New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-12-03

sublime story which blazed cut from the fresh page had
never in human history lie parallel but once.
Copernieus began, and IN loud voice-so loud that
all Europe could hear, if istened-he read: The sun
IL the CENTER and the planets revolye round IL and the
earth is planet. But the people cried out, Away with
him. Then Calico though he mad joined in the pop
ular outery against Coperncus took up the story, and
shouted: Copernicus right And here behold another
systemfour planets revolving round Jupiter, just az
jupiter revoves round the This he spoke 80 loud
that the nations heard it, and Rome trembedi for, az
be read he put has finger upon the pl0oel The Church
took the alarm az the voice reverbeated over Europe,
and persecution began. But Rome, with all her vast
collected power-her Illuminated anathemas, her In
qtson her terrible instruments OF torture, her blaz-
ing stake--though she might make the aged Calico
trembe and recan, could never turn back that leaf nor
silence awakened Europe. divine fire ran through
the nations and interpreters sprung up on every side
who could read the sublime hieroglyph. So the reading
went on and the people listened Presently one voice
rose above all othe announcing that another Leaf hAd
been turned and that the words wit there were sub
Inner than any which had been read before. Europe
became husbed; and Newton talked alone, like god
and the rapt nations heard arS believed him.
Among other fruits of Gaileos discovery Of the sat
elites of Jupiter the determination OF longitude by
means of them. This problem had vexed astronomers
and mathemacians since the earliest ages, and va
rety of solutions had been proposed But no approach
10 accuracy was attained till instruments for marking
the places of the heavenly bodies and for measuring
time had been brought TO high degree of perfection
The value OF good method for the discovery of longi
tnde was estimated so highly by maritime nations par
ticularly that we find the Dutch tempting Calico to
disclose the secret which he declared he had found out
by the offer of chain of gold Philip III. Of Spain had
already in 1898 offered reward of thousand crowns
for the same object century later we ndno accurate
method has yet been hit upon for in IVA Great Britain
offers prize Of eco 600 sterling for method OF deter
mining by observation ships place at sea 10 within
thirty miles; f15,OO0 if within forty miles; and
10000 if within sixty miles: and for time-keeper
which should enable ship during voyage of six
months to keep her longitude to within sixty miles,
G5 OOO if within forty miles e. 500; if within thirty
miles 10000. Two years later, France, under the
regent Duke of Orleans adds to these tempting prizes
one of one hundred thousand vres. Suffice 1t 10 say
it was until the last quarter of that century that the
Parliament Of England thought the object had been so
far accomplished to justify vote for the payment OF
the full reward. Harrison, British mechanic, sue.
ceeded in producing at length, chronometer which
satisfied the conditions. 1t may be interesting TO note
here that the failure of much Wanted plan for deter
mining the longitude led in 1875 TO the establishment
of the Greenwich Observatory. King Charles, aston
ished at finding the tables unreliable and chagrned
at the failure vehemently demanded it is said that they
be corrected and made TO agree with observations, for
the use Of his seamen and Famsteed the first Astron-
omer ROYAL began series Of observations and calcu-
latons which be continued laborously for fory-four
wears without success although the results of his Ia
bors were valuable TO Newton in the formation Of his
lunar hkOry (which is of such consequence in deter
% mining longitude"
Calico thought his rude little telescope had put this
difficult solution within his grasp. Said he-lf can
construct a table by means of which may calculate
the exact place of satellite at any moment, the pre-
else moment when II is occulted at a fixed meridian
will be known; IT, then the precise moment of occulta
ton at any other station be observed the difference in
time will be the longitude of the place. This seemed
to be plain and Calico gave himself up to tho
labor of constructing such table. For years and years
he scrutinzed these little stars marking down their OBJ
served positions with the greatest nicely One table
after another framed with every care, was found not
TO answer the purpose and was accordingly discarded
The satellites forever evaded the attempts Of the grand
old philosopher 10 bride them into orbits exact and
constant Their places true 70 the predic-
tons of the tables. What could be the cause The
observations were mutitudinous and careful and the
short periods OF the satellites rendered the determine
tons easy and reliable Fortweniyiour years Calico
gIappled the problem with unayaHng resouteness;
and when at last blindness bloed out the stars foreve
from his mortal sight, he bequeathed the unfinished
work TO his friend and pupil Reineri Genoese monk.
Reineri prosecuted the observations with faithful ASST
DUTY but the fruits of all these protaced labors were
pilfered from the monks CELL when he was on his
death-bed, and were long supposed to be rrerevaby
lost In 1873 the scientific world was taken by sur
prise by the announcement that the treasure had been
discovered buried in the library of the Pitt Palace at
Florence. The Ms. has been since published.
During forty years after the death Of this astrious
Tuscan no light was shed the cause of his failure
But in 1875, the year of the establishment of the En-
pHsh ROYAL Observatory R0mer a distinguished
Danish astronomer resident in Paris hit upon the ex
plantation He had noticed that the ecpses happened
constantly later than the calculated time at
of the year. and earlier at another The happy
thought then occurred him OF comparing the error
with the planets distance from the earth, aud he found
that the ecpses happened later in proportion as Jup
ter was further Off in other words that light, the mes
senger which brought the eye intelligence OF the oc
currenee required a certain supplementary time to
travel over the interval viz: second for every
hundred and ninety-two thousand miles Thus, II is
said was happily made the discovery OF the velocity
of light, one of the pleasing results of modern as
| Economical observations.
We NAV however, suppose ROmer TO have pursued
his investigation in another way. The nature and orr
gin of light and how it is transmitted subjects Of
earnest discussion in that epoch of awakened science