Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-22
VIRGINIA. ARGUS.
X 4 c III MO " ID,
THURSD AY, AUGUST %, 1911.

Extract ofa letter from WfLLIAM LAM
BERT, Esq. to the Editor cfthe. .drgus,
dated City Of Washington, Dug. Is. 1911.
"The approaching solar eclipse OF the
18th of September, will afford one of the best
means that can possibly be used to deter
mine the longitude of the city OF Richmond
with due precision, provided the weather be
favorable for observation. Luke the Eber-
| ty to suggest to mathematician at the me-
tropolis of Virginia, to ascertain the latitude
OF the Capitol in Richmond, to the nearest
second, by series of observations made &c.
fore the day onwhich the eclipse will hap
pen: This may be done with good Sextant
in the hands of skilful observer. Let one
or more good time pieces be provided, set
exactly to the same hour, nn.ute and second !;
and let the error OF these clocks or time
pieces be found by several sets Cf the Sans
! attitudes taken between and o in she morn
| ing, and between 9 and in the afternoon of
the 18th September. The observers should
| be careful to note the exact instant of time
by the clock, of the beginning, ands,louia, for
that purpose, be at their te!esccpes, about
20 minutes after IL, apparent time, or some
minutes before the time of exterior contact
they are then to observe carefully the exact
times of the completion and breaking CT the
annufus by the time-piece, and set them
down, as also, the end of the eclipse: much
will depend on the accuracy with which
those times are observed, and thecare taken
to Ind the error of the clock for apparent
time. The calculations may be afterwards
made. The data granted will be
q. The latitude of the place ascertaincd by
| previous trials, to the neares second of a
degree, if practicable
z. The exact Apparent times of the exte-
rior and HETEROGENEOUS of q and D.
g You will please to put the information
contained in this, in such form as you NAV
think advisable to present to the public, so
that lovers o! science in Richmond may avail
themselves OF an opportunity SO favorable for
the promotion OF geographical improvement
in this country, and which, it is hoped, will
not be neglected in any part of the United
States where the necessary observations can.
with convenience, be made This eclipse.
although invisible at Greenwich, and othe,
parts of Europe, will be visible from Begin
ming to end throughout the United States, and
all their territories, and be annuia, and cen
tguf near Richmond and williamsburg, in
| Virginia.
IDhen Doctors Disagree svho shall decide.' .
! lie y. .. Gazette, once statedto have
beech in the pay of British ambassador by
his lady, has declared the letter said to be
Bingham's giving an account contradictory
to commodore Rodgers's, as first published
IN the n. Y. Evening Post, a forgery, got up
by some young men in New York for ouiz-
zeal purposes The editor of the Baltimore
Federal Gazette says that he knew before
the publication of the United States Gazette
that the letter ascribed to Bingham was a
forgery, and had always declaredit to be so ;
but where IS this declaration of forgery to be
| found on the files Of the Federal Gazette
we IND t,not. Wagner and Coleman, how
ever, persist IN the assertion that the letter
| is Senuhne.-Now for the fact. We are
credibly informed, that Wagner, about ten
days before the letter ascribed to BINGHAM
| appeared in the New York Evening Post
! had copy of the same in his hand, which
| he read to the British vice consul and others.
| atthe same time conserving that it was Qu1z
and was well executed another person Of
the same castpresent, observed-no matter,
IL zcW do.
Win Mr.. Wagner dare to deny this. We
expect not. We would also observe that
the New York Evening Post declared that
bingham s letter was received from a gen.
| tlcman at Norfolk, when no such letter at
Il
All British official statements from their Of
| ficers on land or sea, arc first received bv
! the admiralty or war departments and are
first published in London. 1t is not usual
for anadmiral, acommodore or general in
the land service, to publish Of themselves a.
| ny statement officially, but to forward it to
| the proper department, where, after it has
| been moulded anew, it is published 20 an
swer state purposes.-Sun.
We have mentioned the result of the case
OF the Fox and seventeen other American
1 vessels. Yesterday in the Court of Admiral
ty, the case of the Rose in Bloom was decided
under very peculiar circumstance She was
an American ship, invested with the charac-
ter of cartel, provided with license from
Mr. Russell, the American Charge d'afFairs
at Paris, countersigned by the American
Consul at Bayonne, and destined from that
port to the United States. She was also fur
nished with stores and supplies by the A
| merican Government, and was chartered n
convey between 30 and 80 American captains
and others to their own country. Thus ia,
all was correct but the Master, without the
| privity OF his owners, had taken on board
some puhcheons of brandy, and other French
produce, TO the value CT about 1oOoi sterling
and being met by one of our cruizers with
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