The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-24

] appeared. IHe next year e1HUdTkeu lIl'
 great, though. almost forgotten Wilkes
 expedition for exploration of the Soutf
 Seas It was a government venture
 and Dana was appointed mineralogist
 and geologist of the scientific corps
 literally to follow knowledge like g
 sinking star beyond the sea-. The South Pacific was then comparatively
 unknown-a land of imaginary wonders and dreams. Dana's letters, describing the terrirs of Cape Horn or the Canni-
 bal Islands, and the delights atolls and
 strange lands where never man set foot, breathe the charm of Homer or
 Marco Polo, Many of them are to be
 found in President Gilman's biography
 of Dana. In three years he returned to
 take up the work of preparing his re-
 ports of the expedition, Investigating, and publishing. In 1850 he was ap-
 pointed Silliman professor of Natural i Sciences at Yale, and this added to hls
 already numerous obligations, Yet he
 carried his work forward as his poor | health allowed almost until the end. What an achievement even for a man
 with better health than his: A Sys-
 tenn of Mineralogy, of over 800 pages in
 it's sixth edition; Zoophytes (report of
 the Wilkes expeditlon), TAI pages, with
 61 folio atlas plates; Manual of Min
 eralogy, 541 pages in the fourth edi-
 tion Coral Reefs and Islands, IA
 pages; Crustaces (report of the Wilkes
 expedition), 1900 pages, with 96 folio
 plates; Manual of Geology, oil pages
 in the second edition; Corals and Coral
 Islands. 400 pages besides elementary
 text books and countless artilces for
 scientific journals. In mineralogy he
 was an authority. He had also a wide
 and exact knowledge of chemistry,
 physics, and zoology, but he accom-
 plished his great work as geologist.
 His study of coral islands, or of vol
 canoes alone deserved a great reputa-
 tion. but his grandest scientific idea
 was the one into which all his study
 resolved itself, namely his conception of the development of the earth as a
 unit; and in this his genius is most ap- parent. Many man who was at Yale in Dana's time remembers the walks afield with this gentle teacher who saw sermons in stones and good In every thing. One may still follow him in these walks with the little book he has left on The Four Rocks of New Haven
 His science was to him fountain of perpetual youth, for at eighty he was still strong in will to strive, to seek, to find he passed away crowned with glory In the eyes of the world
 Indirectly Silliman was the means of bringing another great man to Yale. In 1S47 he had caused the establishment of the department of philosophy and arts, which afterward developed, on the one hand into the graduate school, and on the other into the Sheffield Scien- tific school, and thus constituted most important step in the development from college to university. It's fame went abroad and reached a young Williams graduate who was then strongly inclin- ing to the natural sciences. He came to New Haven to study with Silliman, but happened one day to pick up book or two on Sanskrit, and before he fin- ished with them William Dwight Whit ney had devoted his life to philology. Professor Salisbury then teaching without salary, was breaking the way here at Yale for Oriental studies in America, and Whitney went to him for Instruction. His advance was phenom- enal. In 1850 he went to Germany for three years work, It was there an opinion that on his return he would put America far ahead of England in studies of the Orient. In the mean time Professor Salisbury had resigned the Yale professorship in his favor, and provided for his salary with be- quest Whitney's struggle after he re turned to Yale in 1853 was heroic one. The heroism of scholar Is not conspicu- ous and finds no place in lhe worlds chronicles. Perhaps 1t is therefore the more heroic. implying as 1t does, pover- ty, isolation, neglect, and the bitterness of mans ingratitude. Certainly with | some of these hardships Whitney had to contend He was obliged to spend | much of his time teaching elementary | French and German to undergraduates | of various abilities. Yet while con scious that even a nobler occupation | was his by rights, he never sighted this part of his work in any way, His | part in the foundation of the Sheffield | school must have taken much time. ] Add to this the burden of providing | for a large family with salary ab- | surdly small even for those days In | 1869 he received call from Harvard | with promise of better pay and more time for study, but Professor Salisbury with bequest increased the foundation ! of the chair, and thus saved Whitney | to Yale. The university cannot forget this liberal man, who by his beneficence had already made it possible for Dana to decline similar offer from Harvard and remain in New Haven.
 In spite of his difficulties the fruits of Whitney's scholarship were -abund- ant They include an edition of Athar- va-Veda in two volumes the first of them begun while he was in Germany, the second not quite finished at his leath the Sanskrit Grammar, his rip est work; two courses of lectures. Language and the Study of Langcage,