The New York Herald Newspaper, August 3, 1853, Page 1

WHOLE NO. 7527. MORNING EDITION----WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 18953, NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Special Report of the New York Herald. THIRD DAY-.-GENERAL SESSION. Cievetanp, July 80, 1853. The association thus far has done a large amount of hard work in a very short time. The session rooms have been densely crowded all the time, while every possible moment of time seems to have been appropriated by those present in the presentation of the papers to be read. There seems a disposition to make the session a matter of business only, and to rush it through at the earliest possible period, as if every man wished to leave, if possible, in thirty hours. This is objectionable, from the fact that it crowds too much important business into a mere nook of time, making it impossible to do justice to any of the papers read, in the way of criticism. Everything is hurried through on the “ fast line,” and woe be tothe hiudmost. The consequence is that as soon as the very prominent members ge through their business they will rather summarily close the proceedings, and leave for some more at tractive spot. They all work as if they wished to get away. I have no doubt that this is partly attributed to the fact that, as yet, n- sowée has been given by any citizen at which the members could interchange courtesies. This is the third day, and as yet we have heard no intimation of one. This seems peculiar tothe West; for at the Cincinnati session there was not one sin- le social entertainment given to the association. Tegret this, as it is a poor Ces certainly, of the hospitality proverbial to the West, and éspe- cially as it has bven the custom at all the sessions East for some prominent citizen or member of the association to give a reception for nearly every even- ing of the session. At New Haven, Prof. Shepherd, Prof. Salsbury, the Mayor, and Mr. Hillhouse, gave delightful evening entertainments. At Albany the wame was done by Gov. Hunt and many other promi- nent citizens. The same was done at Charleston, 8.0. Imention this, because I am convinced that the good feeling and fraternization excited by these ocoasions have a decided tendency in satisfying gen- tlamen and ladies with their temporary sojourn, and consequently in greater benefits from the associa- tion’s meetings, of which one very particular pur- is to oultivate triendly relations and good un- ding with all those who cultivate science. You know that bread and butter form a tender tie among us Americans, and that we are particular! anxious to have attentions shown us, al- though they may be hollow, false, and heartless. It shows what might be. The weather is still delighttul; but Cleveland bei & bank of dust, the whole city is from morning’ night enveloped in a cloud of dust. It is, however, served movement of a heavy body will be necessary to determine the point “of the compass from Which the motion of the earthquake emanates. The Smithsonian Institution has prepared a set of queries relative to the observation of earth juakes, and bas sent copies of these to South America. It also furnished Lieut. Gilly with a set of instruments for observations during his residence in Chili. These instruments, however, did not prove very reliable, though he has made some valuable notes on the oc- current direction, &c., of the earth-wave. The nature of the earth-wave is not yet well under- stood. The origin of motion may be a point, a line, or aspace. In the first case the direction of the impulse would be that of the radia of a circle, pro- vided the elasticity of the earth is the same in all directions. In two other cases the boundary of the impulse will assume an eliptical form. The direc- tion of the impulse might be mistaken by an observer not used to scientific observation. The impulse would tend in some cases to move the other under an object, or, in other words, a body on the earth would SEDERr IO move in an opposite direction to that of the impulse. Prof. H. stated that it was not impro- bable that in some cases waves of translation of the Bending of the earth’s crust of many miles acroas might be transmitted through a large distance. In this cace a violent upward concussion might be felt without the tees of a crack, or any local un- ulation of a limited extent. Investigations in Analytical Morphology, No. 3; Forms of the Elastic Sack. By Prof. B. Peirce, of Cambridge, Mass. I give you nothing of this paper, becauee it will be made the subject of! @ ‘popular lec- ture before the close of the session. , Professor Hacker, of New York, remarked with regard to it, that the conversation which Prof. P. alluded to, whith he had held with Mr. Agassiz rela. tive to a ramification of morphology into some depart- ment of natural history, showing certain very ra- tional analogies, showed the importance of scientific men being associated in universities for mutual aid in all investigations. On some special Analogies of Structure in the Eastern Hem{ophere of the Earth and the visible Hemisphere of the Moon, with conjectures as to the Structure and Appearance of those portions of the Moon which are invisible. By Prof. Stephen Alex- ander, of Princeton. The following is an abstract of Prof. A’s paper, which was beautiful and suggestive, although it may partake more of “moonshine” than is usual in the vaticinations ef that learnedly exact gentleman. It excited unusual interest and abundant merriment. “An attempt will be made to show that fhe disk Spots of the moon, which were formerly designated as seas, are really analogous to the eastern conti- nent of the earth, in all the several respects of gene- ral form, situation, and relative extent; and that the difference of the level.of the dark, as compared with the bright portions of the visible surface of the moon, is, moreover, of such a charaster as the analogy in question would require. That all this is, moreover, consistent with the conclusions of Prof. Ponzi with respect to the peculiarities of structure of the several varieties of lunar volcanoes. That the extension of these analogies itself affords a foun- dation for a conjecture as to the variety of surface and the appearance which would be presented dy just pow, and I presume that when another meteorological paper comes up, and J see that Mr. Blodgett is to flood the