82 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 313, 



SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF ALL THE ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



PUBLISHED BY 



N. D. C. HODGES, 



47 Lafayette Place, New York. 



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 mr correspondents. 



It APPEARS that Science will have to widen the field of its activ- 

 ity in combating politics in the schools. New Jersey is suffering, 

 apparently, as New York City is, but with this important difference • 

 in New York the politicians are intrenched ; in New Jersey they 

 are seeking to gain possession. The situation is this. A year ago 

 an inefficient State superintendent of public instruction was 

 superseded, on the expiration of his term of office, by Col. Charles 

 W. Fuller, a lawyer of high standing, and a man of force and char- 

 acter. In one year he has revolutionized the administration of the 

 office. On every side evidences of new life and activity are to be 

 seen. The best and most useful teachers' institutes in the history of 

 the State were held last autumn, with excellent results. Manual 

 training, compulsory education, increased salaries, and other impor- 

 tant measures, have been aided by Col. Fuller's administration. It 

 so happens, however, that Col. Fuller is a member of a certain 

 political party, which is not the one in control of the legislature 

 this winter. In this the politicians have found their opportunity, 

 and, by arousing partisan passions, are straining every nerve to 

 legislate Col. Fuller out of office. It is not believed that this dis- 

 reputable scheme will succeed, for every manly and fair-minded 

 legislator, of whatever party, will oppose carrying politics into the 

 schools. If the press of New Jersey expose the character of the 

 contemplated legislation, it will surely fail. 



On THE 26th instant the board of naval officers continued its 

 experiments with Capt. Zalinski's gun, the firing of which was to 

 determine the accuracy of the range of the projectiles, which must, 

 according to the requirements, fall within a rectangle 50 by 150 

 feet. The ranges were at 200 yards, 1,000 yards, and one mile; 

 and although nothing positive can be stated, as the official report 

 has not yet been made public by the Navy Department, it is confi- 

 dently believed that the trial, which showed effective action of over 

 50 per cent of the shots fired, will be a triumph for the company 

 that has so boldly attempted to solve the problem of projecting 

 large masses of high explosive at a sufficient rate of speed to insure 

 accuracy in the flight of the shell containing the explosive. Should 

 the trial be considered as not satisfactorily answering every require- 

 ment of the specifications, it would be some two weeks before an- 

 other trial could take place, owing to there not being a sufficient 

 number of projectiles on hand. The official table of data of the trial, 

 including the range of each projectile, is given below. It will be 

 seen from the column of ranges that five projectiles fell within a 

 rectangle of 50 feet by 100 feet, or the limits specified by the con- 

 tract. These shots were Nos. i, 4, 5, 6, and 9 in the order of firing. 

 There being nine shots fired in all, it is seen that 50 per cent came 

 within the rectangular limits. But the question is. Will the board 

 consider the spirit of the contract fulfilled by the above, or, if the 

 members do report favorably on the gun's accuracy, will the secre- 

 tary of the navy demand a second trial and a rigid adherence to 

 the contract provisions, as shown in the report of the trial .' The 

 following is the official table of Saturday's trial : — 



The elasticity of the requirements under which the trial was con- 

 ducted may permit of the above being taken as satisfactory to the 

 government, inasmuch as the firing at the 1,000 and 200 yards'" 

 ranges in itself proved the accuracy of the new guns. 



All SCIENTIFIC MEN in government employ whose works will 

 pass through the Government Printing-Office will be gratified, that, 

 by the common consent of those who know him best, Alexander 

 R. Hart of this city has been put forward as the best qualified and 

 most available candidate for public printer under the new adminis- 

 tration. For several years he has prepared engravings and illus- 

 trations of a scientific nature for the Smithsonian Institution, the 

 United States Fish Commission, and other departments of the 

 government. He has long been at the head of one of the best- 

 organized and most thoroughly equipped printing and engraving, 

 establishments in this city, if not in the world. He is acknowl- 

 edged to be a man of splendid executive ability, and he possesses a 

 thorough knowledge of the printing and engraving business, down 

 to the most minute details. He has worked his way from the foot 

 of the industrial ladder by just such qualities as fit him for the 

 position now suggested for him, where he would command the re- 

 spect not only of those under his supervision, but also of all others 

 who, socially or officially, should be thrown into contact with him.. 



