FEBRUARY 2, 1912] 
period it might fairly enough be fixed at 
two years. In this way, a five years’ 
course, after leaving the high school, could 
be worked out leading to a technical de- 
gree, which might then in one more year 
lead to a doctor’s degree. The present 
situation is one of unstable equilibrium. 
Our ultimate hope lies in the development 
of the public high school into an effective 
tory instruction. 
Tt is interesting to note how many men 
come up at Charlottenburg for their final 
examinations and the diploma and for the 
doctor’s degree during the year. The at- 
tendance of matriculated, 7. ¢., regular stu- 
dents at the Hochschule during the year 
ending June 30, 1911, was 2,060 (average 
for the two semesters). Of these, 336 
passed successfully the examinations for 
the degree of Certificated HEngineer— 
roughly one in six of the total number. 
Forty-two took the doctor’s degree in engi- 
neering, 2. €., one in fifty. 
During the week I spent in a careful 
study of the Hochschule and its workings 
I was greatly impressed by the emphasis 
laid on training the men to independent 
methods of work, and by the manifest de- 
sire to turn out, not highly trained arti- 
sans or mechanics, but independent think- 
ers within the field of technical pursuits— 
men who because of their mental develop- 
ment will be able to lead in whatever field 
they may enter. Epmunp J. JAMES 
CHARLOTTENBURG-BERLIN, GERMANY, 
January 1, 1912 
WILLIAM EMERSON DAMON 
THE death of William Emerson Damon on 
December 1, in Windsor, Vermont, at the 
-age of seventy-three, recalls to his friends 
memories of his early days, when his enthusi- 
astic devotion. to natural history. studies in 
general, and more especially to ichthyology 
_and pisciculture, caused him to become the 
leading spirit in the establishment of New 
SCIENCE 
175 
York’s first aquarium. This first venture was 
a department of Barnum’s old Ann Street 
museum. It was due to Mr. Damon’s per- 
suasion that the irrepressible showman was 
induced to undertake this enterprise; however, 
unexpected difficulties were encountered in 
securing specimens from the South Atlantic, 
but few of the fish being alive when they 
reached New York. Finally a special craft 
was chartered and placed under Mr. Damon’s 
immediate control. 
This was in 1863, during our Civil War, 
and some very interesting details regarding 
this expedition have been furnished by Pro- 
fessor Albert S. Bickmore. Barnum, who had 
just acquired the “ Aquarial Gardens” in Bos- 
ton, wrote to Professor Agassiz, of Harvard, 
that if the latter had an assistant whom he 
would like to send along to collect specimens 
for the Museum of Comparative Zoology in 
Cambridge, all facilities would be accorded 
tohim. This offer was accepted by Agassiz, who 
selected Professor Bickmore as his representa- 
tive. The little fishing-smack charted for the 
trip was given the high-sounding name Pacific. 
Its equipment, however, was of the simplest, 
not even a chronometer being on board, so 
that when, after coasting along until Cape 
Hatteras was reached, the course was laid due 
east, and the ship passed out of sight of land, 
there was no means of determining its exact 
position. Fortunately, half-way toward Ber- 
muda, an East-Indiaman was met, and the ad- 
venturous seamen were able to learn their 
precise latitude and longitude. 
On the arrival of the little craft in Ber- 
muda, Professor Bickmore writes: 
As we came near Port Hamilton, the principal 
harbor, a number of native boats put off to board 
us, for what purpose we were at a loss to imagine, 
until one'more skilfully managed than the others 
came alongside, and its black crew offered to aid 
us as agents. ‘‘What for?’’ we asked; to which 
came the rejoinder: ‘‘ Why, when we saw how you 
could sail in a strong breeze, we felt sure you 
were a ‘blockade-runner’ loaded with tobacco.’’ 
When the entirely peaceful intentions of 
the newcomers were made plain, the authori- 
ties facilitated their operations and some 600 
