ALEXANDER DALLAS BACHE. 119 



his death. In this work he took a lively interest and rendered 

 important service. 



As to the connection of Prof. Bache with the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution we can not have better testimony than that of him who 

 was identified with the institution for more than thirty years, its 

 first secretary. Prof. Henry says : " In 1846 he had been named 

 in the act of incorporation as one of the regents of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, and by successive re-election was continued by 

 Congress in this office until his death, a period of nearly twenty 

 years. To say that he assisted in shaping the policy of the estab- 

 lishment would not be enough. It was almost exclusively through 

 his predominating influence that the policy which has given the 

 institution its present celebrity was, after much opposition, finally 

 adopted." * Not the least of Bache's services to the institution 

 was securing Henry for its secretary. The latter states, in the 

 place just quoted, that "it was entirely due to the persuasive 

 influence of the professor " that he was induced to take the posi- 

 tion. 



Although not fond of physical exertion, Prof. Bache had been 

 accustomed to spend part of each summer in a tent at some station 

 of the survey on the top of a mountain, where he took part in 

 the measurement of angles and directed the movements of field 

 parties at other stations. The civil war brought added labors 

 upon him so that his constant presence in Washington was re- 

 quired, and his health no longer obtained the yearly recuperation 

 of this season of outdoor life. Being solicited by the Governor of 

 Pennsylvania to plan lines of defense for Philadelphia, he con- 

 sented, although overburdened with other public duties, and per- 

 sonally superintended the construction of some of the works. 

 Unaccustomed for many years to direct exposure to the sun, this 

 undertaking brought on the first indications of the malady that 

 ended his life. He had been subject to attacks of "sick head- 

 ache " a tendency which he seems to have inherited and now 

 various symptoms of softening of the brain came upon him in 

 succession. For several months he was very anxious about the 

 business of the Coast Survey, and with difiiculty could be re- 

 strained from attempting to perform the duties of his office. As 

 the malady increased, however, his attention was gradually with- 

 drawn from the exterior world, with which he almost ceased to 

 hold active communication. A trip to Europe, covering a period 

 of eighteen months, produced no permanent benefit. He died a 

 short time after his return, at Newport, R. L, February 17, 1867. 



The ability and worth of Dallas Bache brought him many and 

 high honors. There were few for our leading learned societies 



* Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, i, 197, 198. 



