264 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



proved very detrimental to his health, bringing him home in the 

 autumn with a hue denoting serious derangement of the liver. 

 Yet he not only persevered in his explorations, but occupied him- 

 self in winter with laboratory work, usually until midnight. He 

 did not desist even when suffering acutely from his last illness, 

 but dictated the closing portions of his report until within forty- 

 eight hours of his death. Between Dr. Owen and Governor Con- 

 way, who had given him the Arkansas appointment, there always 

 existed the most cordial good feeling, and the latter provided 

 every facility for the prosecution of the survey. Toward the end 

 of 1860 postal communication between the North and South was 

 considerably interrupted, for the breach which culminated in 

 civil war was already opening. Yet the Governor, at consider- 

 able pains, succeeded in sending safely to New Harmony several 

 thousand dollars due from the appropriation, and required for 

 the publication of the second volume of the report. Dr. Owen 

 had died, and the issuing of this volume, for which he had left 

 full instructions, fell to his brother and administrator, Prof. 

 Richard Owen. The latter also executed a second survey of 

 Indiana, for which his brother had been appointed in 1859, with 

 the understanding that Richard should do as much of the work 

 as might be necessary. 



The labors above outlined resulted in undermining the origi- 

 nally good constitution with which David Dale Owen had been 

 endowed. Malarial fever, complicated with rheumatic attacks 

 which threatened the heart, terminated his career of usefulness 

 November 13, 1860. He left a widow, two sons, and two daughters. 

 Dr. Owen's character was marked by integrity and amiable sim- 

 plicity ; his kindness and liberality were well known, and his sci- 

 entific work was always conscientiously performed. His fondness 

 for chemistry led him to build at a cost of ten thousand dollars a 

 laboratory fully equipped, which served as a material evidence of 

 his good taste in architecture. His architectural taste was further 

 evinced in the artistic design which he submitted for the Smith- 

 sonian Institution building. He also tested many varieties of 

 building stone before the selection of material for that structure 

 was determined. 



His artistic skill enabled him, besides richly illustrating his 

 reports, as above noted, to leave good portraits in oil of members 

 of his family. He transmitted to London views of the fossil 

 Sigillaria found erect in situ twelve miles from New Harmony, 

 with a description, which were presented to the British Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science by Sir Roderick Murchison. 

 He subsequently conducted Sir Charles Lyell to the locality while 

 the latter was his guest at New Harmony in his second visit to 

 the United States. 