association with them to-day, it may be that some of the doctors of the upper ae ment will favor us, by way of illustration, by calling down a glorious shower. It would certeinny be far More convincing to us all, and far more sati: than their speculations. The business of the general session this morning was brief and to the point. As the first thing, the following members were clected Philatus Dean, Alleghany Cit; R. B. Hunter, Columbus, 0. . Lane, M. D., Sandusky, O. ©. H, Fitch, Ashtabula, O. Dr. Kelly, Elyria, O. Thomas Barlow, Canastola, N. Y. M. C. Read, Hudson, O. Balem Town, Aurcra, N. Y. David Thomas, “ a Mr. Adamson, (late President University of Cape - of Good Hope,) Cambridge, Mass. G. R. Stuntz, Lancaster. Dr. A. D. Lord, Culambus, 0. “ “ .F. ; W. Whipple, Adrian, Mich. Wm. Bross, A. M., editor Daily Democrat, Chi- cage: Ill. m. I’. Humphrey, New Haven. Ogden N. Rood, =! Dr. Josiah Hall, New Orleans. Dr. Howard Smith, ae Prof, James Jones, Ls Prof. Wm. P. Riddell, “ As several eee of the Standing Committee were made officers of the sections, the Standing Com- mittee nominated the tollowing gentlemen to the Standing Committee of the General Association, who were elected vive voce, on motion :— Prof. James Hall, Albany. «J. Lawrence Smith, Washington. “" O.M. Mitchel, Cincinnati. Dr. Benj. A. Gould, Cambridge. Invitations were now given by various gentlemen to the association for its next mecting. Prof. Hunry proposed Washington, and all the facilities which the Smithsonian Institution could fur- nish. He was supported by Prof. Bacuz, Com. Wiress and Prof. Corrin, of the National Observa- ‘of. CASWELL proposed Providence, and proffered the rooms of Brown University, and all necessary courtesies and attentions. Hon. Wa.MircuEiy proposed that the next meet- ing be held at Nantucket, Mass. It will be recol- lected that Mr. Mitchell has a private observatory in that little island city, which has been very service 1- ble to science in his own hands, with the aid of his daughter. e association now adjourned, as yesterday, into sections A and B. Section B. of Natural History, &c., was organized, with Proft Riddell, of New Orleans, as President, when the following papers were read. As none of oan popular in their nature, I give merely their les :— “On the Formation and Mode of Developement of the Renal Organs in Vertebrata.”—By Dr. W.I. Bur- nett, of Boston. “On the Formation and Functions of the Allan- tois.”-—By Dr. W. I. Burnett, of Boston. “On the Parallelism of the Lower Silurian Groups of Middle Tennessee with those of New York.’—By Prof. J. M. Safford, of Lebanon, Tenn. The main idea of this paper was that, in the silu- rian group of Tennessce facts had proven that as they could divide the strata into two general groups, it was impossible to adopt the subdivision known in the same general series of New York. “On the Binocular Microscope.’"—By Prof. J. L. Riddyil, of New Orleans. “On Warwickite or Boro-Tilamite and a Danbu- Tite,”-—By Prof. J. Lawrence Smith. SEOTION A—PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL The sescion opened with Prof. Caswell, of y at . 1 srown University, in the chair. The first pape. ‘ laid over yesterday, na Spies ~f Was one “On the Earthquake of April 29 ")ox%9 ++} ot Blodget, of W Gabon. , 1852."—By Lorin got After the re; ig oe 71 t was the success of the Prof. BacuE asked wha: sonian Institution to eae ein pipe ‘i the Smith PB nea ed aie aid that it was not successfal. Profesor C’ryin said that Licntenant G. had submitted a” or her apparatus, which, though not en- firely *aV. factory, was better than ‘that sent by the 8 voian Insvitution. Reprie.p stated some observations of his upon Bartbquakes. The directions of motions were uni- formly in one dire The place was probably far from the riot or scene of disturbance. The ed by observing the swing- ing of suspended bodies during the earthquake. Profeeusr Caswett mentioned that in an earth- quake that nearly destroyed the town of Concoption, waves of two or three feet had been described as ran- ning wg and down the mountain. Prof. Hexry stated that it was one of the import- ant objects of the ithsonian Institution to col-lect reliable data of nataral phenomena, and to present these ina reduced form, free of hypotheses, to the scientific world. Ju the present case a circular was sping calling on all who had felt the earthquake give an account of the phenomena, as to time, direction, and other particulars. The fasts collected were placed in the hands of Mr. Blodget for compari- son and discussion. The results in this case are not important, but they serve to illustrate the method which it is proposed to adopt in the Smithsonian In- stitution for the collection and study of such pheno- mena. The Institution can in this way Joti an important duty to science, in collecting facts which ‘would otherwise be lost, and in presenting them to the world in the form best adapted for investigation as to their cause, Earthquakes are freque:.t even in this country, and are sometimes somewhat violent. Observers noting thetime and direction would do im- t service to the advance of our knowledge of mysterious phenomena by sending the account of their observations to the Institution. The direc- tion can be observed by the motion of a heavy Len f free to move, or by the motion of a liquid in a vessel. ‘The film of molasses which remains on the side of a tea cup or a larger vessel will serve to point ont, in some caces, the direction of motion, though the ob- by the other Panne of the moon, which is, for e most part, visible to us; the Sppoarance being that of the western hemisphere of the earth, seen from the distance of the moon in the plane of the earth’s equation, and in the meredian of 120° west. That it seems, moreover, to be worthy of a ques- tion, how far singular analogies may exist in the ar- rapgements of other bodies of the solar system.” f. Loomis doubted whether Prof. A’s infer- ences that the mountains in the southern hemis- here of the moon were measured from a lower level; it thought that the mountains themselves might be considered higher. He proposed, in a test of the ric, the example of the mountains of Mexico and of New England. Suppose we find the average height of the mountains of Mexico to be 1,200 feet above the level of the sea, those of New England to be 2,000 feet do—we infer that the Mexican moun- tains are