1864.] ' THE LATE PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 465 



Science, important branches of the University, were both greatly 

 aided in their beginnings by the influential exertions put forth by 

 Professor Siiliman. He was one of the chief founders of the 

 Alumni Association of the college ; and at their anniversaries and 

 on other occasions, he was, as another has said, " the standing 

 'orator ' of the college ; the principal medium between those who 

 dwelt in the academic shade and the great public," Not unfre- 

 quently he was the college solicitor, asking funds for the expan- 

 sion of the institution, and never asking in vain. 



Although his services as a college-officer were great, Professor 

 Silliman's strongest claim to the gratitude of men of science rests 

 upon the establishment, and the maintenance, often under very 

 discouragrino; circumstances, of the American Journal of Science. 

 The history of this undertaking has already been given, in his 

 own words, in the introduction to the fiftieth or index volume of 

 the first series of the Journal ; and it is for others, rather than 

 for us, to give an estimate of his editorial services. It is but just, 

 however, to call attention to a few circumstances, which all will 

 regard as creditable to its founder. 



He had the sagacity to foresee, as long ago as 1818, the scope 

 which such a magazine should take. The prospectus which he then 

 wrote is applicable almost exactly to our pages to-day. Experience 

 has established the wisdom of the course which he marked out. 



He maintained the Journal, from the beginning, at his own 

 pecuniary risk. Its publication has often been a serious financial 

 burden, and in its most prosperous days has not yielded a fair return 

 for editorial labor. But it has been continued, at this personal 

 inconvenience, for the sake of American science, that the labors 

 of our countrymen might be made known abroad, and the labors of 

 Europeans understood in this country. 



The Journal has never been used for the benefit of any party 

 or in;lividual, but solely for the advancement and diifusion of 

 scientific truth. Its pages have been always open to free scientific 

 discussion, with truth as the single end in view. 



The original investigations of Prof Siiliman are not numerous. 

 In the early part of his career he began with energy some impor- 

 tant experiments and researches. He undertook a geological 

 survey of Connecticut ; he published a paper in conjunction with 

 Prof. Kingsley on the famous Weston meteorite ; he applied the 

 newly-invented blowpipe of his friend, Dr. Hare, to the fusion of 

 a variety of bodies, which were before regarded as infusible; he 



