i 3 o 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



experiments, which naturally did not fall 

 within the scope of the text-book. Among 

 the principles on which the researches bear, 

 are the laws governing the transmission of 

 the shock of an explosion through the fluid ; 

 the relative merits of different explosives ; 

 and the resistance to be expected from the 

 best class of wooden hulls. Results are given 

 in reference to sub-aqueous explosions, elec- 

 trical fuses, and modes of ignition. These 

 facts determined, "the problem how to blow 

 up a ship-of-war," says the author, " would 

 then admit of the definite discussion usually 

 applied to works of practical engineering." 



Chronological List of Auroras observed 

 from 1870 to 1S79. Compiled by First- 

 Lieutenant A. W. Greeley, U. S. A., 

 Acting Signal-Officer and Assistant. 

 Washington: Government Printing-Of- 

 fice. Pp. 76. 



The list has been compiled, with a few 

 exceptions, from the meteorological reports 

 made to the chief signal-officer of the army. 

 The arrangement is by States and Territo- 

 ries, the names of which appear in special 

 type, as well as by dates, so that the gen- 

 eral geographical limits of auroras at any 

 date can be readily ascertained, while the 

 names of particular stations are likewise 

 easily found under their respective State 

 heads. The descriptions by Sir George 

 Nares of displays witnessed by the English 

 Arctic Expedition of 1875 '76 at Floeberg 

 Beach are also included. 



Statistics of Public Indebtedness. Em- 

 bracing the Funded and Unfunded Debts 

 of the United States and the Several 

 States, and of Counties, Cities, Towns, 

 Townships, and School Districts. Com- 

 piled under the Direction of Robert 

 P. Porter. Washington : Government 

 Printing-Office. Pp. 667. 



This report, a part of the series of census 

 reports, comprises: 1. An introduction, in 

 which is given a brief history of the growth 

 of the national debts of the principal na- 

 tions of the world, and tables are presented 

 showing the growth and distribution of State 

 and local indebtedness in the United States. 

 2. An historical and statistical account of 

 the national debt. 3. A statement of the 

 ownership and distribution, by States and 

 geographical sections, of the registered and 

 coupon United States bonds, and of the 



amounts of each species held abroad. 4. A 

 history of the debts of the several States 

 from 1790 to the present time. 5. A con- 

 sideration of the power of the State Legis- 

 latures, and of county and city authorities, 

 to contract debts binding on the State, coun- 

 ty, or municipality. 6. An exhibit and an 

 analysis of the bonded and floating debts 

 and sinking funds of all cities and towns 

 of the United States having a population of 

 7,500 and upward. 7. An exhibit, by States 

 and minor civil divisions, all of which are 

 separately presented, of the State and local 

 indebtedness of the United States. 8. An 

 analysis, by geographical sections and States, 

 of the entire bonded State and local indebt- 

 edness of the country. 



Arr-ALACHiA, June, 1882. Boston: Appala- 

 chian Mountain Club. Pp. 97. Price, 

 50 cents. 



The present number of "Appalachia" 

 contains the President's annual address 

 and the annual reports of the club. The 

 work of the association is still directed 

 chiefly to the White Mountains, but not to 

 the exclusion of other ranges, and is almost 

 sure to become more catholic in its charac- 

 ter as the membership of the society in- 

 creases and becomes diffused over other 

 mountainous regions. Explorations have 

 been made about Moosehead and the Range- 

 ley Lakes ; the valley of the East Branch 

 and the New Zealand Notch, in the White 

 Mountains, have been traversed ; Bear 

 Mountain and Passaconaway, two compara- 

 tively unknown summits, have been exam- 

 ined ; and the Great Gulf in Mount Wash- 

 ington has been traversed and made acces- 

 sible by the completion of a path through 

 it. The route from the snow-field of Tuek- 

 erman's Ravine to the summit of Mount 

 Washington has been distinctly marked, and 

 several other interesting works have been 

 accomplished or improved. Paths over the 

 Twin Mountains, and a bracing up of the 

 rocks forming the " Old Man of the Mount- 

 ain," so as to prevent the destruction of 

 the profile by their disintegration, are in 

 view. A monograph, with sectional maps, 

 of " the Little Mountains east of the Cats- 

 kills," and a contour map of the Presiden- 

 tial range, are published in the present num- 

 ber of this journal. 