measured from a lower level. Prof. ALEXANDER said he had not compared any New England of the moon with any Mexico of the moon; but had extended his comparisons to all the continental ports, and all the seaa (so supposed) 0° the moon. He was tart and severe. But he though! that even if he had confined his com: ms to BeC tions, similar conclusions might be arrived at; for it would still be analogous to what is observable in the earth. The member from New York, who is evi- dently determined to have a great deal to say and read, whether it has point or not, found Prof. Alex ander with his gioves off. The paner following, closed the morning session. On the Measurement of Heights by the Barometer. By Prof. E. Loomis of New York. AFTERNOON SESSION. SECTION A. Professor Caswell in the chair. The exercises commenced by the reading of the following paper» which Professor Bache very amply illustrated by a large and beautiful diagram:—‘ On the tides of the Western coast of the United States, from observa- tions at San Francisce, California, in connection with the United States Coast Survey. By Professor A.D. Bache, Superintendent, Washington. The following abstract gives, as wellas may be, anidea of the paper. It is impossible to give an adequate conception of the labor of the survey made without the proper maps. The paper relates to one of the most interesting points in our whole country, and will be preserved for reference by the thousands of readers on the far-off Pacific shore, who, with cyery navigator that enters the Pacific waters, will benefit by its indications. Tidal observations have been made in convection with the bydrography of the Coast Survey, at several points on the Western coast, egreving in showing the same in- teresting fact of the large diurnal ineq uelity of the tides eady traced by Mr. Whevell, in tue observations at the Russian settlement of Silka, The diumal inequality in height of the tides on the Atlantic coast is much more considerable than in Europe, and the diurnal inequality of interval is also well marked, but both require nut rous carefully made observations to establish tueir laws, in consequeace of tho particular relation between the remi-diurnal and diuyoal On the Galf of Moxico, wert of St. George's Islan: the sewidinrnal tide is almost merged in the diurnal, bat the tyrai rise and fall isquite email. At Key West, ary along the Western Coart of Florida, where the di jena) inequality is large, the whole rive and fall of th, (ide is. small, reudering nu- mexoue observations NE ysssry to obiain reliable muceri- cal results, The S60", jg nov the care on the Western Const; cbrervatio: is Tnade for a short period through- out the whe’, “tyentyfour hours, showing a pe- culiarly We diurnal ixequality as the most ra- Keb", “phesomenom of the tides. It becomes © “or great practical importance to the navigator, rin San Freneiseo bay, a rock which has threo aud & ait foot of water upon Tt at the morniog high water, mey benwash at high wa'er of tho aitersoon; an chsrts, of which the soundings aro reduced to mean low water, will have no accurata significance, boing liable to an ayer sge error of the soundings at either low water of the day, of 118 ft. The resnits which I now present and propose to discuss, sre of two series of tides observed in conr ection with the Const Survey at Rincon Point, in tha city of San Francitoo, Cxiifornia, Tho ob:ervstions wore mode under the direction of Lieut. commending James Alden, U8. N., one of the nevistants in the Coast Sur vey, ‘ikey were mado hourly, except abont the timos of high srd low water, when the regular intervals wera ffiren minutes. and the attempt vas made to seize the precise time of highand low water. The Grat series ex- tended from January 17 to February 15, 1852, and the cecond from January 23 to February 17, 1953. Another eet of similar observations was made at San- celito on the northern side of the bay of San Franelco, but not with the rame care which appears to charac- torize these: the result aro fa the qenecal accorcant with those d 4 from the Riacon Voint series. ‘The f 1852 wes mado by Me. W. W. the absiseo represents the time from 0, home, midnight, and the ordinatis represent (he \ ale ix such, thet the In’ ab een « corvespord to two how lendar day Ji hnoenof Kod ith. The ep s acd of zero, and maximum ¢ moos ave moked at the head, sud tho times of trausiiat the foc* of the disgram, the curves noon which, for con- venience «f the page, have beew divided inio two psrt eo arrarged with respect to each other, that the days! corresponding declination fall nearly over and unler each other, ‘Ihe curves of the series of 1963 present tho same general results, with about the same extent of in leri- ties. These ‘dex obviously prevent & case of lorge diurnal inequilicy in haighs, the interference of the diurnal and seri dicrral waves going to prodvee one large end one emall tide im the twenty-four lunar hours. When the dechinaticn of the moon is at its maximum, the difference in the heights of consecutive _— and low wates is nosr Jy at its maximum, and when the deciination is nearly yero, the difference js the smaliest. The diurval ius qularity in the intervel is also perfectly well marked in thee tides, amounting when great est, to about two heures for high water, and ope hour and ¢éleyen minutes for low water, The usual dircussion of the times and heights, correapond- ing to the some time of, transit of tie moon, wero§made from the two reria of observe' 5 found in the operation ef referring the level of one tide- | gavge fo tho otber series of heights, were combined by seruning the mere heights in each series to have boen the sume, The resulta wore plotted on a diagram like B, but on a larger scale, for the purpose of hical eor- rection, im the mode used by Mr. Whewell “The ordina:te Of the diagrams Nos. 1 and 2 (diagram B,) correspond to the luni -tidal intervals of Nos. 3 and 4, to tho heighta, the abscisse in each case to hours of the moon’s transit, the scale is shown at the top and side of each diagram. No. 1, diagram B. shows the results for the helf moathly inequality of interval of high water. and the curves tiaced bythem, No 2the same for low water. No 3 shows the half es juslity in the height of high water, and No 4 in that of low water; the dots show where the observations fall. The comperiron of the curves with obrervations, is