Our recent articles on "Scientific Destitution in New York" and "The
Scientific Value of the Central Park," have called forth numerous
letters from correspondents, and have been extensively noticed by the
press. We now learn that the legislature of the State has taken
the matter in hand, and there is some prospect, with an honest
administration of the appropriations, of something being done to
relieve our city of the opprobrium that rests upon it. A bill is
pending, before the Senate, authorizing the Park Commissioners to
build, equip, and furnish, on Manhattan Square, or any other public
square or park, suitable fire-proof buildings, at a cost not exceeding
$500,000 for each corporation, for the purpose of establishing a
museum of art, by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and of a museum
of natural history, by the American Museum of Natural History, two
societies recently incorporated by the Legislature. This is a million
dollars to begin with, and an ample site, without cost, to the
aforementioned corporations.
Manhattan Square extends from Seventy-seventh to Eighty-first streets,
and from Eighth to Ninth avenues, and spans about eighteen acres.
Until it was set apart by the state Board of Commissioners, for the
purposes of a Zoological Garden, it was proposed, by a number of
enlightened citizens of New York, to devote it to the uses of four of
our existing corporations, giving to each one a corner, and an equal
share in the allotment of space. The societies were, "the Academy of
Design," for art, "the Historical Society," for public records and
libraries, "the Lyceum of Natural History," for science, and "the
American Institute," for technology. These have been incorporated
for many years, and are known to include the leading artists, men
of letters, science, and the arts, of the city, on their lists of
members. The committee went so far as to have plans of the building
drawn by competent architects; but, like many other well-meant
schemes, want of money compelled the originators of the plan to
abandon any further attempts. In the meantime, the Legislature
chartered the American Botanical and Zoological Society, and gave the
Commissioners of the Park authority to set apart a portion of it,
not exceeding sixty acres, for the use of the Society, for the
establishment of a zoological and botanical garden. This society
was duly organized under the act, and Mr. Hamilton Fish was made
its president, and considerable sums of money were subscribed. But,
according to the sixth annual report of the Board of Commissioners,
"the society never manifested its desire for an allotment of ground."
It appears to have died, and made no sign. Some of our citizens,
fearing that the Central Park would go the way of every other public
work in the city, made strenuous effort to revive the Zoological
Society, for the purpose of obtaining a perpetual lease of a suitable
site, on which to establish a zoological garden, similar to those in
London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Cologne. Their object was to remove this
part of the Park beyond the reach of political intrigue. Subsequent
events have shown that the fears of these gentlemen were well founded.
The Legislature of the State, on the 25th of March, 1862, gave ample
powers to the New York Historical Society to establish a Museum of
Antiquity and Science, and a Gallery of Art, in the Central Park.
They have submitted designs for a building, but, for some reason, no
decisive steps have been taken towards its construction.
The Lyceum of Natural History was also negotiating with the
Commissioners, for the use of the upper rooms of the arsenal for its
collections, and there is no doubt that an arrangement to this
effect would have been made, if a fire had not destroyed the entire
collections of the Lyceum. The Lyceum made great effort to raise money
to purchase a new collection, but without avail; and, although this
is the oldest scientific society in New York, and has inrolled in its
list of members, nearly every professional scientist of the city, it
is probably the poorest, in income and resources, of any academy of
sciences in the world. We do not know that the Academy of Design has
ever applied for a home in the Central Park; and we cannot speak for
the American Institute, nor for the Geographical Society, in this
particular. As we stated in our former article, the old Board of
Commissioners appears to have become weary of the unsuccessful
attempts on the part of numerous societies to divide up and apportion
the Central Park, and they applied to the Legislature for authority to
conduct matters in their own way. An act was duly passed, authorizing
the Board "to erect, establish, conduct, and maintain, on the Central
Park, a Meteorological and Astronomical Observatory, a Museum of
Natural History, and a Gallery of Art, and the buildings therefor, and
to provide the necessary instruments, furniture, and equipments for
the same."
