November 28, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



495 



the singing sands could be transported from 

 the besieli and placed in a perforated vessel, 

 box or barrel, on dune or in blowout and left 

 to be subjected to the action of rain for a 

 considerable period of time, or some of the 

 singing sands could be subjected to a tumb- 

 ling action by rotating as in a laboratory 

 rotating tumbler. After this some sand could 

 be subjected to the leaching action of dis- 

 tilled water saturated with COj. For a third 

 experiment, some of the dune or blowout sand 

 could be wetted several times with lake water 

 and subjected to a drying action between the 

 wettings. Suitable sotmd tests should, of 

 course, be made at the proper times. 



These experiments should be performed by 

 some one residing by the lake shore either 

 permanently or during the summer so that 

 advantage could be taken of changing weather 

 conditions and rainstorms. 



W. D. ElCHARDSON 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH PRIESTLEY 



The original house and laboratory of Dr. 

 Joseph Priestley, the great chemist who dis- 

 covered oxygen in 1774, and came twenty 

 years later to America, which is located on 

 the banks of the Susquehanna river, at North- 

 imiberland. Pa., was purchased recently by 

 graduate students of the Pennsylvania State 

 College, who plan to move it to the campus 

 and make it a lasting memorial. 



Upon learning that the Priestley homestead, 

 which was built in 1794-1796, was to be put 

 up at public auction, the Penn State chemists 

 sent as their representative to the sale Dr. 

 G-. G. Pond, dean of the School of Natural 

 Science at the college. He was successful in 

 making the purchase, and the historic man- 

 sion will be preserved. 



Architects from the college will at once 

 make the necessary surveys preparatory to the 

 work of moving the Priestley house to the 

 campus at State College. The house is of 

 frame, and painting has kept the woodwork in 

 a remarkable state of preservation, so that it 

 may be possible to rebuild the greater part of 

 the structure from the present lumber. Im- 



mense pine timbers used in the framework are 

 as good as new and the old-fashioned interior 

 decorations — arched doorways, fireplaces and 

 stairway — are in such condition that they can 

 be removed and replaced with comparative 

 ease. 



While the purchase of the house has been 

 made by Dr. Pond for the Penn State chem- 

 istry alumni, who are scattered to all parts of 

 the country, funds for its removal and erection 

 on the college campus will be supplied by an 

 as yet unnamed donor. Actual work of re- 

 moval will probably be started in the spring. 

 Northumberland is about sixty miles from 

 State College, at the intersection of the north 

 and west branches of the Susquehanna. 



The reconstruction on the college campus 

 will be along the old architectural lines, but 

 modernized and adapted to some suitable use 

 by the school of Natural Science, according 

 to present plans. The house is an old land- 

 mark in Northumberland county, and can be 

 seen on the outskirts of the town from trains 

 on the Pennsylvania Railroad passing North- 

 umberland. It is a two-story structure, with 

 capacious attic space. It is about 45 X SO 

 feet, with a projection at each end about 25 

 feet square. One of these was the kitchen 

 and the other the workshop, or laboratory, in 

 which Priestley pursued his scientific study 

 and experiments. 



CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS 



The United States Civil Service Com- 

 mission announces the following examination : 



On December 23 for meteorologist (men 

 only). Vacancies in the Signal Service at 

 large of the War Department throughout the 

 United States, at salaries from $1,600 to 

 $3,000, and in positions requiring similar 

 qualifications, will be filled from this exami- 

 nation. The entrance salary will depend upon 

 the qualifications of the appointee. The 

 duties of appointees will consist of the mia- 

 king, computing and recording of meteorolog- 

 ical observations in connection with the mete- 

 orological service of the U. S. Army; also the 

 instruction of enlisted men in such work. 

 Competitors will not be required to report for 

 examination at any place, but will be rated on 