given in the annexed or .18 feet greater than tho mean fornd by the curve of diurnal inequality, and of low water 357 feat, or .08 feet De ine es valve given 8, the curve. So, also for the inequality in the int of high and ‘low water we bave respectively 105 and 61 minutes, instead of 113 and 66 given by the diagram differing ‘but eight and five minutes respectively, and having the same rates to each other as the latter numbers. Ths mode of interference thus explains eatisfaectorily the curious relations of the inequalities of both time and heizh* of high and low water, Taking the value of the maximum ordinate of the diurnal curve (Cop) leduced by Mr. Heaton, tracing 8 curve for them, and folding this over on its greatest or- table :— Civete ax a hinge, penne ve valuas of D. to the deter. ea mination of each point in the curve, from the observations Comparison of Approwimate Curves of Half monthly Ine Saat asin, ee irre ot Seton. tbe, ane ofthe ry n ri ry f s at a the same way, we obts ac recites of Tha Tiatt at Htncon Point, with Dosereations, | tr comparison with the former.” Neseion the coae action, we have for theory in sin. 28 min equal D. High Water. Low Water. Taking the mean of the value of D, which nearly corres- High Water, Low Water. iC] i} io} Q 3 8 tz | Pend to esch other in the half declination, and the oF & 3 : Z BE | meam of the corresponding values of ths sine of twice as 3 3 a = $8 | the declination, we obtain m equal 20 nearly Re og org 9° 9 2 Q Af | The following table (No 4) gives a comparison of the gg tae - Fl 2 mus | Alves of the somi- diurnal ordinates and of m sine 28 Pr § E § s 8 4 -s* | minutes, I have also deduced the diurnal inequality RE H - br HM M Ft. Fe. Ft. Ft. HM | from Mr. Heston’s compourd or interference of curvaa, ap 32 10 1743 2 70S 8.03 43° 0-30 | and have compared it in tbe same way with m lan 28 2% oo 6 i fT % th 1 8 288) minutes. ‘The value of m found from these was m 23 8m 24 7 2% 7 10 4+ 3% i $59 | The last column of table No. 4 refers to the comparison C2028 1 1905 tbo URS) GBR B39 | Showing the value of the maximum ordina’e of the diurnal Tw 43 12 hk 7.00 00 87.33. | curve, (D.) deduced from analyzing the curves of obseron- 830 46 2 3 9 3 15 ow 4. BS) tion and comparison with 1 ; also the value of com 930 39 2 27 6 BO iS 40 (+27 930 parison of the diunal is ies measured on the com- wo a 1 3 69 +5 3519-1080 | pond curves. M8 wr 2 4 10 0s Piurn, In Meanl2 08.427 1755 135 +39 110 it. LW, i i +0 Msine 28 min. Dif’. from curve. The results, both for interval and height, are very Fi. Ft, Ft ood, consi¢ering the rmall number of observations 2.17 04 22 Coos) of phien each ts sueimmeani.tie heights are, as 200 01 106 usual, lors reguiar than the times, and the resuits for 1.88 04 1.85 the inequality of the heights of low wator is ‘the I 1.55 OL 2.5 regular of all. The approximate mean lunitidal interval 1.20 104 11 for bigh water, or corrected establishment of Rincon 076 205 16 Point, is 12h 03m. This corresponds to an epoch of 0 0.26 201 0.0 hours, rhowing that the tides belong to the next preced- ing traveit (transit F) of the moon, and not of the fifth receding (transit B.) as was found by Mr. Lubbock, for the tides of Great Britain, The epoch for low water corr eee, also almost exactly to hours The 6 thing is rhown, lees forcioly, however, by the discussion of the ob:ervation before referred to, at Sancelito. From curve No. 1 it appears that the difference in the luni- tidal intervals for 8h. and for 9h. is 1h. 20m., or (A) of Mr. Lubbock (tram. 20 deg ) is 0.342. ‘The difference ‘be- tween the heights of high water at spring and neap tides is from disgram No, 3, 1.12 ft., and E of Mr. Lubbock, 112 = 1.04, The two series of observationszdiscussed 2a) . srparately, gave results which did not differ materially from these. ‘There numbers will serve as a first approxi- mation. It should not be forgotten that the observations having been made in suces-sive years in the same montha, the moon’s age azd deolination, and the sun’s deciina tiop, are not very different, and the sun’s declination is nearly the same on the corresponding days. The diurnal inequahty obtained 3 the usual method, is given in the The agreement of the several results compared appears very ratisfactory. The changes im the value of E have been distinetly traced by Mr. Heaton from the observa- tion: but before presenting the conclusion on thin sub- ject, I desire to subject them to the test of farther obser- vations, which are now in progress. In order not to in- terfere with the regular progress of the hydrographic Party. & separate pant pete has been organized wader the direction of Lieut Trowbridge, of the corps of eagi peers, assistant on the eoast survey, and supplied with the necessary means for a full investigation of the tides of our western coast. It is proposed to establish thres permanent eelf registering tide gauges, under intelligent supervision, at San Diego, San Francisco, and Columbia river entrance, and to connect them by obssrvations at suitable intermedicte points. There are difficulties to ba overcome in the character of the coast itself, and of the sborigines who still inhabit portions of it; but I expect, nevert)clers, entire succasa from the zeal and ability of Lieut Trowbridge, The following tide table results from. the observations already discussed :— Corrected Establishments at Rincon Point. High water... 2h, 03 ms Low water., Th. 51m, Mean rise and fall of tides, + 8ft. Tin, Do. do. of spring tides. Aft 11 8in, do. of neap tides ft. 11 im, Srnexed table (No 2), the two series are combined by taking the averages for the days on which the declina- tiors correspond in the two series; each average is thus the moans of four individual results. TABLE NO. 2. Diurnal inequat Interval and height for high and | Meanduration of rise, 6h 30m., including half the stand. low ‘water, ae in apy 1652 amt isos Do, do. fall, 5h. 62 m., do do, at Rincon Point, St. Francisco, Cal. Do. do, stand, 0h, 30m. High Water. Low Water. P i ‘ rey a) water. Low water, Pict At <1 gas Diurnal inequality in height. 1 In Ft. In. ‘ntereal ‘Heights. Trterval Heights, Average for the whole moath, aa 4 Pas es H. MM. ve value...........+. "4 1° 44° 1.86 0 61 30L Jan. 17, 1852 | Diurnal inequality in interval. H. Mt. 1 7 81 1 08 3.44 Jan. 23,1863, Orton whole ronth, be Mf me 1 4 163 0 47 «376 rea to 2 iW 169 0 40 3,72 Moon’s max, and lowest low tide 1 41° 162 0 40 346 declination. 