Here would seem to be ample power for the establishment of museums of
science and art, but nothing is said about the manner of raising the
money. One would suppose, however, that, by means of the "Central Park
Improvement Fund," abundant means could have been raised. The bill
now before the Legislature puts matters in a new light. If it does not
conflict with previous enactments, nor destroy vested rights, it has
the appearance of being a thoroughly practical way of solving the
question of art and science for the city. The Metropolitan Museum of
Art and the American Museum of Natural History are in the hands of
the most respectable citizens of New York. It would not be possible to
find a body of men of more unimpeachable integrity and greater
worth, than the gentlemen who have founded these two societies. It is
impossible that they should lend their names to anything that will
not bear the closest scrutiny; hence the proposition, now before the
Legislature, to put up buildings for them, at a cost of a million
dollars, must attract unusual attention. If the State would
appropriate the money to these corporations, giving them the control
of its expenditure, we should have considerably more confidence in its
honest administration than, we are grieved to say, we can feel under
the present circumstances; and if we knew what other institutions
are to have the remaining portions of Manhattan Square, it would be a
great relief to our minds.
"We fear the Greeks bringing gifts," but are willing to accept the
gifts, if the officers of the two organizations are certain that it is
all right.
The need of a Museum of Natural History, and of a Gallery of Art, in
New York, is so pressing that there is some danger of our accepting
the appropriations without a proper regard to consequences. The Court
House is not yet finished, and the foundations of the Post-office are
scarcely laid.
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REPORT OF THE JUDGES OF GROUP 1, DEPARTMENT V. OF THE EXHIBITION OF
THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR 1870. THE ALLEN ENGINE.
The labors of the judges in this department were much lighter in the
last exhibition than in the preceding one, and we are happy to say,
were, in our opinion, so far as the award of premiums is concerned,
much more fairly performed. The award of two first premiums to two
competing engines could scarcely be repeated this time, as there was
in reality no competition. The Allen engine was the only important
one entered, and of course received the first premium. The engine is,
however, one that evidently could have competed favorably with those
previously exhibited.
We are in receipt of advanced sheets of the judges' report pertaining
to the critical examination of this engine, being a record and account
of experiments performed under the supervision of Washington Lee, C. E.
The experiments were very comprehensive, and comprised approved tests,
of each important detail, usually made by expert engineers.
The report is too voluminous for reprint or even for condensation
in our columns. In looking it through, we are satisfied that the
experiments were accurately made, and that the engine exhibited great
working efficiency and economy.
As the engine has been recently illustrated and described in our
columns, we deem it unnecessary to dwell upon the details of its
construction. The water test of the previous exhibition was employed,
the water being this time measured, with indisputable accuracy, in a
tank, instead of by a meter as before.
The voluminous comparison of this engine with those previously
exhibited, seems unnecessary, and we think not in good taste in such a
report, however much it may possess of scientific interest. Moreover,
the circumstances under which the trials were respectively performed,
render the comparison difficult, if not unfair.
Mr. Lee concludes his report with a thorough endorsement of the theory
of Mr. Porter upon the action of the reciprocating parts of engines,
as set forth by the last named gentleman in recent articles in this
journal. He says:
"Under the resistance of 128.375 horse powers at the brake, the motion
of the engine was remarkably uniform; not the least diminution of
speed in passing the centers could be detected, illustrating very
satisfactorily the value, in this respect, of the speed employed, and
of the action of the reciprocating parts of the engine in equalizing
the rotative pressure on the crank through the stroke. The governor
was, during the trials and through the exhibition, nearly motionless,
while the load remained constant, and instantaneous in its action on
changes of resistance, maintaining a steadiness of running which left
nothing to be desired."
The judges--Prof. F. A. P. Barnard, Thos. J. Sloan, and Robert
Weir--speak in their report as follows:
"The performance of this engine has exceeded that of the two fine
engines which were on trial here last year. The results seem to be
without precedent in such engines. The engine ran from 11 to 12
hours repeatedly without showing a sign of a warm bearing, displaying
thorough perfection in all its parts. In all respects the engine is
first-class, and from the fact of its presenting weight with speed, as
a requisite for perfection in steam engines, it has opened a new era
in this necessary branch--its economy having been clearly demonstrated
in the careful trials, which ought to be published in full."
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