KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 527 
to adopt thoroughly the separate system of sewerage, as improved, designed and 
combined Mr. Waring. It is thoroughly satisfied with the result, the city has 
been reclaimed from the unhealthiness which scourged it, and during a four 
years' experience no hidden fallacy or defect in the system has appeared. 
On the other hand Kansas City has begun to carry out the combined sys- 
tem, and after three or four years of experience is not satisfied with it. 
The combined system is said by sanitarians to involve grave dangers to 
public health, while the most that is claimed by its advocates is, that if proper 
precautions be taken it is not so dangerous after all. On the other hand, the 
separate system is free from the slightest taint of suspicion. It is universally ad- 
mitted to be healthy and safe. 
Kansas City can even now probably save $1,000,000 by adopting the sepa- 
rate system for the portions of the town as yet unsewered, and even if this should 
not turn out to be true, even if a second set of sewers shall be needed some day, 
it is clearly better to carry out what is within our reach now: to adopt a cheap 
system which can at once be extended to all parts of the city in need of it, and 
to trust to the future resulting prosperity, to enable us to pay for the luxury of 
passing our storm-water underground. 
But in point of fact, it is not true. It is in my judgment impossible that a 
second set of sewers for storm-water alone, shall ever be needed under all parts 
of our city ; so that every consideration of economy and of sanitation points to 
the adoption of the separate system for the future. 
SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF 
SCIENCE. 
At 2 o'clock on the afternoon of November 20th, the Kansas Academy of 
Science met at the State House, in the Senate Chamber, at Topeka, the occasion 
being the sixteenth annual meeting of the society. 
The meeting was called to order by the president of the society. Dr. A. H. 
Thompson, of Topeka. The following members of the academy were present at 
the opening : A. H. Thompson, Geo. S. Chase, T. J. Lovewell, G. C. Stearns, 
F. G. Adams, Topeka; Profs. E. A. Popenoe, Kellerman, J. D. Graham, Man- 
hattan; R. J. Brown, Senator Aller, Leavenworth; Joseph Savage, Prof. Dyche, 
Prof. F. H. Snow, Lawrence ; Robt. Hay, Junction City ; J. R. Meade, Wichita. 
After the call to order President Thompson made a short introductory 
speech, after which the regular business of the session was taken up, and Prof. 
Snow, Senator Aller, and Geo. S. Chase were appointed a committee on nomi- 
nations to prepare a list of officers for next year. 
The committee reported the names of the following officers : President, R. 
J. Brown, Leavenworth ; Vice-Presidents, Prof. F. H Snow and Joseph Savage, 
Lawrence; Secretary, Prof. E. A. Popenoe, Manhattan; Treasurer, Dr. A. H. 
Thompson, Topeka; Curators, Prof. O. H. St. John, Prof. J. H. Carruth, and 