1 43 1.33 0 30 3.07 +5 ft. in, i deo 90 mot gol Wh ee a en tha moon’s declination is north of the highest of 0 39 O17 © 38 137 Moon’s dee, | the two bigh tides of the day, is the one which occurs Oo 52 0.32 1 05 050 zero, about twelve hou: r upper culimation. Oo 8 O71 0 50 041 Thave given elsewhere, for the use of navigators a set 9 i LT o & 1M of rules founded on there observations, aud centaining no a cal term: fe + Be 2 Feb. 3, 1853. TELEGRAPHIC, 2 Ol 186 1 00 348 Moon’ 5 1 49 184 © w Se eee Civ, Augast 1, 1863, 1 12 190 @ 41 3.28 An invitation from the citizens to attend a party to a rs ae q é a night at the American Hots1, was accapted. 1 09 100 o 2 1.90) Washington was fixed upon for the rext meeting, in o 58 029 0 08 1.28 Moon's dec, | May, 1864, 9 32 0m g % 950 sero, Professor Daza, of New Haven, was lected President; >; = ta ; =< Professor Lovering, Permanent Secretary; J. L. Smith, ¢ 4 156 1 22 18 General Secretary; Dr. Elioyn, Treasurer; Dre. Heldor- 2 men, Leidy. and Leconte, i 1 88 162 0-80-2100 Feb. 15, 1882 | the anscolation adjouae oe Tee ent con, wu? D 1% 0 ar agg ABAEeb- 1%, | The fellowing papers were read to day:— piA Description of Analytical Morphology, by Professor erce. Some Relation of ,Central Primary Plants, by Professor Abrarden Jn Personal Equation in Astronomical Observati by Dr. Gould, Jun. cere? ‘A new mothod of securiog uniform e'rcular motion ta registering machinery, by Prof. Mitchell. ? Ferronal sonle astronoinical observer, by Prot. Pierce. Comparative precision in the American method of ob- servation, by Dr, Gould; Jr. tecnal fringes produ by feren iteel?, by Prof. Lovering. LENSER tate oye An experiment on sound, by Capt. Withas. Mathematical analysis of the contact surfues, in ose!l. lating machinery. by Prof. Haokley. Tne cohesion of fluids, evaporation of steam, and boil- er explosions, by Lieut. Hunt. Subordination of atmospheri2 phenomena, by Loria Blodgett. plontcen condenser telescope and appendage, by Lieut. unt. Structures on the mechanical’explanation of the Zig- ragpath Electric Soark, by Prof. Stoddard e Theory of Molecular Forces, by Prof. Riddell. Structures and transformation of the Issalaria Aure- lina, by Prof, Ri¢éell. ‘The effect of the reclamation of annually inundated lacds in the Mississippi Valley, upon the general healt cf the country, and navigation of rivers, by Androw rown. Structures and affinities of certain fossil plants of Car- boniferous Era. by Newburgh. On the machine for the separation of metals by their specific gravity, by Capt. Wilkes. Points in the History of Zoordius, by S. N. Sanford. The gvological age and affinitiss of fossil fishes, by W. C. Rediield, The Wheat Fly and its Ravages, by R. Howell. A memorial to Congress was upon, for the estab- lishment of a geographical department in the Congres- sional Library, There numbers are projected on diagram C, when the or- dinates correspond to the intervals for one curve, and to the height for the other, and tho abscisre to the tida\ dsys for both. Notwithstanding the small number of observations, the curves can be traced with tolerable certainty. and follow the general law of the inequalities. Each curve shows an inequality increasing oud decroas- {og with the moon's declinatio:; nearly crossing the zero lines at or rear the zero of declination, and reach- ing ® msxiuum of minimum at the maxtmum of north and south ¢eclination, The observations do not furnish soflicient evidence to decide positively that the epochs of the several inequalities coincide with vho:e of the decli nation or otherwie, On the aversge they are about helt a day before the corresponding declination. The ine quality in the height cf high water, and in the interval Cf low water, increases and decrease together, aud #0 of the inequality of high water and height of low water. Tho declination of the moon and the inequality in the in- terval of high water, und in height of low water, has ghe came sign, and the reverse is the case with the other two inequalities, The inequality in the height of low water is in general greater than that of high water, exceeding it when at the maximum in the proportion of two to one, nearly (1.9 to 1.) The same relations exist betweea the meximum inequality in interval of high wa- ter as compared with that. of low (1.7 to 1.) The maxi muin frequality in the height of low water is 3 60 feet, and of high water 1.85 feet. The maximum inequality of interval of high water, as shown by the curve, is 1 h. 58m, and of low water Lh. 07 mia. I am indebted to Mr. Heaton, of he tidal party, for the decomposition un. Ger the direotion of Mr, W. W. Gordon, of the curves of the daily observations in 1862 by the metuod adopted by mo for the discussion of the tites of the Gulf of Mexico. Though from rome trials which I have made, these decom. positions may be improved, they are nevertheless of great interost, snd show well the causes of the forms assumed by the curves of diurnal inequality in height apd interval, and for high and low water, and tueir rela tions, When the obervetions now in’ progress on the western coast eal have given additional result 1 pro- pose to take up this branch of the rubject again, In the meantime it aprears to me the results now obtained are of enflictent interost to be prasented to the assoc tion, Lhave take example of the decomposition the curve from the observations of January 21, 1 correspor ding neariy to the msximum of nation, and to full moon, The diurnel curve, the interfe- renee of which with the semi-diurnal, producas the form in diagram A, ond slso, on largor scale, in dia. giam D, is given on the diagram. Its meximum ordinate, as found by summing tho two serioa of heights fom the honily cbservation in which the same values of the ordi nate of the diurnal curve oocurs with opposite signs and referring tothe ourve of sines for their relation to the maximum ordinate, is 2.20 feet. The sum of tho squares of the differences betsesn observation and computation is the least when the interference takes place, as shown in the cisgram D, the cum ordivate of the diurnal waive belzg seven hours aud a half from the maximum rate of tho semiciurnal curve. Subtracting the or- tes from the dinrpail curve assumed as a curve f for the haights given by the hourly obsecva- one, ¥8 have n residzal curve which is