THE 



AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 



JOSEPH BARRELL. 



(1869-1919) 



In the passing of Joseph Barrell, American geology 

 has lost a leader, and one who promised to stand as 

 high as the highest. His period of preparation and of 

 storing up fundamental experience was back of him, and 

 had he lived twenty years longer, it seems clear that 

 he would have become the chief exponent in the sub- 

 jects of geologic sedimentation, metamorphism, the geo- 

 logic bearings of isostasy, and the genesis of the earth. 

 T. C. Chamberlin writes: "We had come to look upon 

 him as one of the most promising leaders in the deeper 

 problems of earth science/ ' and E. S. Woodward adds 

 that "Geophysics has suffered a great loss." John M. 

 Clarke says: "I feel that the loss to geological science 

 in this country at this critical time is very great. ' ' And 

 in the opinion of W. M. Davis: "The tragic news of 

 Barrell 's death is a truly overwhelming disaster for 

 American geology. We place him foremost in our 

 science." 



Professor Barrell 's death is a severe blow to his col- 

 leagues at Yale, following so soon after that of Pro- 

 fessor Irving. Coming to us as a young man, we have 

 seen Barrell grow into a maturity that exceeded our 

 hopes and more than justified our choice of him to fill 

 the chair of structural geology at this University. He 

 was a power among us, and it was around him that our 

 graduate courses in geology were built. Personally we 

 are bereft of a friend whose place can not be filled, — one 

 whose simplicity of nature and strength of character 

 were unique. His wonderful fund of knowledge was 



Am Jour. Sol— Fourth Series, Vol. XL VIII, No. 286.— October, 1919. 

 18 



