Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-03-08

tended TO prosecute their Journey in June
They have found, from the information oC
Indians, that the maps hitherto published are
not TO he depended upon, but Hcarn,'s infor-
nation TO he tolerably accurate One of the
guides was hoy at tue time of Hearne's
journey, and accompanied the party to the
/ sea.
| LONGITUDE or THE CAPITOL.
| On the 30th day of March. 1921, a Joint
resolution was passed by the two Houses of
Congress, authorizing the President of the
United States to cause astronomical observa-
tons To he made, with "A view of determining
the longitude of the Capitol in the city of
Washington, from Greenwich, or some olher
known meridian in Europe, and to cause the.
data, calculations, Sic. 10 he laid before Con-
gress. Mr. William Lambert having been Sc
lected to perform this service, his report there
on was transmitted to Congress on the 9Th
day of January. and has Just issued from the
press, 10 "A tract of eighty pages octave
The result OF all the observations; for the
longitude fthe Capitol, is given thus:
From Paris Obs'y.
Deg min. dee.
Prior TO the Sd March, 1891 70 10 ~ 46
| Transit observations 70 Is ~ 90
Solar eclipse of August OF,
| 1921, (mean of methods) 70 u al 60
Mean result 70 IL Al Ga
From Greenwich
Deg. min. sec. dec
Prior TO the Sd March, 1891 rs 55 80 81
| Transit observations &c So so SO
| Solar eclipse of August 90,
1921 4 mean of mcthodsl &c So so as
-----------
Mean result 76 So 80 81
Assuming " the Presidents house to be n.
70d. w. one mile and half and so feet. or
1870 feet from the centre of the Capitol" the
Longitude of the Presidents house is thus
stated {:
J From Paris OiS'y
Deg. min
Longitude of the Capitol W. 10 Is Al Go
Difference of Longitude 81 70
Longitude of the Presidents
house 70 II 18 4G
from Grcenlcich
Deg. min sec doe.
Longitude ofthe Capitol w. 76 50 80 81
Difference Of Longituie i 81 10
Longitude of the Presidents
house 76 81 : az
"The greatest variation" says Mr.. Lam
bert, " in the several resultsas above stated,
allowing 94,806 yards tn degree of longi-
tude In our latitude, is II wards. feet, s
inches, from which il we deduct 10 feet, the
distance at which the transit Instrument was
fixed west of the centre of the capitol we
shall have seven yards, two feet. eight inches
II we compare the mean result of all the OBJ
servatons with that which has been recorded
IN The abstracts of calculation. heretofore fur
nlshed the two Houses of Congress, aud ALLOW
the same deduction, tie variance nearly van.
Ishes, and does not AMOUNT 10 IL inches of
ow admeasurement. II we admit the differ
ence oi The mrrdlans of Paris and Greenwich
IN he = deg. 20 min. - sec. as stated in the
Connaisancc DIES TENS, for the present year,
instead of ; deg. 20 min. l sec / ) dec applied
TO the results of the transit observations which
have been made, The variance would sill he
! less than the length of the capitol IN the ciiy
OF Washington, viz. 100 yards. Under all the
} circumstances In which the foregoing result
can be viewed, allowing small error to have
been committed IN ascertaining the reduction
oflonSitude from sphere to Spteroid, ac
cordinS to lie ratio of $40 10 5I9, aud 10 the
distance ofthe mcridiaus of Paris and WASH
[ ington, II IS not believed that il differs on,
? quarter of a minute of longitude from tn,
truth"
The report OF Mr. Lambert conrlndcs thus
2 " IL has been considered The duty of the an
: Dor of the calculations Originally, made, il
r justice TO the American community. AS wei
7 as To his own feelings and character. 10 cyhihi
) To the members Of the seventeenth Congress
{ detailed statement of such proceedings a
are explanatory OF, or connected with, tn,
i plan proposed for the establishment of frs
4 meridian for the United States At the CITY o
: Washington The legislative and cxrcuti,.
= authorities of the national government VII
It decide ON the utility or inexpcdirnry of erect
!, lug an observatory, and furnisLing il Will
2 suitable instruments and apparatus. Wihou
such an institution, the right ascension, decli
3 nation, longitude, and latitude Of the mo,sD
= planets. &c. cannot be ascertained with sulfi
b Gent accuracy and any attempt 60 compute
a Nautical Almanac, or Astronomical Eple
rnrris, fr ourselves, would be- futile, ii not pre
posterous Until an observatory he erccte,
2 aad furnished, we shall be compelled IN rel,
+ on the labours of scientific men IN EuyDpc. f6
: he elements necessary to lee Used in our rs
Economical calculations and It never can III
~ the, power ola few individuals in this cDun
try, however laudnhle AMI perseycring dbl
eXeItions may be, 60 remove OF lessen that de
!, pendence on foreign nations, il they do no
. meet with adequate encouragement and sup
+ port
CHAELgsToN, Feb. 2G.--By the Stcar
p ship Robert Fulton, in days from Havan,
|, we have received our files ofthe Havana " No
I ticioso MercantI" to the Goth inst.
FROM SPAIN.
By The above papers we are furnished viii
}. Cadiz dates 10 fhe 18th January, seven day
later from the Spanish Peninsula than whf
was furnished by the extracts from Frenc
l. Journals 10 our latest London papers, but no
s as late from Madrid.
o On the lati inst. the Spanish ship Horter
!. Go arrived at Havana in SO days from Cadi.