New-York tribune., 1897-08-26
THE LAST DAY AT TORONTO.
CLOSE OF THE MEETING OF THE BRIT
ISH ASSOCIATION.
THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN IN AMERIcA-rArERs
BEFORE VARIOUS SECTIONS THE FINAL
MEETING-A DINNER IN THE EVENING.


| Toronto. Aug. 25-This was the Closing day OF the
| sixty-seventh annual meeting OF the British Asso-
citation for the Advancement OF Science. One OF
the most interesting incidents OF the weeks session
occurred this morning. a Joint session Of the sec
tions devoted to anhropology and geology was
held ostensiby 10 discuss the antiquity Of man In
America. but really to consider merely two phases
Of that subject. Professor r. w. Putnam. the
newly elected president OF the American Association
for the Advancement; Of Science. and of the
leading arch@oogists OF this continent. gave an
tended account OF the human implements found in
what is called the Trenton gravel. in New-Jersey,
near the Delaware River. Then Professor T.. W.
Cayhoe Of Ohio. another expert IN such matters.
described the finding Of peculiar axe in the glacial
gravel OF his State. When those two speakers
had told their stories there several short adj
dresses. crtcisng the evidence and antagonizlng
the conclusions which some anthropologists and
archnolOgiss had been inclined 10 draw from the
facts
Professor Putnam presented his cautiously,
and took pains TO say that II for the biologists.
not FOR MIN. to say how old the rude stone
| implements and chips which he and other inves-
tgators had found at Trenton. He remarked that
the finding OF such remains In gravel supposed TO
be left by the retiring Ice sheet OF glacial times
seemed to indicate the existence OF human race
In that region long anterior to the earliest OF
whom We have previously obtained evidence The
Northeastern Esquimaus of this continent are not
a pureblooded race like those OF the Northwest
and the form OF a skull found Trenton led him
to suspect that the race 20 which it belonged came
up from the South the retirement of the ice and
mixed with the Western Esquimaus, thus producing
| the Eastern Esquimau.
Professor Cla yhole had but a single objec, TO dis
cuss namely. an axe found at the bottom of a well
which young farmer was digging The integrity
OF the man well vouched for. The chances OF
such an axehead being manufactured and dropped
in there were very small The stone was mbedded
In the clay when the welldgger found IT, More
over 1t showed signs of prolonged action by sulphur
water. having been eaten out corroded so as to
| be porous object and very ligh,.
| CRITICISING THE ARCHAEOI OGISTS
When the critics took the floor they recognized
| Professor Putnam's painstaking and persistent
work in the Trenton gravel The genuinencss Of the
| specimens was admitted. Bd; the antiquity OF the
| gravel was disputed. The VINO discussed this
| point most vigorously Or. MacCiill. who had
conducted the work OF the United States Geological
| Survey in New-Jersey for several years He
! disposed to think that the Trenton layer was not
the gravel deposit OF the glacial epoch proper
! which was lower down. but superficial gravel OF
a much later period. Some of the other speakers
thought that the Trenton deposit might be any
where from five thousand TO fifty thousand years
J old, but were not more precise than that.
Sir John Evans, president Of the British Asso,ia.
| ton. was in the room this morning. Archaeology
| is his great speciality. and his opinion was listened
| to with much interest Without going into the
! geology Of the region where Professor Putnams
specimens were found. l,r merely observed that the
latter did not resemble either the palcOlithic imple-
| of the Somme. in France. or any other Of
the earliest stone products OF human skill found In
Europe. He was willing to believe, from other evil
dencos afforded in Mexico and Central America that
man had lived on this continent five thousand ten
! thousand and perhaps twenty thousand years ago,
but the objects found at Trenton he regarded
more modern and distinctly neothc. As to the
Ohio specimens, the most plausible theory which
! Sir John could give was that some Joker. knowing
that the wel-digger private collector Of
! tiquties had secretly manufactured the thing and
had put II where he would find it,
Some Of the other speakers laid stress the fact
that yet signs Of a paeothc had been
! found in the Southern part of the United States,
nor had any been discovered in the province of On
! tario.
In the geographical section to-day General A. W.
Greey presented paper for Henry Ganne;t. Chief
Photographer of the United States on the material
conditions and growth OF the United States The
paper was full OF interesting statistics derived from
successive census reports on the distribution and
occupations Of the people in the States: The same
section also listened TO discussion OF the mpor
tance Of the study OF geography by Professor Will
lam NJ Davis OF Harvard University.
The botanists and biologists made expedition
to-day to the adjacent county with two or three
naturasts, to point out the plants and insects Of
Professor W. c; Roberts-Auste of the British
|
the chemical section something about his recent
discovery, ALREADY reported in The Tribune OF The
dffuse themselves through the mass of another
metal, even II they are both cold.
The physics section had long list of papers to
be disposed OF, but they were mostly rather tech
4ss Of sa. Rmas + Tomp
considered the value of a 'three-threaded meth
". F. Ayreton Offered remarks on the sensbIlity
! OF galvanometers. and DR.. oliver J. Lodge. Pro-
| Of Hanover. conducted a discussion postponed
from last week. on the influence of magnets on the
lines of the spectrum.
sCANT MENTION OF THE AMERICANS.
The final meeting Of the association as a whole
this afternoon Ceremonious giving Of thanks.
| The visitors expressed their appreciate OF the
kindness OF the civil authorities. the University
and the people. The civil authorities the local
done to the community by this meeting in Toronto
promoted between Canada and the mother country
Only two Of the dozen speakers referred to the
States. These were Sir John Evans and the Minis
addition @ to their attendants in large numbers the
Yankees nave greatly promoted the success of this
That such cooperation should receive rather scant
recognition is perhaps due TO the peculiar relations
just now Lord Kelvin and Lord Lister were on
the platform, with other prominent members OF the
organization. but did not speak They
serving their energies, perhaps, FOR later oc-
The new president Of the British association is
chosen by the council. and the selection OF a place
for holding the meeting two years in advance is
made in the same manner No announcements on
! these points were given to-day 1t settled last
year. however that the association Will convene in
! Bristol IN 1898.
The meeting this year Is generally regarded a
very satisfactory There have been full pro-
grammes. able papers. fine weather and excep-
| tionally convenient buildings for both the large
and the small gatherings Incident to the weeks
work. The love-makng between the two parts of
the British Empire. the presence OF so many Amer
| leans and the remarkable number OF garden
ties given in honor OF the visitors We're other feat
of the meeting
WINDING Up WITH A DINNER.
The final item the programme a dinner
given by the citizens of Toronto to some OF their
distinguished visitors. The financial and other
rangements for this function made by an i'm