O72 
time to time ‘made known’ to the scientific world, 
are not yet published in extenso, with the illustrations 
prepared for the purpose. 
‘It is, then, specifically for Professor Hall’s inves- 
tigations in North-American paleontology, notably 
the paleontology of the state of New York and the 
regions adjacent, and of the earlier geological forma- 
tions, that the committee suggests this award. In 
this field Professor Hall holds a position like that 
which has been so long occupied in Europe by Mr. 
Barrande. If his actual publications are as yet less 
extensive than those which have made the name of 
Barrande __illustri- 
ous, this has not 
been from the lack 
of material, still | 
less from lack of | 
industry and scien- 
tific acumen on 
Professor Hall’s 
part, but because 
he has not enjoyed 
the advantages of 
independent for- 
tune and munifi- 
cent patronage. 
Giving due credit 
to the state of New 
York for what it 
has done to further 
the publication of 
researches in _ its 
service, it still ap- 
pears that his pro- 
longed labors have 
been carried on un- 
der many discour- 
agements and with 
insufficient means. 
It is understood, 
however, that de- 
ficiencies in this 
respect are about 
to be remedied; 
and it is hoped 
that this veteran 
paleontologist may 
have the satisfac- 
tion of  superin- 
tending the full ; a 
publication and 
proper illustration 
of his completed investigations. 
“In recognition of the great value of the scientific 
work to which Professor Hall’s life has been so untir- 
ingly and successfully devoted, in encouragement of 
his closing labors, and in testimony of the society’s 
high appreciation of these services to science, your 
committee would recommend that the maximum of 
the prize be awarded upon this oceasion.”’ 
' From a crayon drawing, after a photograph taken for Sei- 
ence, April 17, 1884, by T. W. Smillie, photographer of the U. 8. 
national museum. 
SCIENCE. 
PORTRAIT OF PROFESSOR JAMES WALL OF ALBANY.! 
THE CANTILEVER-BRIDGE 
NIAGARA FALLS. 
THE new bridge across the Niagara River, built to 
connect the Canada southern railway with the New- 
York central and Hudson-River railroad, and opened 
for traffic in the early part of the present year, has 
been widely noticed in the newspapers, and referred 
to as a marked advance in engineering. Quite a 
general interest in regard to it has therefore been 
aroused by the apparent novelty of the design, and 
the rapidity of construction. As!the railway sus- 
pension-bridge is 
below, 
in some three hun- 
dred feet of, the 
cantilever - bridge, 
the contrast be- 
tween them is 
forced upon every 
observer. While 
the cost of the two 
bridges, aside from 
the approaches, 
was probably very 
nearly the same, 
the  suspension- 
bridge required 
three years for its 
construction, and 
will carry one train 
and such load as 
may come upon the 
lower roadway ; the 
cantilever-bridge 
was erected in 
seven months and 
a half from the be- 
ginning of the 
work, and is de- 
signed to carry a 
freight - train on 
each of its two 
tracks at the same 
time, each headed 
by two seventy-six 
ton engines, 
crossing without. 
4 slackening speed. 
The ability to ac- 
commodate a great- 
er traffic, and the 
rapidity of construction, may justly be ascribed to 
the advances made in American types of iron 
bridges. 
One of the first questions asked concerns the mean- 
ing of the term ‘cantilever.’ It signifies, as an archi- 
tectural term, ‘a bracket, or projecting member, to 
Aq 
support a load, such as a cornice or balcony.’ The 
illustration accompanying this article gives a very 
good view of the structure as a whole; and the action 
of the cantilevers, as well as the several members, 
can be understood from the following diagram. 
| elle 
sh 
\ 
[Vor. III, No. 66. 
and with- . 
and - 
a 
