The sun., 1910-06-29
SCIENCE ~ PHILADELPHIA.

Sciences Of Philadelphia. by Edward J.
Nolan, NJ D.. recording secretary and
librarian. has been published. in which
Or. Nolan rshearses in his suocinct and
vital style the story Of the academy from
ia modest beginnings in 1872 10 its present
prosperous ana influential condition. At
the beginning of the nineteenth century.
remarks the author. Philadelphia was
acknowledged 10 be the centre Of scien-
tihc II not Of literary culture in America
yet there were not many societies in the
city devoted % scientific research In
1904 there had been founded a Botanical
Society. the name being changed the fol-
lowing year TO The Philadelphia I.innean
Society However. there were few
young men in the city who we're interested
In the study Of nature In 1912 John
Speakman suggested b his friend Jacob
6illiams that Il might be a good idea II
they and other friends met at stated times
and compared notes The scheme was
judged feasible aud Saturday evening
January %. 1879. DR.. Gerard TrOOst
and DT. Camillus MacmahOn Mann. with
Jacob Gilliams. John Shinn. Ir.. and NichO-
las \. PErmentier, met at the house Of Mr.
Speakman. on the northwest corner Of
Market and Second streets Speakman
was chairman, Mann secretary The min
utes are Described as those Of "A meet
ing Of gentlemen, friends VI science and
Of rational disPosure Of leisure moments :
J he exclusive obiect Of the society. IL was
agreed, should be the cultivation Of the
natural sciences From this humble
acorn has grown the great oak on Logan
Square south
A public house on Market or High
stree; near the corner Of Franklin place
known a. Mercer's cake shop was the
next meeting place, The title Academy
of Natural Sciences was employed for the
first time in the minutes Ot March p.
1872. and Il was suggested by DR. Samuel
jackson It the University of Pennsyl-
yania. Thomas Gay was chosen a mem
her az this nesting and enrolled a. one
of the founders, who were John Speak
man. Jacob Gilliams. John Shinn. Jr.,
Nicholas Paunentier. Dr. Gerard TroOst
and DIR. Camillus Macmah1n Mann About
April I email rOOm on the second aoor
Of house on the east side Of Second
street. then No. i2i near Race street
was rented Here the nucleus II the
library was formed. August Is. 1872.
a collection of minerals containing about
, OOO specimens was acquired In 1915
Mr.. Gilliams built a hall on vacant
lot IN the rear Of his fathers house ON
the north side u Arch street east Of
Second. To II the collections were ~.
moved the following July william
Mcclure. without whose help IL would
have hecn difiicult 10 prolong the exist
ence ut the society was elected 10 mem
bership in 1872. Ia 1918 a constitution
was adopted and the society was legally
Incorporated the following year
The next important step was moving In
lS26 to the bJhlding AZ the southeast corner
of Twelfth and SAMSON streets lthsn
Georges strret Tor which the huge sum
of 8 81 was paid The first meeting was
held in the new hall May o. IS26 Every
year the Necessity Tor increased room
became more pressing and Dot 40 the
northwest corner Of Broad and SAMSON
streets was bought April y. 1897. for
sI3 X1S On saturday, May - the corner
stone II new building was laid with the
usual ceremonies 10y Vice Presidents will
lam Hembel and John Price Wetherill
There the society was housed until 1873.
when II moved into permanent quarters
at the southwest corner Of Nineteenth ant
Race streets, its present abode and a
noble pile The ground was purchased in
IsSs for Sa5 ?ss The building when COM
pleted cost siSS.GS % The cornerstone
was laid "Wednesday. October ~. IS72. and
addresses were delivered by Or Ruschen-
berger. the Rev ELIAS r. Beadle. DR.. j.
Aitken MeiKs Dr. Hora'io e Wood and
the Rev George Dana Boardman.
Dr Nolan pays pious tribute TO the un-
tring hbDrs of DR. RuschenberRer; he
also declares without fear II contradic-
ton that a most important event in the
history % the society was the election 20
on July 20, 1875. u Dr Joseph
Isidy- DR. Ruschenbergcr declined in
iSS7 a denomination for the presidency,
and Dr Lsidy after considerable per
suasion was elected 10 that Office He
still continued TO act a. chairman u the
the library committee and the
publication committee until his death.
April ~. 1891 Hswas an irreparable loss.
FOR he was one ~ the giants Of science in
America DR. Henry &. Chapman pre-
pared an adequate biographical notice.
IN which he set forth DR. Ieidy'- claims
10 recognition as one II the greatest of
His work The Extinct
Fauna ~ Dakota and Nebraska was Duh
lished In the I,HrsHl ~ the society. A
attached ~ Or Chaprnan's
memoir of Dr Leidy reveals $50 napsrs
dealing with remarkable variety Of
topics in natural history Prof. Angelo
the explorer. whose name
will always be remembered in con-
neotion with the MartiniC.u We disaster-
he climbed Mont Pelee az a most periIous
time became curator IN October. IsS9
He had begun his studies at the academy
in 1870 Hs headed the relief party that
snt after Lieut.. PsAry in 1891 In the
rescuing party was the late Albert
White Worse. the novelist IL should be
recalled that an expedition for the ex-
plorAtion Of west Greenland had been
lifted out by the academy in which Measrs.
sharp, Holt Hughes. Burk. Keely and
Nengel participated under the leadership
n Prof Heilprin Among the many IA
nous names in the roll call oi the society
Eere thoss of Dr.. Henry c Chapman. |
Heilprin and Prof z .. Cope