New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23
i I

Nearly all er Agassizs serious quarrels re-
lated to the honors which he claimed as sci
enlist In most of them he is justified by his
latest bioCrapher. Bat in the controversy with
Jean de Carpenter. which involves the whole
history of the early study of glaciers, the de-
fence OF Agassiz can only be partial. All the
world is now familiar with the theory OF ga
ciers. glacial epochs and the transportation Of
erratic powders. But there was no theory in
1896. except that Of water currents. Ice cakes
and possible submergence of continents 1t was
close observation of what went on In the Alps
that set men right as to this subject. The OBJ
seryation not made In the first place by
men OF science. mountaineer, Perraudier,
tried to convince De Charpentier that the bowl
ders high up on the sides Of Alpine valleys
were left there by glaciers. Then NJ. Venetz.
civil engineer, treated incredulous Swiss nat
uralists to an abstract OF evidence showing that
the whole Canton Of Vaud had once been COW
cred by glaciers. When De Charpentier awoke
10 the Importance of this evidence he had
Venetzs paper hunted up and published. Then
he followed IL with memoir OF his own on the
probable cause OF the transport OF erratic blocks
in Switzerland. His paper stirred the scientific
world To the subsequent discussion Agassiz s
friend. Karl Schmper. contributed a single
word "Elszeit" which really epitomized all
the later investigation. But 1t was Agassz
himself who. by careful study OF the subject at
intervals. showed that what was now going
on In high Alpine valleys had in times past
affected a great part Of the earths surface
He was the first TO find traces Of glacial action
in Great Britain, and he subsequently con-
frmed his observations In the Northern Hems-
phere by tracing similar phenomena on the eou'h-
| ern side OF the globe
No man could have acknowledged more clearly
than he did the priority Of Venetz and DE Char
pentier But ne added biological differences and
fantastic explanations Of the role played BY
the upheaval Of the Alps" for which Schimper
was partly responsible, that for moment
threatened to bring the whole subject into
ridicule. These fancies obscured for time the
truth which Agassz was first 10 express. that
there was a time when ice covered the whole
| % Europe and that there was once an Ice Age.
AS time went and the glacial theory gained
| adherents, Agassiz observed with some Aesent-
ment that scientific men ignored his contribu-
tons to the subject or credited them to DE
! Charpentier The result was rivalry which
| eliminated when Agassiz published his "Etudes
sur les Glaciers in advance Of work which
ne knew that De Charpenter was preparing.
The latter thought his friend might have waited
! He repaid the SIBht by cOnnnlNp MS nOllce OF
| Agassiz's book TO a few lines. AgassiZ resented
this by writing: The affection which have
always cherished for you makes me regret for
| your sake that you notice only trihes In my
book. without citing any instructive fact except
| the temperature of the glacier" He added that
| two of his friends had already expressed their
| establishment. Thus ended friendship which
should have been lifelong.
fruitful cause Of misunderstanding be-
| tween Agassiz and those whom he employed Is
found by Mr. Marcou In the fact that he treated
| them lust as he did his dependent student
friends at Munich. He made no definite agree
| ment He provided for their maintenance and
| they were welcome to what money he could
| spare when they needed II. There was one
| extraordinary geologist in the Alps whom this
| vague arrangement just suited. Armand
| Grossly was In appearance a tramp, but he was
| welcome to the houses of all the country peo-
| pie and he was easily contented. so timid
| and had so few wants that he was the cheapest
| savant imaginable to support once he was
| gone two months. and when he returned he
| brought not only some splendid fossils. but al
| the money Agaseiz had given him. In his absent
| and endured many hardships from his belief ir
| his own poverty. There were other assistants
| perhaps as faithful though not so easily eatis
| fed But the man against whom Mr.. Marcou
| still cherishes resentment Edouard Desor
| for MANY years private secretary to AgassiZ