Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1837-02-14
3LNrNsyNISAr1D1a
For the Rutland Iefaid.
Variation Of the Magnetic Needle.


SIN Although have not the honor Of personal &C.
quantnnce nevertheless take the liberty Of addressing
o the subject Of the Magnetic variation
Something like ten years since additsscd commun'ca
Prot Hal then of Mddebury College stating the
erpcdcncy Of adopting course Of experiments u ascertain
the variation Of tho Magnetic Needle through the State
OF Vermont The proposed seemed To hts
tire appreciation and he my letter publicity tho Md
dlebuty pers and the Albany Argus But he len the
College about that time nothing further ranspreJ the
sutect-and II would seem 10 be matter almost totally
neglected by ths state apdng its high
importance to community at large THAT desirable that
observation should be annually made doubt in
asmuch tho boundaries OF lands usoaly described
cordng the indicated by the needle, and there
rules nv which variation can be ascertaned for
interval of according to which such boundaries be
reraced when the land marks have been obtersed That
the corporation Surveyors nd Mahemacans
tain from and different places, the decii
nation Of the Magnetic Needle, too obvious to require H.
lustration.
The phenomena Of the magnet has for many centuries
gagged the Of philosophers merely from the Oh
security which s nvoived bat the Importance of the sub
iect Il would SEEM however, that has vet arr.
we'd any very satisfactory conclusion as TO the cause bu,
sgcneray conceded that lays bad IN the EARTH and
the poles IL is also discovered that Considerable affinity
does exist between the electric and the magnetic powers
yet what electricity acts IN producing magnetsm
not distinctly known. The power and acting principle of
the Magnet continues to lie Of those hidden mysteries OF
nature deGes the ssyacy of the most scrunIng gc
MUS No hypothesis has Jet been framed that has IN
rational philosophical manner accounted for all the
properties Of Magnetic bodies.
The needle effects the situation Of being in direction
from South North Lu there accidental causes
natural does not produce this effect compass
be used to adv antage even in iron mines.
II 10 well known to every surveyor, that the magnetic
needle does not always point due north and that the sara
ton different only different places but at the
place at different periods Of time aud Is the same To all
magnetic bodies at the same place.
II would be foreign from present design to attcmp,
elucdon of the that produce these mysterious quail
tiles Of the magnetic needle even To quote the the
orics that have been advanced respecting this intricate sub
ec; lniy Helper, Euler, and numerous others Of
date dercnt theories and draws
q
The frs, discovery of the variation of the needle was in
the year 1872 by Columbus his first Ia Anenca
iu' until about $50 that the subject careful
studied and thoroughly nyesgo'ed at London yhsn the
deg r. In 1854 It was deg m bat 10 the 1000
the needle discovered to pon, due North In the year
deg W. As late January 1921 the variation - deg
rs West Al Paris the needle pointed due North 1913
about, nine later than a, London and al Berlin
" the time.
The declns,ion of the needle found be the West,
through all Europe, Africa and some parts Of ASIA but
places much greater than al Others In SPAN, Italy
Greece and the Western parts of Africa il is lessbut nd
yancng eastward into Asia dIminsbes and entirely dsap
pea in China Pokn. and Jap1n Beyond those regions
eastward the decn,on becomes East and goes
this direction along the northern parts OF the Pacific
to the western coast Of America md
unit. It Disappears in Florida Brazil DC II IL ascertuDed,
however that the dccnaion exceeds ID deg
the Equator but advancing towards the poles the
variation found to increase To 90 and 20 deg Capt, Ross
has stated his voyages that al Byum Martins Island the
decnaon is more than 100 deg IN lat 75deg. N and w
lon l0e.
Another surprising quality disco,ersbie in the magnetic
needle inclination DIS ths, IT, The magnetic power
produces double effect all needles. This vel AZ the
dccnaon deserves TO be every where carefully observed
and noted A. London tie inclination 10 now about b3 deg
IL 1895 Mr. Iumbo found the nc nson ofthe needle
Berlin to be SO deg 53m In July 1890 Dir Sabine obser.
ed the inclination at Melvin Island y Lat IS deg W Lon
10 deg and found IT to be 90 deg. i3m sec.
would now draw your attention to some observations
that have made the State OF Vermont part ofwhch
received from highly respected, but departed friend,
fDr SAHL WiILiANsl from whom obtained much r4lua
Die instruct ion. TO the above science.
Ia the year 1885 at Montreal the needle found to de-
cline deg. ~ but al Quebec the time ~ deg
80 ~ and 7s sa' ~ Ssg 20 %. a. IL nS ys re .e
Al M..issque Bay 10 1913, tie needle varied deg 20
In the year I786 the deellnailon was deg % m West at
Powna VI, AMI IN lS29bli deg 10 n A. Rutland IN the
wear 1893 the variation deg - W bat 1919
found deg 10 IN 1923 deg 70 N. and 1885 deg
20 m At Burlington the declination observed 10 be
deg 30 m w in The wear 1898 md IN the wear 1873 bot
deg IS m. Al Brandon l80, the needle varied TO the
IVES, dee % 10 and 1880 but deg N IN. Al Pn,s6eA
the decnston was 6 deg. m. ". 10 Oct. 1928 in 1890
but deg 30 and in 1885, 5deg % IN. Prof Fisher. cal
ruIled tie decnson Of the needle at Ne~ Haven "a lS
al deg IS % W and nasserg nR 10 The true north
AZ III. rate Of MINUTES A. seconds ahHnly bot from my
observation fad Tie annual sHsi on s9me'ng B'sr
three Minutes
that 90 much Faoa has in consequence Of surveys
beine made different Perads Of time With itle at
tenton tho annual Varson and until spine ernsneui
method adopted that shall make Il the daty u every prsc
tcng surveyor ascertain from year year tie vicinity
Of h, psacrs IN. true variation Of the needle and to
fully every subsequent survey different courses
will b. run ,nd lgigaiioh Will eoHtinue.
Mr. Dewitt observed 'ihai IN years past 'n'e bad 1sen
pezerhed for obtaining asorimae merh-1 supposed
sno ehf for purposes that a. take The direction
Of the pole star when ga the same 'efi,al n- "h
R.pon called ihohthai the first star On The tai u the
Great Bear This rule he saysl once cofrsci bat -
more than century past since tai the interval hs ~e'n
The tim. when ts.e the vertical and
the time use pole 10 the msrdsn, has been
gradually increasing on account 81 tie grsaiT tAhgA 90
ofthe nE ssceaoR Of the pole star, than that q
Altoih "
IL order pfseiice tho rule Nth accuracy calcvi1ioht
BE- made FOR the time ~ben Il adopted ne iositod
belisvs most 10 hHsss .sr"aouefs. N order 70 80
tsbhsh meridian hns a. issn the isuiuds ~ hs
snd the North Pols dancs Of the Nnrib ~tf ifeS3r
sdhs angle ofths greatest aEcansik The isttsds m ~
iAkeA from nsg the North polar dlstanes NAY ~ sses
lated taken from the hsgcsi Anaaae ifon The s"'
all God tho pole Rfezies AEuneth. hpsss ihe rs-
ofthe laiiBds 81 tie place 10 fsolGf - NE $50
ofth Moth polar dsasce II Tia PIE - tie bee 81 T.
y,sst.s a4gu<sh The shsa tho pie sssf WI ~ 81
rs Iiessss Afsms,h ary s,sa day ihss gsss--'ss