traced on the ‘sm. Tho average of the four loops of the curve is alu oat precisely x curve of wines, of which ths maximum ordinate ia 2 30 tt. ‘The tidal curves near ihe maximum cf declination, and for evoral day’ each side of it, result from the laterfoc- erco ofa semi-cingnsl and diurnal wave, whit t the msximum of ¢ach are nearly equal in cxost of the ¢f wae being at thy CrnvELAND, August 2, 1853. The asroclation adjourned at 5, P.M. today, to moot in Washington on the Inst Wednesday ia April next The usval votes of thanks to the officers of the conyen- tién, the citizens of Cleveland, &e , were parsod. A portion of the members leave to-morto- for Chicrgo, oa an favitation from the steamboat and railroad compa: Lies. Firemen’s Tournaments. GREAT EXCITEMENT AMONG THE YANKEY FIREMEN— MORE FUN. Arrangements are making fora Firemen’s Festival in Providence, similar to the one recontly held in New Ha- ven, but designed to be on a more extended scale, We learn that a board of five jodges is to be selected—one each from this city, Philadelphie, Baltimore, Boston aad Provicence-so that all contestants for prizes can be as- oured that the awards will be impartial. In reference to the above we have received the follow- ig letter: — Provipence, Anguct] Preparations are making here fora grand men in the early part of September. A univ ton will be given to companies all over the country to be prevent. Several prizes will be awarded by a board of judges. The victor at New Haven wili eater th with any comp that may offer, for a spect The Providence engines will not contend for th eight hours in advance of that of the semi di prizes, ; The xnnexed table gives the comperison male in the The New Haven Courier cf tho 24 inst, contains the Gisgram, ‘The fi tains the ordinates of the following, in relatien to the challenge of the Southwark hove of the dlurnat " fauna Glacent ets Fire Company of this city:— curve of observa ; he ordins tes of the semi diurasl curve curve; the fourth’ which must ratis(y the residual; aud the fifch, the emai AN AWFUL BACKING ovr. remaining dfferencey on the averags being about 0 14 ft. It will be recollected that the New York papera, just The exest of the diurvel curve is seven anda half ho: after the Firemen’s parade of the 22d uls., were fall of in from tho remidiurpal, and its maximum ordioat Is 22 ft excuses for the defeat of Southwark engine, and claimed that on her plavirg the next day, she easily beat any a cleaa over the cap TABLE NO. 3. otber machine, throwing her Anclysis of Curve of Otservations for January 21st, 1852, } gt the top of the polo—oue paper going so far as to my Rincon Pt. that rhe kept it there ten reconds after her hove bars’ Ordinates Orde. Diur- Ords. Semi-di- Her members, 80 the New York papers said, unanimo Curveof nal Curve of Ords. Resi- wrnal Curveof vaesed a vote challenging either of the victorious com Obvere ne. Sines. dual Curves Sines. Dif’. | nies to play with them, for from one to five thousand ; Ft. Ft Ft. Fi | doilics a aide. They probably thought they coula scare 098 005 000 the country boys; but their chalionge was imaodiately 83 20 1.10 nceepted, and the question has piace been, * will the 133 105 1.82 Southwark back out?” It seems from tha folly ring para- 172 iI 227 greph in the Hxnatn, that che does back ont, and ora ls 2,00 2.08 2.20 through a mighty mall hole tco, in conve 216 152 1.70 pression that the Nisgara isa larger msehino thas the 73 2.16 057 0.70 Southwerk. end that ene ought, from thay fact, to throw 4 200 +62 40.70 a larger body «f water, and to play toa greater height 0,23 172 1.49 4165 CuALLENGr Accerren.—It will be recollected that the 40797 13t 215 +2.20 Southwork Fire Company, No. 38, of this city, returned 1.47 83 230 $2.30 from their late trial at Now Haven: vory dissatisfied with 172 228 2.00 +190 tho result, and immediately pasted # resolution chal 152 +98 124 +#1.60 the Gaspeo company to anotner trial, for $1,000. We ied ry 6 000 that the Niagara Company, No, 1, of New Be tain,» # 133 118 13 clase engine, will negept tho chal ings, and acres to meet 8B 172 2.06 2.06 isthe Gaspee? ‘Sho is the machine for the ohallongs- not 98 2.00 2.28 2.28 the Niagara. Any ongine company #ho would think of 407 216 200 2.15 competing with the Niagara in throwing a volumo of water, 7 216 1,29 150 should be provi for at Bloomiagdale. The Niagara 7 9 18 0.20 can’t be beat this side of the Falla. wi Hi te4 +100 Pe 4 In arswer to the enquiry “ Whore is the Gaspee?” wo 273 a 190 Hor are able to inform the Herat that that eompany pubd- 382 1.33 +o ata lishes @ card in the Providence Journal, in which they 3a 4 234 2.20 promise the Southwark to take notice of their challenge 45 Koon as it {s officially made, They also say that by aotual measurement they played through 470 fest of hove, instead of 376, a8 charged by the Now Yorkers, Where's the Southwark ? Yor equal maximum ordinates of the diurnal curve and somi-divrnsl curve 2.1 feet, we have for £ equal 8 hours, the diu:pal inequality in height of high waver 2.08 fost, THE PILGRIMS. THE GREAT CELEBRATION AT PLYMOUTH. Anniversary of the Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delft Haven, in 1620, IMMENSE GATHERING or THE DESCENDANTS OF THE PILGRIMS. Decoration of the Houses, and Appear- ance of the Streets. Speeches of Hon, Edward Everett, Governor Ciifferd, Hon. Charles Sumner, John P, Hale, Mir. Yeadon, Rev. Mr. Osgood, and Others. THE CELEBRATION &e., be, de, Onr Special Correspondence. DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN AND OHURCHES—AN CIENT AND INTERESTING EPITAPHS, ETC. Puiymovrn, Mass., July 31, 1853. This little town is now, will be to-morrow, and has- been, by way of anticipation, fora week past, iu a state of excitement hardly to be looked for in such a quiet, out-of-the-way sort of place as it is, and ameng a community boastful of their ancestry, and preserv- ing much of their father’s strict, spiritual puritanic notions. But yet I have never seen so general an exhibition of interest manifested in any event, by the inhabitants of any town or city, as that which I now see jn Plymouth on the great demonstration which takes place here to-morrow, in commemora- tion of the departure for England from Delft Haven in the Netherlands, of that little band of Pilgrims from among the Leyden congregation, who after- wards departed from the shores of England in that