New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-12-28
WHOLE NO. 2O92.

Do,r bs-a /, ves most drawn cut then N the pro-
lCneation Of line from the sun passing thst per.
ihehon poiut must the unknown body be iound- Al
he had 70 d. was o. ind where Uranus was drawn
fsrthes, from the sur snd looking cut IN tnat dl
rection he ocstes the body that draws lt out nav
ing, therefore found ole position, and toe time
when lanrs occupied that poslr,on from It's Known
pe1odic time be trsces up rs movement and says
az such day Il viii occupy such a point N the
heavens He reaches the conclusion Of his inves
gston snc presents the results 70 the Destitute at
Paris they are thrown before the scientific world
they are received with Incredibly and doubt by
the best living Astronomers the pncb EN- seems 20
have been too nighty-too intricate Tor suy mind
Bat Lcverrer desires them 70 point their telescopes
10 the position In which he SAWS the anknown body
exists bis requests granted and 10 70 the amaze
nent Of ne whole world. there Is planet exactly
IN the place pointed out Applause
There was the triumph complete and II any bad
before doubted those doubts were now removed
snd the whole world rang with the praises OF the
great Astronomer, Leverrier.
And now, SIS II to make everything doubsy sure,
Il j. found that youUg man Of Engl and had been
engaged Ia investigating the same problem, had
reached the same results. and seven months before
Leyegrisr had published bis, he bad presented them
70 the Astronomer Royal o. ais own Kingdom aud
the Professors Of his own University. They not
daring to take the responsibility Of uttering them
before the world failed 70 do H. but 50 soon as
Leverriers computations were known, 50 soon as
the planet was found, then II became certain that
ne had been investigating precisely the same proo-
lem ana reached the same identical results-each
confirming the other, and the two combined con
WINGED the world that they bad reached the true
results lApplause.l
Now DO YOU think il possible that this is sil false
Having carried you 10 this point, am obliged 10
tell YOU that these computations had nothing what
ever to DO with fading OF that planet Yet am
-. ~, y, Ia ID How then
shall show you and convince you that in snnounc
ing this truth do not pluck a solitary laurel from
the brow of this great man. No, not one There
they are. green in he moment OF their winning,
/ and there they must remain forever Applause
As soon as IL was known that the planet MAS dis
/ covered telescopes were directed from every part
Of the world TO its scrutiny Its movements were
followed with the most intense anxiety for the pur.
nose of ascertainiug how nearly the real conceded
| with the computed elements Adams led the way,
| a. he had before done ia the computation OF the
/ elements derived from theory, and when he reached
10 the knowledge OF the actual distance OF the dis
! covered planet he was the first who found and an.
nounced that hitherto the discrepancy between the
! distance now absolutely known, and the bret com
putoti0n of the distance, amounted q about three
/ times the distance OF the Earth from the Sun He
had found BY computation before the discovery that
at the time OF the discovery IL ought 70 be thirty
three times the distance OF the Earth from the sun
! whereas il was bus thirty times. This did not sp-
| pear 10 be a very great discrepancy yet IL was
more than was anticipated TOR had It been an error
of three times the distance OF the Earth on the op
poste side. there would have been more reason IN
| IT, because II would have colncded more nearly
| with the distance revealed By the law OF Bode. i
seemed in consequence OF the fact that II bad taller
on the inside. in some sense 10 have violated TIL
law.
Bu.again More time roll. on. and better obser
yations are obtained. Finally, there seemed 10 b
no data 10 commence n computation OF the orbit
that should reveal what the phases OF tho Plane
were in years past and gone, as well as what the,
will be when hundreds OF years shall have ROLES
round One OF our own country men engaged II
this investigation with ardor. zeal and success :
Walker OF the United States Coast Survey, ob
tanned an orbit and thought he could trace the mo
ton Of the planet backward Tor hundred yeafs
In tracing &c backward no hoped u hnd IA tue cate
logue OF the Fixed Stars some one that might nav
beer observed which should prove % be the planet
/ aud mus give the advantage VI long series {
observations extending over many years tn
later catalogues were examined; be went oac
fifty years. till liusly no took up the catalogue
lie Lande. made in Paris. He found the stars re
corded by him, computed the reach through whic
he knew the planet % have followed at that date
/ til he discovered that on the 10Th of May lbs, Il
Lsnde had observed II star which then occupied
place where he computed the new planet shou
have followed at that date. But how could he yeri
] ~ his pftGlCtlUu lldt htls Us tue PiasSf
Lande had seen the planet at that very date ! Ill
turns his telescope 10 the region in the heaven
which LIE Lande's star bad filed and II IL were
fixed star it would be found there, bat If 1t should
turn out to be planet, then would that spot o.
blank The telescope was directed and 10 tn
SPOT r0s blank Thus II was believed that I'M
was the place of the planet bat when this plac
Vas taken into account, and when this Observation
wa, combined with later ones. behold the orb
determined for this new body and the periodic time
fell entirely beyond the limits Of Leverriers ant
Adams's computations, who had announced that
could not be a period shorter than 2lO years no
longer than zoe years Here was a great dscrep
ancy so that II was Impossible That TINS cOuid D
the planet OF their theory, Ia case these oOserva
tions could be sustained And now 1t that every
eve was at once directed u the catalogue oil IL
Lande TO see what his observations were, ana dIs
tipgu6sh as 10 what observations were marke'
doubtful. There were discovered TWO little dot
placed opposite this observation and referring U
his preface. IL was found that observations marked
with dots were not TO be relied upon. Those WHIT
lonzed 10 fnd the grand theory which bad beer
built by Leyerrier TO be true, hoped IN this marx
fad that which would save the system 80 s'o'
as knowledge VI this fact anne to the Institute
Paris they appointed an Astronomer 10 revie" a.
the old m anuscripts OF lie Lande IL is iouna Una
on the night OF the 10Th Of May 1875, he made thu
observation and marked 1t doubtful On the SAM
Identical piece OF paper is discovered an ooserya
ton made on the s.h OF May Oh star, which h
believes 10 have been incorrectly made; THIS b
rejects aud takes up what he thinks 10 be the sam
star observes il on the 10th prints that
rejects the other and marks the printed one doub'
full Now what singular state OF AFFAIRS Is here
But the moment the orbit OF the planet u compn'
ed that star OF the :th is found 10 be IN the plac
OF our planet; and 81 instead OF having one W.
have two obserys,oas, and the distance betweel
the two stars Of the 9Th and 10Th Is the same IN
planet ought TO have travelled, upon the hyPo'nssi
we have already given.
Nov there seems p be no doubt lsit Ia regard Y
the fact that Adams aud Leyerrer stand before tn'
world ia a ferent position from what tney ma
previously occupied bat there Is something ys
ielt 10 be ascertsined. There ia planet found u
a most wonderful manner. occupying almost pre-
ci.ely the position their planet did ooc1py. IS
tne 5lsoet that accounts for the pertoroatons o
Uranus. or is it not! This IL the next qaesuoi
Cor examination. In order to ascertain tina
fscs h became Necessary TO know the mass Of TIL
nsx planet. 10 the onset It seemed hopeless {
look ior an answer to this question for long perio'
of wears Bat the scratInlzing gaze now directe'
20 the heavens does not permit the most ininlt
point to escape. At length il il announced tina
from the distance Of three thousand millions 0
niles, the light Of little satellite is flung back al
the way 10 the ar,h, and that little satellite b,