The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-12

concerned to hear the tniry tales Of science
The Institution was founded nv Sir Benjamin
Thompson. or. a. he styled himself. Coun
lumiord. In the Holy Roman Empire, and wal
all oIshoot from q Society for lettering the
Condition and Increasing the Comforts of tn,
Poor. formal in l7n7 by that peculiar genius
The Royal Society obtained it's charter from
the King on June 2. lnD. Al frst Il was q
very different place from what II sub,
seqIently became Count Rumford designed
II as sort Of glorlned mechanics
Institute, It's objects being. az defined In his
proposals.. tho speedy and general diffusion OF
the knowledge Of all new and useful improve,
ments. and tea ching the application OF scientific
discoveries to the Improvement of arts and
manufactures in this country aud to the In
crehso ot domestic comfort and convenience
The frst was to be attained by the public eE'
hibitlon, preferably In actual operation, OF USE
ful inventions applicable to the common pur-
poses OF life, A perusal OF tho detailed meas
ures by which this end was to be achieved
almost makes the reader suspeet that in the
Counts view salvation was to come by cook Ing.
HIS list OF tho things to be shown In the re
positores indeed includes models OF that
most curious and most useful machine. the
steam enGipe;' OF ventilators. limekilns spin
ming wheels and looms, agricultural imple-
but tho place OF honor 10 given to stoves Of all
sorts and to the most perfect models OF the
full size OF kitchens and utensils suitable for a
cottage, q farmhouse and the family OF a gentle
man OF fortune respectively The institution.
too, had not been In existence for year when a
good cook was engaged for tho improvement
OF culinary advancement. one object and not
the least important for the Royal Institution"
while another OF Rumford's pet projects was
tho establishment OF dining room in tho
house, whore experimental dinners could be
ordered. to test the merit OF any now method
OF cooking or any now dish that might be
proposed. To attain the second OF the
primary objects OF the institution Rum
ford proposed TO At up lecture room for
philosophical Lectures and experiments and to
provide complete laboratory and philosophi-
Gal apparatus for making chemical and other
experiments. Only men OF the first EN- nence
in science were to DO invited to "offloiate in
the most important and distinguished situa-
tion OF lecturers" and, to Judge from the pros
pectus, they were to conflne themselves to the
most severely practical applications OF science.
In 1907 personal reasons caused Rumford to
leave this country and the institution suffered
from lack of funds for time. Several years
later II got handsome endowment Of $50 900
from John Fuller. and rumor says that II was
token OF gratitude because the lecture theatre
OF the institution was tho only place whore no
could overcome the insomnia from which he
habitually suffered. With two-thirds of the
money professorships Of chemistry and phys-
ology were 10 be endowed. while tho remain
ing portion went 10 form an account ating fund
the interest on which. when the capital AM cunt
ed to S5O.OOO. was to be applied to the gem
eral purposes OF the Institution. Since then
lao MI
lions. Money left by Mr.. Alfred Davis in
1910 enabled the chemical laboratory to be re-
built In accordance with modern require
mentsi In 1892 Mr.. T. q. Hodgk ms OF Setau-
ket. J., J.. gave 100000 for the investigation
OF the relations and co-relations existing be-
tween man and his Creator: and in 1895 DR.
Ludwig Mond founded and endowed the Davy-
Research Laboratory which 10 con-
tiguous to tho Royal Institution and under
the Superintendent OF its managers. This
is specially interesting as being in great
measure tho realization OF q scheme
which the institution oil but adopted
moro than half a century before. In ls43 n
proposal was made TO establish on It's premises
a school OF chemistry. not only to give instruc-
ton to students. but ~ provide place whero
original research could be carried on by
skilled workers The scheme mot with cor
ayers OF the institution. and they only
abandoned 1t because they were reluctantly
driven to the conclusion that the accom-
mediation was not sufficient to carry it out
properly. Since that time schools OF chemistry
have been started In abundance. hut no plaes
designed exclusively for tho prosecution Of in.
research existed in this country I'M
til Dr. Nond's iiberality provided this la bora
tory. which IL open to qualified workers with
out distinction OF sex or nationality.
The institution has had among its profess
sors three OF the greatest natural philosophers
OF the century. The FIRST, Thomas Young. was
q man Of the most remarkable and varied at
tainments. but perhaps his best title TO fame Ia
that he was ono OF the prime founders Of the
wave theory OF light, which plays so inn ortaut
a part In modern Fhysics II was left to later
generations to appreciate his merits In this re-
srect and to discover that he had anticipated
many points for which Fresnel received the
credit. Sir Humphry Davy's tenure OF
the professorShip was nearly oo-cxtensiye
with his scientific life Engaged In 1901.
he Immediately proved himself not only n
lecturer Of singular charm. but most skilful
and prolific investigator. His most far-reach-
Ing researches were probably those on the
chemical agencies Of electricity. for 1t was In
tho course OF them that he dccomposed the
alkalies by strong electrical current. thus not
only discovering the metals sodium and potas-
sum. but laying the foundations OF electro
lytical chemistry. a science whose Industrial
applications are now becoming more numer-
Gus and important every day. In addition
he made many researches in pure chcmis-
try. and his work In tho philosophy Of flame
led TO the famous invention OF the miners
safety lamp. Tho third OF this trium-
..I. 80 H.