EDITORIAL NOTES. 



639 



other sections of tlae country. The floods 

 caused by the sudden rising of the Potomac, 

 the James, the Shenandoah and the Dan rivers, 

 and many smaller streams in their vicinity, 

 caused great destruction of property. In Rich- 

 mond, Virginia, the lower part of the city was 

 inundated, the floo.l spreading over whole 

 blocks, submerging tlie gas works, leaving the 

 city in darkness, and causing immense damage. 

 Persons who remained in dwellings in the 

 flooded locality were driven from floor to floor, 

 and in many instances were finally removed in 

 boats to places of safety. But the Signal Ser- 

 vice had previously issued its warning note 

 and foretold a sudden rise in the Virginia 

 rivers, so that at Richmond and at other places 

 much movable' property had been placed be- 

 yond the reach of high water before the floods 

 came. The same warnings were specially ser- 

 viceable to shipping in harbor, and in the case 

 of the Huron the result may be attributed di- 

 rectly to an over-confidence of Commander 

 Ryan in his own ability and in the sea-worthi- 

 ness of his vessel. 



A NEW composite metal, called Goloid, has 

 been lately patented and seems to present sev- 

 eral valuable properties, which were recently 

 explained by the inventor to the House Com- 

 mittee on Coinage, Weights and Measures. 

 The composition represents 40 per cent as com- 

 pared with gold and 60 per cent as compared 

 with silver. When combined with alloy, the 

 mirture representing the value of the silver 

 dollar would be but half the bulk. He said it 

 had one peculiarity. Its density is greater than 

 the average density of its components. It is 

 at a premium of three per cent in England to- 

 day, for the reason that its chemical affinity 

 for gold makes it a valuable agent in mining, 

 and separates particles of gold which would 

 otherwise be lost. One advantage which it 

 possesses is its hardness, in which it exceeds 

 gold. 



A VEKY LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL. MeTEOR 



passed nearly over this city on Sunday, the 2d 

 inst., at about C p. m. It was not so large, ap- 

 parently, as that of last spring, but passed 

 nearly in the same direction and at about the 

 same rate of speed. 



A smaller one was seen to fall from the 

 northern sky, at about the same hour of the 

 evening, on Nov. 29th. It was apparently very 

 close to this city and seemed to fall in Clay 

 county, just north of Harlem. 



Sir Joseph Hooker, who in company with 

 Prof. Asa Gray and Prof. O. C. Marsh, passed 

 through Kansas City last summer on his way to 

 join Dr. Hayden's geographical survey, has re- 

 turned to England and communicated the result 

 of his observations to Nature, (Oct. 25.) Among 

 other interesting things said with reference to 

 the flora of the Rocky Mountains, he says ; 

 "Lastly, curious information was obtained re- 

 specting the a^es of not only the big trees of 

 California but of equally aged pines and juni- 

 pers, which are proofs of that duration of exist- 

 ing conditions of e'imate for wh'ch evidence has 

 hitherto been sought amongst fossil rather than 

 living organisms." 



Prof. Hitchcock is now engaged in secur- 

 ing some of the celebrated fossil bird tracks 

 a'ong the shore of Wethersfield Cove, near 

 Hartford, Conn. To obviate the brittleness of 

 the rock formation, he digs down deeply under 

 any specimen he desires to obtain, and places 

 in position a sort of platform of two-inch plank 

 bolted together, fills underneath and around 

 the rock with cement, which soon hardens and 

 holds all together. In this way he is enabled to 

 remove the entire mass in one body. 



Capt. Tyson has reported to Capt. Howgate 

 the safe arrival of the arctic vessel Florence at 

 Niantitick Harbor, Cumberland Gulf, on Sept. 

 29. Capt. Tyson proposed removing to and 

 establishing his headquarters at the head of the 

 Gulf in a few days and entering upon the work 

 of collecting materials for the principal expedi- 

 tion next summer. Messrs. Sherman and 

 Kumlein are doing well in their respective 

 departments, though the latter hoped for better 

 success in collecting specimens of natural his- 

 tory after the change of quarters. 



The Denver & Rio Grande R. R. (narrow 

 Gauge) has been completed to Garland City, 



