A YEAR'S PROGRESS by Editor

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, January 8, 1880

FromThe Review and Herald, Vol. 55, No. 2

A YEAR'S PROGRESS.

By Editor

During the twelve months now drawn to a close there have quietly happened not a few events which in times of slower progress, when great projects and great achievements were less a matter of daily occurrence, could scarcely have failed to make a grand stir in the world. There can, indeed, be no stronger proof of the exceptionable character of the present time than our proneness to accept such things as a matter of course. It is only when era-making events become common, that they cease to be remarkable.

The regular readers of the Scientific American do not need to be told at this late day what important, if not memorable, occurrences in the world of progress—commercial, industrial, and scientific—have characterized the past year. Having followed from week to week this record of the world's most effective thought and action, they are already possessed of the grand results of the year's activities. It may not be unprofitable, however, before closing the history of the year, to recall some of the more significant of its events, some of the more notable movements of progress it has developed.

It is safe to assume that the progress which has added most to our individual enjoyment, as well as to our national well-being, has been connected with the wonderful improvement in industrial and commercial affairs which the year has shown. The country was never more generally and earnestly at work than to-day, and was never working to better advantage. And, although in certain quarters an over-eager speculative spirit forebodes disaster to many, there is every reason to hope that the solid industries of the land will not be seriously infected, or seriously injured by the natural and inevitable consequences of speculative “booms.”

Of purely scientific events it is hard to say which of the many important ones stand out most prominently; and the work of discriminating is made all the harder by the circumstance that the achievements first made known this year have, as usual, been largely the final outcomes of long series of patient labors; while the larger part of the year's work of our scientific men, in the field and in the laboratory, remains unreported.

Three or four new metals have been discovered, but that sort of thing has ceased to excite general interest. While one class of chemists has thus been adding to the list of elements, another class has been working with no slight promise of success, to show that several, if not all, of the elements are but variant forms of one matter stuff. Meantime Mr. Crookes has been carrying forward his researches in connection with the ultra-gaseous state of matter, though apparently without making any discoveries of a radical character. Mr. Edison has made some valuable observations with regard to the behavior of highly heated metals in vacuo, and has materially improved the means of converting power into electricity. His electro-chemical telephone has been rapidly developed and practically applied; the sonometer has grown out of his induction balance, and the micro-telephone has been the basis of not a few more or less useful instruments of physical or physiological investigation. Mr. Edison's call for platinum for his long-promised electric lamp has resulted in the discovery of many deposits of the metal in the West and elsewhere. A late dispatch from Colorado reports the discovery of the rare metal uranium in the Sacramento mining district. The ore is said to run 60 per cent; but the probable quantity of ore in the deposit is not mentioned.

The development of the mines of gold and silver in the West during the year has been very rapid; and close at home we have the discovery in Westchester Co., New York, of what promises to be of greater utility than any mine of gold or silver, namely, vast deposits of excellent emery.

Another matter of local interest has been the addition made by the State surveyors to the accurate knowledge of the geography and topography of the central parts of New York. The work of geological and geographical exploration in the West has been pushed forward not a little during the past season; and the Canadian geological survey has done much good work. Further north, the expedition in search of the remains of Sir John Franklin, have made valuable corrections in the map of the region north of Hudson's Bay. On the opposite side of the continent the Jeannette has made a bold and promising push into the unexplored regions within the Arctic circle, north of Behring's Strait. The safe passage of Nordenskjold through the Siberian seas is the most notable event in northern exploration. Prejvalski and other Russian explorers have been doing good work in high Asia. Major Pinto has crossed the African continent; and a large number of exploring parties have pushed in various directions into the little known interior. The last report of importance mentions the discovery of the head springs of the Niger, by a couple of Frenchmen.

In Australia, Forrest has made a bold and successful passage across regions hitherto unexplored, discovering vast tracts of farming and grazing lands where all was supposed to be desert.

In the field of engineering, a large number of important undertakings have been brought to successful issue, particularly in the construction of long and lofty railway bridges and great tunnels. Among the latter is the famous Sutro tunnel, and we are almost able to add the St. Gothard, which is rapidly approaching completion. The great work of improvement in the harbor of Genoa has been largely advanced; considerable good work has been done in the Hell Gate channel of New York harbor, and on the proposed tunnel under the Hudson. Several extensive ocean piers have been constructed at Long Branch and Coney Island. The mouth of the Mississippi has seen the practical completion of the opening of its channel to deep-draught shipping. A new Atlantic cable has been laid, and other works of the same character have been carried out in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere.

These are but a few of the topics of more than temporary interest which the readers of the Scientific American will recall. To speak of the important projects proposed, discussed, or actually begun, during the year—like the proposed ship railway across the Isthmus of Panama, for example—would swell this article, already too long, beyond all reasonable limits. Besides, our readers do not need to be specially reminded of them. Enough appears at the hastiest glance to show that progressive men have not been asleep during the year, and that those who have cared to read about the world's real work, have not lacked material for engaging their attention.—Scientific American.