Proceedings of Scientific Societies. ITS 
been subscribed to build a railroad in Atrica, betwee 
falls of the Congo river and Stanley pool. The project of 
building this road, which will cover the distance of 262 miles, was 
formed by the King of the Belgians, whose interest in African 
exploration and in the abolition of the slave-trade in Atrica is 
known throughout the world. He found a warm ally in Mr. 
McKinnon, the great Scotch ship-owner, an immensely Wealthy 
man—said to be the largest individual ship-owner in the world— 
and another in Mr. Collis P. Huntington. This scheme is said 
to be actuated more by sentiment than by motives of gain, for 
the projectors believe that only by such means as opening 
up the Congo to travel can the fearful traffic in slaves be ob- 
literated. 
n the lower 
UNCERTAINTY OF “ ELECTROCUTION.’’—The prophetic utter- 
ance of Professor Brackett. of Princeton College, in his address 
to the Electrical Club of New York last fall: * Notwithstanding 
the fact that in New York it is the law that all persons convicted 
of offenses that are punishable by death are hereafter to be exe- 
cuted by electricity, my belief is that never a single man will die, 
except by accident, by that method,” seems likely to be verified. 
All the electricians of New York are asking to have the new exe- 
cution law declared unconstitutional, The legality of the sen- 
tence passed upon the murderer William Kemmler, who was to 
have been the first executed by electricity, has been disputed on 
the ground that the punishment is cruel. Evidence will be taken 
before a referee, and persons interested in electricity are now 
eagerly awaiting the result of the case and the evidence taken. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENIFIC SOCIETIES. 
(San Irancisco Microscopical Society, July 10, 1889.) 
The semi-monthly meeting of the San Francisco Microscopical 
Society was held at its rooms 126 Sutter street, last evening. 
Vice-President Breckenfeld presided and spoke very feelingly ot 
the death of F. L. Howard, one of the old time members, and 
offered the tollowing resolutions, which were unanimously adopt- 
ed: 
WHEREAS, Our late esteemed friend and fellow-member,F. L. 
Howard, has been called from earth by the final summons, and 
we who have been associated with him in the San Francisco 
Microscopical Society are desirous of placing on record some 
fitting expression of the high regard in which we held him and 
of the sorrow we feel at his loss; be it 
Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Howard this society is call- 
ed upon to mourn the loss of one who, for many years, has been 
untiring in his devotion to its work and his interest in. its welfare, 
