September 26, 1907] 



NA TURE 



551 



Society of Arts, and the International Association of 

 Navigation congresses. He was president of the 

 mechanical section of the British Association meeting- 

 of 1S05, and a number of distinctions were conferred 

 upon him from time to time, including a commander- 

 ship of the Imperial Franz-Josef Order of Austria- 

 Hungar\', in recognition of his ser\'ices on an Inter- 

 national Jur\' on Canal Lifts. 



There is no novel or startling departure in theory 

 or practice, no gigantic masterpiece of constructive 

 skill, associated with Prof. Vernon-Harcourt's career, 

 but his name will long be held in respectful remem- 

 brance bv those who can understand and appreciate 

 the solid and enduring character of his unobtrusive 

 work. His investigations in 1886 in regard to the 

 -Seine estuary, and the patient care with which, from 

 a number of artificial models, he deduced the probable 

 effect of various systems of training works, com- 

 manded the attention and interest of the profession, 

 such that his position as an expert authority on fluvio- 

 maritime works henceforward became preeminent. In 

 1S96 he made an inspection of the River Hooghli, and 

 drew up for the Calcutta Port Commissioners a valu- 

 able report on the means of improving the navigable 

 channel. Only last year he was consulted by the 

 Mersey Docks and Harbour Board in regard to cer- 

 tain training works proposed for the estuary of the 

 Mersey. 



Prof. Vemon-Harcourt did not reach the allotted 

 span of man, and the announcement of his death at 

 the age. of sixt\'-eight is received on all hands with 

 unfeigned expressions of sorrow and regret. 



The celebration of the centenary of the Geological 

 Society of London is to commence this morning with a 

 reception of delegates by the president, Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, K.C.B., F.R.S.. at the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers. The history of the society is traced in a review 

 which appears elsewhere in this number, and we hope 

 to give an account of the centennial celebrations in our 

 next issue. The president will deliver an address this 

 afternoon on the state of geology at the time when the I 

 Geological Society was founded, and a banquet will be 

 held at the H6tel M^tropole this evening. To-morrow will 

 be chiefly devoted to visits to museums, galleries, &c., con- 

 cluding with an evening reception at the Natural History 

 Museum. On Saturday, short excursions will be made to 

 places of geological interest within easy reach of London ; 

 and on Monday the visitors will divide into two sections, 

 one of which will go to O.xford, the other to Cambridge. 

 .■\t both universities there will be further hospitalities, and 

 honorary degrees will be conferred upon a few of the 

 guests. 



The fourteenth International Congress of Hygiene and 

 Demography was opened at Berlin on Monday in the 

 presence of the Crown Prince and representatives of the 

 Diplomatic Corps, the Prussian Ministry, the Berlin 

 Municipality, and other official bodies. The congress was 

 formally welcomed in the name of the Emperor William 

 by the Prussian Minister of the Interior, Herr von 

 Bethmann-Hollweg. 



The Scottish Arctic Expedition under Dr. Bruce arrived 

 at Tromso on September 22, all well. I>r. Bruce 's com- 

 panion, Mr. H. Johansen, will stay at Spitsbergen for the 

 winter, together with Mr. Lerner. The Times corre- 

 spondent at Ottawa reports that Dr. Stefansson, of the 

 Anglo-.American Arctic Expedition, has arrived at Victoria. 

 He left Captain Mikkelsen and the other members of the 

 expedition well on Herschel Island in July. 



NO. 1978, VOL. 76"! 



A CONFERENCE for the purpose of discussing subjects 

 connected with the work of museums and art galleries 

 and kindred institutions will be held at the Royal Museum 

 and .\rt Galleries, Salford, on Friday, October 18, and 

 will be attended by members of the Museums Association 

 and other persons interested in museum work. 



The Berlin correspondent of the Globe states that during 

 the ensuing four months, that is, from now to January 15, 

 the German Army authorities intend to carry out an 

 important series of experiments in wireless telegraphy at 

 Metz and Strasburg, and at the six leading fortresses of 

 Konigsberg, Thorn, Danzig, Posen, Cologne, and Mainz. 

 One thousand reservists, who have served as military 

 telegraphists, have been called up to work with the military 

 telegraphists now serving with the Army. 



Spe.^king at Liverpool on September 19, at the Liver- 

 pool Imperial Products Exhibition, Mr. Haldane, M.P., 

 again took the opportunity of urging the importance of 

 a scientific foundation for our Empire. He reminded his 

 hearers that the secret of prosperity, the secret of winning 

 the fruits of the earth, lies in mind, in knowledge, and in 

 the direction applied to the energies which abound around 

 us, and can be turned to the service of man. What is 

 true of ordinary industry is true of the great enterprise 

 of making the best of the possibilities of those vast tracts 

 of the world which constitute the British Empire. 



The official results of the International Balloon Race of 

 September 15 show that six balloons travelled more than 

 800 kilometres before descending. The following par- 

 ticulars are given, among others : — 



The autumn meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute 

 was opened at Vienna on Monday in the hall of the 

 .Austrian Society of Engineers and .Architects. The 

 Ministers of Commerce and Agriculture, with their Under- 

 Secretaries of State and many prominent officials, as well 

 as the general managers of the principal Austrian iron 

 works, were present to welcome the institute. Sir Hugh 

 Bell, the president, returned thanks for the cordial welcome 

 extended to the members by the Austrian Government and 

 the civic authorities. .\ selection of papers was then read 

 and discussed. On Monday evening a special performance 

 at the Imperial Opera House was arranged. On Tuesday 

 the morning was devoted to the reading and discussion 

 of papers, and the afternoon to a visit to the Imperial 

 Palace at Schonbrunn. To-day, September 26, will begin 

 the excursions to the works to be visited in (i) Bohemia ; 

 (2) Styria ; and (3) Moravia and Silesia. 



The second Engineering and Machinery Exhibition at 

 Olympia was opened on September 19 by Sir Alexander 

 Kennedy, F.R.S. The body of the hall and part of the 

 annex are filled with the stands of engineering and other 

 firms closely connected with engineering, but the chief 

 feature of the exhibition is the fine collection of machine 

 tools. The British machine-tool manufacturers are well 

 represented, and hold their own with the American ar.d 



