The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-17
gailp argus.
Death of Sir John r, w. Rer.chsl.


Every scholar will be interested in read
ing the following obituary of this note
scholar, which we copy from the New York
World of the 10Th inst:
Few names are more distinguished in the
world of science than that OF the eminent
scholar whose death at the age Of 81 we
record ihis morning. Sir John Frederick
William Herschel Was the son OF the famous
Ang TO- Hanoverian, Sir William Herschel.
He wss born at Slough, near Windsor, in
1890, and at an early age went to St Johns
College, CAM bridge, where he graduated in
in 1918. After leaving college be devoted
himself with untiring energy to the study of
the higher mathematics and astronomy. As
the result of FIVE years patient labor he pub
lished In 1928 ''Colle otion of Examples OF
the Application of the Calculus to Finite
Differences" In connection with Sir James
South he prepared series OF sideresi cats-
iogues which appeared in the transactions
of the Royal Astronomical Society. For
these labors, principally carried out in his
own private observatory at Slough, and in
volving 10000 observ atoms, he received the
gold medal of the Astronomical Society
In his catalogue published in 1923 he fixed
the position of $50 double and triple stars.
In 1927 he published q catalogue of 295
stars; 10 1928 another of 324. In 1880 be pub
hshed the measureme Mt of 1886 stars, which
he had made by his famous twenty foot re
hecting telescope. In another paper he
gave the exact measurement of 364 stars.
While thus laboriDg for astronomy he devot-
ed an energy scarcely less remarkable to
various branches of physics. He published
in the ENJOY clopedia Metropolitana" "Trea-
ties on the theories of Light and Sound )"
in Lardner's Encyclopedias" preliminary
Discourse on the Study of Natural Philoso-
ply and Treatise ON Astronomy" For
his Catalogues of the Nebule" he again
received the gold medal of the Astronomical
Society in January; 1886, during his absence
at the Cape of Good Hope, where he sur
veyed the southern heavens This famous
work as undertaken in 1884. He sstsb-
lished an observatory st feldhuysen, about
ak miles from Table Bay, to which be
brought the telescope and other instruments
which he used at Slough so that he nigh,
more accurately compare his observations OF
the northern and southern hemispheres.
The British government offered him an in
demniiy for the expense entailed on him BY
this expedition, which lasted for four years
but he declined any compensation. Nine
years after his return from the Cape he pub
lished Results of Astronomical Observa
tions Made During the Years
1891 and 1888 at the Cape Of
Good Hope, Being Completion of the
Survey of the whole Surface Of the Visible
Heavens, Commenced in 1925" A notice
of the character and yaIna of this axtrsordi
nsrywork and of the other wonderful astron
ouical lAbors of Sir Herschel belongs to
history of astronomy rather than to an obit
uary. 1t may be stated that, having before
| his Cape expedition added 500 nebulee
those cstalogued by his father, OF his return
ne described 2,G49 nebula of the southern
hemisphere, of which g large number were
previously unknown. He also discovered 8
the Cape !, 08l double stars. The conuec
ton of his name with the famous n DON hoa1
is still remembered. Ia addition to beinG
an astronomer, Sir John Herschel was also
meteorological, chemist, in fact devotee o
| the whole circle of the sciences. On biz
return from the Cape he wGs elected unani
mously President of the ROYAL Society. g.
Successor to the Duke of Sussex. The Uni
| versity of Oxford conferred on him tht
/ degree of doctor of science. In 1850 b.
was made master of the mint, which be helc
| until 1855. BE was TO the last constan'
| and laborious contributor to the literature O
/ his tavorlte Observation-Disclosures and met
eorolsgY. The baronetcy conferred on him
on the accession of the Queen in 1895
descends TO his son William James, who hal
been employed in the Bengal civil service