684 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. UI. No. 71. 



To tlie east and west of the Library will 

 be the Chapel and the Assembly Hall for 

 the use of students, while the other build- 

 ings indicated on the plan will be built as 

 required for special purposes. 



At noon on May 2d the corner stones of 

 the Physics Building and of Schermerhorn 

 Hall were laid in the presence of the officers 

 and alumfli of the University. The corner 

 stone of the Physics Building was laid by 

 Professor Ogden N. Eood, and an address 

 was made by Prof. Howard Van Amringe, 

 who traced the growth of the College, with 

 special reference to its scientific departments, 

 from the time when the first corner stone of 

 the first building of the College was laid, 140 

 years ago. At that time the teaching force 

 of the institiition consisted of the President 

 and one tutor. The speaker called atten- 

 tion to the fact that the first buildings to 

 be built for purposes of instruction and re- 

 search are for the sciences. 



The corner stone of Schermerhorn Hall 

 was laid by Mr. W. C. Schermerhorn, the 

 donor of the building, and an address was 

 made by Prof. Henry F. Osborn, in the 

 course of which he said that the problem of 

 the last twenty years had been the establish- 

 ment of universities. The problem of the 

 next twenty years is the production of 

 thinkers of the highest type. The building 

 should be laid on the corner stones 

 of breadth, height, energy and repose. 

 Breadth, standing for thoroughness of pre- 

 paration and wideness of horizon ; height, 

 for specialization; energy, for determina- 

 tion in the prosecution of research ; and re- 

 pose, for undisturbed observation, reflection 

 and induction. It is the symmetrical and 

 balanced development of all these factors 

 which will make Schermerhorn Hall a 

 birthplace of discoveries, a permanent 

 monument to its generous founder, worthy 

 of Columbia University, and a new force in 

 American science. 



At three o'clock in the afternoon the site 



was dedicated with impressive ceremonies, 

 held in a large pavilion, in which 3,000 

 people were seated. In addition to the 

 officers, alumni and students of the Uni- 

 versity, there were present the Governor of 

 the State, the Mayor of the City, Presidents 

 and representatives of the leading Ameri- 

 can universities and colleges, and many 

 other distinguished guests. 



President Low made the opening address, 

 calling attention to the fact that historic 

 ground would be dedicated to a new use. 

 Already it is twice consecrated. In the 

 Revolutionary War the soil drank the blood 

 of patriots, willingly shed for the independ- 

 ence of the land. Since then, for three genera- 

 tions, it has witnessed the union of science 

 and of brotherly kindness, devoted to the 

 care of those suffering from the most mys- 

 terious of all the ills that flesh is heir to. 

 To-day we dedicate it, in thesame spirit of 

 loyalty to country and of devotion to the 

 services of mankind, to the inspiring uses 

 of a venerable and historic university. It 

 is no small part of the suitableness of 

 this site for the uses of the University 

 that it here will find itself in the inspir- 

 ing presence of so many other forces that 

 make for the uplifting of the city. If New 

 York is taunted in the years to come 

 with being a city wholly given up to the 

 love of money, she may well point to this 

 eminence, with its cathedral, its hospital, 

 its educational institutions, its monument 

 to Gen. Grant, and say : " These are my 

 jewels : religion, philanthropy, education, 

 patriotism ; these are the things my chil- 

 dren care for more than they care for 

 money ; therefore I wear these things in' 

 my civic crown." 



A national flag was then presented to the 

 University by Eear Admiral Meade on be- 

 half of Lafayette Post, Grand Army of the 

 Republic, and a dedication ode in Latin, 

 written by Prof Peck, was sung. 



Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, an alumnus of 



