On Wednesday, August 27, 1856, the State Geological Hall of New York
was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies. For the purpose of affording
accommodation to the immense crowds of people who, it was confidently
anticipated, would throng to this demonstration and that of the
succeeding day, at which Mr. EVERETT spoke, a capacious Tent was
arranged with care in the center of Academy Park, on Capitol Hill;
and under its shelter the ceremonies of the inauguration of both
institutions were conducted without accident or confusion; attended on
the first day by fully three thousand persons, and on the second by a
number which may be safely computed at from five to seven thousand.
The announcement that Hon. WM. H. SEWARD would be present at the
dedication of the Geological Hall, excited great interest among the
citizens; but the hope of his appearance proved fallacious. His place
was occupied by seven picked men of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, one of whom (Prof. HENRY) declared his inability
to compute the problem why seven men of science were to be considered
equal to one statesman. The result justified the selections of the
committee, and although the Senator was not present, the seven
Commoners of Science made the occasion a most notable one by the flow
of wit, elegance of phrase, solidity and cogency of argument, and rare
discernment of natural truths, with which their discourse was garnished.
The members of the American Association marched in procession to the
Tent, from their place of meeting in the State Capitol. On the stage
were assembled many distinguished gentlemen, and in the audience were
hundreds of ladies. GOV. CLARK and Ex-Governors HUNT and SEYMOUR, of New
York, Sir WM. LOGAN, of Canada, Hon. GEORGE BANCROFT, and others as well
known as these, were among the number present. The tent was profusely
decorated. Small banners in tri-color were distributed over the entire
area covered by the stage, and adorned the wings. The following
inscriptions were placed over the front of the rostrum,--that in honor
of "_The Press_" occupying a central position:
GEOLOGY. THE PRESS.
METEOROLOGY. MINERALOGY.
METALLURGY. ETHNOLOGY.
ASTRONOMY.
The following were arranged in various positions on the right and left:
CHEMISTRY. TELEGRAPH.
PHYSIOLOGY. LETTERS.
CONCHOLOGY. HYDROLOGY.
PALÆONTOLOGY. ZOOLOGY.
MICROSCOPY. ICHTHYOLOGY.
ART. MANUFACTURES.
STEAM. AGRICULTURE.
COMMERCE. PHYSICS.
SCIENCE. ANATOMY.
NAVIGATION. BOTANY.
The proceedings of the day were opened with prayer by Rev. GEO. W.
BETHUNE, D.D., of Brooklyn.
Hon. GARRIT Y. LANSING, of Albany, then introduced Professor LOUIS
AGASSIZ, of Cambridge, Mass., who was the first of the "seven men
of science" to entertain his audience, always with the aid of the
inevitable black-board, without which the excellent Professor would be
as much at a loss as a chemist without a laboratory. Professor AGASSIZ
spoke for an hour, giving his views of a new theory of animal
development. He began by saying:--
We are here to inaugurate the Geological Hall, which has grown
out of the geological survey of the State. To make the occasion
memorable, a distinguished statesman of your own State, and Mr.
FRANK C. GRAY, were expected to be present and address you. The
pressure of public duties has detained Mr. SEWARD, and severe
sickness has detained Mr. GRAY. I deeply lament that the occasion
is lost to you to hear my friend Mr. GRAY, who is a devotee to
science, and as warm-hearted a friend as ever I knew. Night
before last I was requested to assist in taking their place--I,
who am the most unfit of men for the post. I never made a speech.
I have addressed learned bodies, but I lack that liberty of
speech--the ability to present in finished style, and with that
rich imagery which characterize the words of the orator, the
thoughts fitting to such an occasion as this. He would limit
himself, he continued, to presenting some motives why the
community should patronize science, and foster such institutions
as this. We scientific men regard this as an occasion of the
highest interest, and thus do not hesitate to give the sanction
of the highest learned body of the country as an indorsement of
the liberality of this State. The geological survey of New York
has given to the world a new nomenclature. No geologist can,
hereafter, describe the several strata of the earth without
referring to it. Its results, as recorded in your published
volumes, are treasured in the most valuable libraries of the
world. They have made this city famous; and now, when the
scientific geologist lands on your shore, his first question is,
"Which is the way to Albany? I want to see your fossils." But
Paleontology is only one branch of the subject, and many others
your survey has equally fostered.
He next proceeded to show that organized beings were organized
with reference to a plan, which the relations between different
animals, and between different plants, and between animals and
plants, everywhere exhibit;--drew sections of the body of a
fish, and of the bird, and of man, and pointed out that in each
there was the same central back-bone, the cavity above and
the ribbed cavity below the flesh on each side, and the skin
over all--showing that the maker of each possessed the same
thought--followed the same plan of structure. And upon that plan
He had made all the kinds of quadrupeds, 2,000 in number, all the
kinds of birds, 7,000 in number, all of the reptiles, 2,000 to
3,000 in number, all the fish, 10,000 to 12,000 in number. All
their forms may be derived as different expressions of the same
formula. There are only four of these great types; or, said he,
may I not call them the four tunes on which Divinity has played
the harmonies that have peopled, in living and beautiful reality,
the whole world?