historic craft, the Mayflower, and landed at this spot on the 22d of December, 1620. I do not know whether history preserves the date of this departure with any accuracy, further than that it took place in the latter end of July, but tradition makes it a day which corresponds, according to the new style, with the first of August. That memorable epoch is to be celebrated here to-morrow with, perhaps, the greater fervor that it has not hitherto been the custom to ob- serve it, for the Pilgrim society here, like the New England society in New York and elsewhere, cele. brate the anniversary of the landing at Plymouth— the 22d of December—as the great and memorable day which inaugurated in a New World, a new church, the settlement of a somewhat peculiar race of people, and the establishment of an asylum and a home for the persecuted and poverty stricken of all nations. This commemoration of the first of August, has therefore, the merit of novelty to recommend it, an it has been undertaken ina spirit of empressmen’ which might put New Yorkers to the blush, and which will render to-morrow a day to be remember ed in the annals of this historic place. The most eminent New England orators and sta‘esmen are to be here, to do honor to the occasion; the New Eng- land Society from New York and elsewhere; the scattered members of the Pilgrim Society; the Cape Cod Association, and other civic and military socie- ties, will congregate on this sacred soil, and setting out from Pilgrim Hall, march in procession through the handsomely decorated streets of the town, toa large tent erected on a rising ground facing the ocean, a hort distance gonth of Plymouth Rock, where the company is to partake of a banquet, and listen thereafter to the inspired eloquence of the ora- tors. All the details of this procession, the decora- tions of the houses, the mottoes suspended over the strects, the speeches, &c., will natarally form subject for my next communication. Plymouth is spoken of in historical sketches and orations, as a barren, bleak, and inhospitable shore, the very sight of which, would be capable of deter- ring from their purpose, hearts less strong and re- solute than were those of the Pilgrim Fathers and Mothers. It may be somewhat different now, but still those terms might not inaptly be applied to it, excepting of course, as to the town itself, and those spots in its immediate neighborhood, which labor and industry have made fertile. New Plymouth harbor stretches a wide expanse of water in front, or to the east of the town, and few sails appear there to relieve the dull monotony of the scene. Wise and forsecing as the Pilgrim Fathers were, it might well be wondered why they choose their first settlement ona position where the water of the harbor was insufficient to float a vessel of large drought, were it not remembered that their's was a desperate strait, and the long perilous voyage then at an end, made them yearn for any land, no matter how barren or uninviting. The captain of the Mayflower is reported to have been corrupted by interested companies in Amster- dam, not to land his passengers on the shores of the Hudson, as it had been intended they should. The sight is ocean-ward—is limited bya strip of sandy land, termed Plymouth beach, at about a league’s distance from the shore, stretching from the south mainland as if to reach the northern pro- montory, and sbut in the sceve. To the north® lies on a somewhat rising ground, Duxbury, on the maivland, the island of Seguish, and the Gurney, another island on which there are two light houses, and on the first glance you might imagine that Plymouth harbor was entirely shut in from the ocean. Beyond, and not distinctly visible to the naked eye, but just within the entrance of the harbor, is situated Clark’s Island, named after the individual of the exploring party who first set his foot on it. Here, it will be femembered, the boat's crew of the shallop sent on the exploriag expedition, comprising Winslow, Bradford, Standish, and seven- teen others, passed the Sabbath previous to the land- ing at Plymouth. The name of this island has been changed to that of its present proprietor. The town of Plymouth, which is the capital of the county of the same name, and about thirty miles southeast of Boston, israther irregular in shape, the main street stretching north and south a short distance from the water, and other smail streets crossing it at right angles. The houses are frame, geuerally standing detached within little plots or gardens, and many of them are handsome edifices The business done here is not of munch importance,” but bas been increasing latterly. Some large repe- walks, a shoe manufactory, anda nail manufactory, give large employment, and in the coasting, West Indian, and fishing trade there are some fi(ty vessels engaged. Ship building is also carried on on a smaller scale. Being the county town, Plymouth possesses a court house, jail, and almshouse. It has also six churches belonging to different Protestant sects, two banks, an Insurance Company, and a public building, denomi- nated Pilgrim Hall, of which I will speak again, IN 1769, 7 PRICE TWO CENTS. Two newspaper. the Plymonth Ruck, axvd the Olé Colony Memorial, ime published here. ‘B'R€ POp® lation is about six thouang, * The Samoset House, the nrincipal hotel \ere— and a very fine well-conducted satablishment it i-— had all its spare accommodations engaged in ad” vance for several weeks past—it had ready baa two-thirds full of regular boarders—and wien I am* rived here yesterday I found that I could not gee any lodging, there being only another small publi honse here, which was also choke full. Bat the dif- ficulty in mine and a hundred other cases was easix ly obviated, as most of the house-holders voluntcerea, to take as many persons to coop with them as they could find means of providing for, and thisand the erection of a few tents and fitting up vacant honses for companies, all havo been and will be, in one way or other, accommodated. I had the good fortune to be located in the family of an old and reverend. member of this community—a Mr. Goodwin—who is now the oldest resident of the town, and has never been so far out of it as New York. There are many objects of interest here for the antiquary, the historian, and the lover of country. The name of Plymouth Rock, on whiok the Pilgrims landed, is a talisman to