Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-31
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES STONES
Features of the Forthcoming International
Geological Congress.
Delegates Will Have Free Passes All
Over Russia-An Endeavor to Unity
the Science the World Over.

The seventh international geological con-
gress. which convenes in ST. Petersburg
tomorrow, will in many ways be the most
marked scientific congress that has ever
been called together. Not so much, per-
haps, by reason of the large number of
eminent men who are likely to partake in
it's deliberations, as through the far--each-
ing liberality of the Russian government.
Not before in the history of associations
of this kind has like spirit governed their
formation and execution, and it is safe to
predict that many years will elapse be
fore there will be Il return to il. Although
not generally so known, Russia has for
many years taken advanced position in
the development of the natural and physi-
cal sciences and many of her men stand
second TO none original investigators in
the departments of astronomy, physics,
physiology, zoology and embryology.
The scientific bureau of the world which
has the most extended scope is that of the
geological survey of the Russian empire,
a field of labor which covers not alone
2.o0o,WD square miles of continental
Europe, but the 5,Ooo,10o or more that are
covered by the Russian possessions in Asia.
Thus it is that a territorial survey carries
its work over region twice as large as
that which is controlled by the. United
States geological survey, and it is in con-
formity with this broad line of investiga-
ton that the lines of the congress have
themselves been organized.
Passes Over Russia.
All delegates to the convention have been
accorded by the Russian government
free pass on the railroads of the empire for
a period of three months starting from
the frontier and returning to any point of
tia concession which has rcaped it's re-
ward in the unprecedentcdIy large attend
ance which has been assured the congress.
But of far greater significance to the in
terests of geology, and to the proper I'M
Outstanding of the more important prob
lens that are associated with the geology
of the Russian empire, and which have
more than general value fer biologists the
world over, the extended excursions
which have been organized under the aus
pices of the bureau of dire ction, aided by
the efforts of the department of the in
terror. One of these covers the north of
Russia and Finland, second traverses the
Ural mountains into the plains of Siberia,
and third takes the route of the Nolga
to the Caspian, the traverse of the Cau-
casus into Trans-Caucasa and the pas
sage of The Black sea to he Crimea. The
extent and Importance of these excursions
may he estimated from the magnitude of
the official guide book which has been pre-
pared for their illustration. a work col
Elaborated in thirty-four parts and contain
ing nearly I0D pages, besides wealth Of
maps and illustrations. The guide book is,
in fact, q manual of the geology of a large
part of the Russian empire, and is one of
the most thorough and explicit works of
the kind that have ever been published for
any country.
Topics to he Discussed.
The topics OF special Importance that
are to be discussed at the congress are
those pertaining to unification of the
science of geology-the effort to introduce
for the world at large system of COM
mon classification and Technology, which
if successfully reached, will be a service
rendered for which every good geologist,
whether taken from the ranks of the pro-
fessonal from the laymen. ought to be
thankful. Furthermore. the effort will be
made to halt the modern tendency to in
crease the vocabulary of the science by
adding new names to almost every phase
Of nature that appears in a given region
a condition which, if unchecked, would
necessitate the free use of lexicon, even
by the professional geoiogist, for the prop
er understanding of almost every geologi-
cal memoir. This blow to word-ma king
or word-coining might be advanta geousIy
followed up in the construction of the Ian
guages of the related sciences, and it is
to be hoped that at some not distant con-
Sress of biologists and botanists, this topic
so important in its bewidering effect upon
the student, will be taken up in the spirit
and direction which a part Of the pro-
gram of the international congress of geol-
ogiStS.