necessity to rake the eior'
hr,rgs with II much Of the 'certaminis gaudla
md saves the naturalist from being wholly mis-
srab,e perhaps even allows him 10 be fairy
bannv in his daily work. That was LORD hei-
WINS estimate of his half century OF active
work for science. 1t was confession Vi iaiiu'e'
The great problems of nature were uhsoiVen'
w. ,,s,r &c little in the end as ne had known In
the beginning about the deepest things IN Gre
alton.
That there were splendid compensatons lot
philosophical failures Lord Kelvin dld not at
tempt to deny. There had been adm'raoie us
cover,es in fifty years by observation and ex-
periment on the properties Of matter ana IN 'he
exousitely benencent applications Of science 10
.ha usa ~ mankind But there much to
] be learned In the world Of nature whlch ne hau
snant a lifetime in studying. and so little had
really been added to the working stock OF human
knowledge, The great man with his many-elded
penius WAS haunted in his hour of triumph with
a consciousness of failure. He was IKE oiT
Joshua Reynolds who was found weeping IN MS
closing years over Of his earliest pictures
II was thinking" said the painter. "of the prom
Use Of my youth So too. Lord Kelvin wheh ne
took his degree at Cambridge and went 10 Glas-
gov to occupy the chair in the University whlch
he has never relnquished. dreamed his Orc ANS
and aspired to unravel the secrets OF an orcer'y
but inscrutable universe; and In his ola age ne
pathetically confesses that his ambition mas not
been fulfilled and that his career has been
clouded with failure.
Murmurs OF dissent naturally arose from MS
auditors when the philosopher spoke in this vein'
Not ono of the eminent men who had assembled
IN nav homage to his career Of splendid achieve
mont would have admitted that there had been
failure in any Respect. Lord Kelvin has been
consnicuous for the wide range OF his intellectual
activities and for his practical ability as an IN
ventor He has been pre-emnent alike as d
mathematician. an electrician and mechanicai
inventor He has been an all-around man OF
science thinking deeply on many eupJects' pu.
his habits of abstraction have never become 80
fixed as to take him out Of the practical every
day world in which he was living. NO o'hcr
modern man Of science has made more constant
and valuable applications Of the theories which
fascinated his intelligence summarize 1eieg-
raphy electric lighting and the art OF Navigation
have prohted heavily from his devotion to theo-
re,,caj science and his study OF the laws Of
electricity magnetism heat ard tidal action
The eiphon recorder used on the festival night IN
ssrd,ng message In seven minutes over cir
emit Of 10000 miles was his own invention. and
tho chairman OF the banquet did not use the
,anguage of exaggeration when he declared that
tbousands Of lives and millions of property had
been saved through his perfected compass and
epparatus for sounding. The modest man who
nja,ntyely epoke of the failure OF his career had
made additions of nestimabe value to practical
science and mechanical art as well as to the
stock of human knowledge
Lord Kelvin. while the most unassuming of men,
Is not pessmst one who knows him well has
told me of the enthusiasm with winch the PM
,osopher talks Of the future OF science he De-