inspire lovers of liberty in all future ages. But it is well that the name has such a spell, as $he rock ite self is not an object to inspire, by its physical appearance, much emotion. By the forming of » wharf close by,or rather over where it stood, the water ‘was necessarily docked up at some distance from it; g0 that the visiter would be somewhat astonished, om making a pilgrimage to that sacred relic, to find that it actually constitutes part of a public street, at the entrance to a wharf, and being flush with the road, carts cross its surface every hour. It is an irregular shaped stone, some five feet in average diameter, and. with its face roughened, by the habit of visiters in knocking off a portion of itssurface. On either siae of the rock, and in front of it, on Water street, stand provision stores, where men deal in the unromantie commodities of fish, flour, rye and ship stores. An- other, and the upper portion of this rock, lies within an enclosure in front of Pilgrim Hal!. It was at tempted, in 1775, to remove the rock into the centre of the town, but it split in the operation, and the upper surface only was removed, and now lies in its present position, somewhat in the shape of a whale’s back, with a high and very handsome iron circular paling surrounding it. This paling stands on a granite foundation, about a foot high from the sur- face, the spikes terminating in the form of an arrow and halbert alternately. On a sort of imita- tion drapery are engraved, between each spike, the names of those men who came over in the May- flower. I copied them to-day, and give them to you as a matter of interest to many of your readers. They are in front, facing the street:— Carver, (the first Governor of the colony,) Standish, Brewster, Allerton, Howland, Bradford, B. Winslow, G. Winslow, Chilton, Alden, Fuller, Ware ren, White, Clarke, Crackston, Hopkins, Turner, Mullins, Gardiner, Margeson, Butteridge, Tinker, Eaton, Soule, E. Tilley, Williams, Fuller, Browm, Rogers, J. Tilly, Fletcher, Cook, Billington, Lesiter, Dotey, Goodman, J. Allerton, Martin, Puest, Ridge- dale, English. On each side of the stone—for there are two sides, one facing the street and the other the building—are. painted in large black letters the figures 1620. It is traditionary that the first English feet that ever trod. that surface, were those of Mary Chilton, the daugh ter of Richard Wilton, who died the same winter. She was the eldest of two sisters, Mary and Susan- nah, the former married John Winslow, and the latter a Mr. Latham. The direct descendants of these families are to be found now in Bndgewater and Boston, and probably some of them will take part in the celebration to-morrow. Pilgrim Hall itself is a fine solid looking building, of unhewn granite, of the Grecian Doric order, the portico being sustained by six columns, twenty feet in height. It stands afew yards off, and fronting Maine street, some distance to the north of the point where the landing was effected. It contains many curiosities and memorials of the olden times, among which are the chair of Gov. Carver, the sword blade of Miles Standish, ana u very large painting, repre- senting the Landing of the Pilgrims. This being Bunday, C could not obtain access to Pilgrim Hall nor the Court of Records, where there are many im teresting resords, but I went instead to see the old. chureh and the old burying ground. Those who should look to see a small antiquated structure in the old church, would be very much mia taken, as it is a very handsome wooden edifice, built somewhat in the old English style, with a large gothic window covering most of the tront ; small towers rising on each side of the entrance, with larger ones at each of the front angles, the whole forming = very imposing edifice. The interior corresponds with its outward appearance. The walls and roof are hand: somely painted in fresco, with a cross on either side of the altar, and on the east end isa large gallery and organ loft. This church stands on the site of that erected by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1637, and was itself rebuilt in 1831. The tenets of the congre- gation are Unitarian, but they claim to be nearer those of the Pilgrims than are those expounded im its neighboring edifice, the Church of the Pilgrim- age. ‘The Rey. Mr. Osgood, of New York, preached today, and of his sermon and the services I willl probably give you an outline in my next. The ce- metery does, however, preserve its look of age, and there are stones half buried in the soft soil, ti» moll on which the antiquary would feel delight im trying to decipher. I «pent some time myself in that ocea~ pation, and will give you the result of my researches. Ona modern black slate stone, standing beside others many years older, of which it is the expositor, is inscribed the following legend : “ Here ended the pilgrimage of John Howland end hh, his wife, She was the cau’tr of Govr rs “They arrived in the Mayflower Decr 1620 they liad 4 rons and 6 dau’trs from whom are descended a numerous posterity.” Then, in inyerted commas, are inscribed thy 9 words— ‘1672 Feby 23rd, John Howland deceased he lived to the age of 80 years He was tho Isst man that was left of those that came over in the shi called the Mayflower that lived in Plymouth.” (Plymouth Recor So much for the last of the Pilgrims. " How re. freshing is the simplicity, careless and regt irdless of fame, exhibited hy the compiler of these records, when he speaks of “ the ship called the M ayflower,? as if history had never before inscribed it 3 name ¢ a her serolls, and adds, forthe edification, and enlig’ pt. enment of all who might ever question. the ex gt sn0e id vessel, that she ‘ iived in Plymouth 1” e old grave stone, which has the follow’ ng in- scription, furnishes, I suppose, a clue tothe } of the individaal who gave his name to, Clark's Island:—~ Mr. Toomas Ciarx, aged 98 years, departed this life March 3¢ 94, 1697, There are also, close by, MONUM’ sets ty the memae ry of Nathaniel Clark, Esq., and ¢frs, Hannah Clark. Then, on plain, white wooden slabs, recently placed here and there throughout the yard, are iuscribed, such simple legends as th xo, ‘The grave of J These are put or to mark where repose the ashes of the pijgrims, the stones which rest above havity their inscriptions obliterated by age. Perhaps “ae oldeat legible atone in the place ia ene