June 19, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



979 



tion of caustic potash for inercerization. The 

 lecture was illustrated with lantern slides as 

 well as the fibers, which were also projected 

 upon the screen. 



The annual address before the club and 

 student body was delivered on April 30, by 

 Dr. Henry Louis Smith, of Davidson College, 

 who selected for his subject ' The Intellectual 

 Value of Scientific Training.' In further 

 celebration of the date of organization, a ban- 

 quet was given by the active members. 



At the meeting of May 15, Professor P. T. 

 Brodie gave a paper on ' The Development 

 and Design of the Modern Bridge Truss.' 

 Professor Brodie traced the evokition of the 

 simple truss from the king-post to the tjrpes 

 exemplified in the great bridges of to-day. 

 The general criteria for maximum shear and 

 moment from a given system of locomotive 

 and train loading were deduced, and their 

 applications of stress determination as used 

 in the actual design of a Pratt railway bridge 

 were clearly demonstrated. The lecture was 

 illustrated with lantern slides and blackboard 

 drawings. 



The following ofiicers have been elected for 

 next year : 



President — Chas. E. Chanibliss. 

 Vice-President — R. N. Brackett. 

 Secretary-Treasurer — F. S. Shiver. 



Chas. E. Chambliss, 



Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE PROPOSED BIOLOGICAL STATION AT THE 

 TOKTUGAS. 



To THE Editor op Science: I have been 

 much interested in the discussion of the ques- 

 tion as to the best place for the location of a 

 tropical marine laboratory for research, which 

 has been going on in the columns of Science 

 for the past few weeks, and since we are all 

 agreed on the desirability of such a station 

 it is very proper that the problems involved 

 in its establishment should receive careful 

 consideration. I may be pardoned, therefore, 

 if I say a few words in support of Dr. Duer- 

 den's contention that Jamaica is the best 

 available place, for although I have never 



visited the Tortugas, I have spent two weeks 

 in Bermuda, and have made three trips to 

 Jamaica, for zoological purposes. 



My experience leads me to believe that a 

 marine laboratory, and especially one in the 

 tropics, ought to be situated where the ad- 

 vantages of civilization are reasonably acces- 

 sible, and particularly the important one of 

 competent medical assistance in case of acci- 

 dent or disease. We never plan to be sick 

 or to meet with accidents, but we ought not 

 to locate a permanent station where there is 

 no possibility of help when it is most needed. 

 The other advantages of a civilized commu- 

 nity, such as good mail and telegraph facili- 

 ties, good markets and satisfactory means of 

 reaching other places, are of real importance 

 and should not be ignored. 



For these reasons the Tortugas seem to me 

 seriously handicapped and even if regular ser- 

 vice between them and Key West were main- 

 tained, I can not believe that in point of 

 either time or expense, they would be as ac- 

 cessible to students from the central west as 

 are the Bermudas. As between the latter and 

 Jamaica, there can be little question that 

 the larger island has the advantage, not only 

 for the reasons so well presented by Dr. Duer- 

 den, but also because of the greater variety 

 and abundance of its marine fauna. Good as 

 is the collecting in Bermuda, it is better in 

 Jamaica, partly because the latter island oilers 

 a greater variety of shores and bottoms. While 

 Bermuda is undoubtedly more accessible, and 

 can be reached at less expense, from New 

 York, from all parts of the south and south- 

 west Jamaica can be almost as easily and 

 cheaply reached by means of the excellent 

 steamers from Baltimore. Living expenses 

 in Jamaica are very low, though perhaps not 

 much lower than in Bermuda. 



The one claim that is made for the Tor- 

 tugas is the remarkable abundance and ac- 

 cessibility of the marine life, in both deep 

 and shallow water. While this may be a 

 point in which that station excels Jamaica, 

 I am sure any one who has collected on the 

 reefs of the latter will find it hard to believe 

 that such is the case. But even were it so. 



