, 1872-12-09
Frightfnl Condition Of The cleft Limb Of
The Star hu, in the Constella'
ton Hercules. y
Marrow Escape of the Earth
from Total Destruc-
ton.
What Occurred a Few Evenings
Since at the ssEeridian
House.


ing with those cities. Since the addition Of two
sable Professors to the astronomical staff Of come
FOCAL organization, not yet publicly recognized
as its merits, if it has any, deserve, long dis
puted scientific question has been decided, Was
Chicago to be tho astronomical cont1e OF the
country IL not !? Thaf was the question. 4he
vulgar public did not l1now upon what GROUNDS
Chicago demanded this distinction, but q few
wary and discreet citizens did. There Was a
telescope at the University ; there we're Pro-
fessors who said they knew how to use 1t, and
there was one gentleman whose daily labors IN
winter wheat, seller the month, and commercial
corners eminently qualified him to speak un-
hesitatingly Of tho motions Of the heavenly bod
les. The appointment OF this scientific gentleman
to the position ofco-aborer with another scientific
gentleman whose star-gazing propensities de-
rive additional impetus from the sights he seems
to be perpetually studying on his ehirt-bosom.
settled tho question.
The first great achievement Of these able Pro
fessors was the discovery Of the longitude OF IN
unimportant suburb On the South Side, out OF
reach OF the University telescope. We allude,
Of course, to the City Of Cairo, at the extreme
south Of tins State. To bring the Inhabitants
OF that town to proper appreciation OF their
advantages, the two able Professors determined
to first ascertain their longitude, and, should
this fail to convince them, to use heroic meas
ures, such as d personal visit, or an entire
edition Of S j. us history Of the FIRE. To make
this DISCOVERY, the services Of gentleman, who
might be considered attached to the surveying
staff Of tbs Canadian Government did not his
wanderings throughout the country contra
dict the idea of an attachment OF
any kind, vere called into requisition. a dis
Greet silence has been preEerVedby these terrible
consnirators, Ead the villagers Of Cairo are in
doubt whether the next assessment OF their
property rfi1 be made by CUR new Common
Council or their Own local Board Of Aldermen.
Their Longitude vas found to be hours, 56
minutes, and 29.0001 seconds, which virtually
abolishes their Town Boards, and adds to the
ta1-paying community Of this large city.
This 1as accomplished without any great e1a
penditnre Of vital force on the part OF the dis
tinguizhed sarans in question, and their unpar-
elleled success prompted the Canadian and Fed
erl Governments to appeal to them to arbitrate
on the question OF the longitude Of Pembina,
whereby the boundaries dividing tho sordid
plains of Uncle Sam from the blessed Canaan
beyond, might be generally agreed to; and to
give future survey parties starting point for
their labors. This showed the wisdom of the
two Governments, for the gentlemen in ques-
ton agreed to do so without delay. It WAS de-
ternined one night during the past week to tele-
graph to Pembina, and ask the operator
the time. and should his watch have
run down or be otherwise at fault. to correct it
l,v TINT presented to one Of the ProfeBsor6-see
back files Of TIE TRIBUNE.
bina the snuans ran wire,-in reality they
found one already run for them, but poetry de-
1nands the above statement, which is not taken
by 20 transit time, and therefore only generally
10 nu1y Ht11I1t
to Moorhead, and from Moorhead to Pembina,
stopping at way-stahons only on signal This
wire WAS ready for use On the night IN question,
and the glorious work Of giving free Chicago
time to the serri1e colonists OF an effete Monar-
chy WAS to have occurred at about O'Clock IN
The evening, when the sumptuously-fed serv-
ing girls on 81 week were going to their homes
rejoicing over tho good-fo1tune which made
them prospective citizens Of this great and glo-
r;ous Republic, where only 10 hours work day
was demanded fer the princely stipend paid
them.
ian Eouse " Of this greet metropolis, situated in
the rear CT tue University, q represen-
ta5iEe Of each sttead %oF7'ns sna paper vas
tie triumph Of science over despotism and in
form the world Of the debt Of gratitude owed
by tia down-troddan Maaitobans to the Fede-
rl Government, and the two harmonious Pro
feseors who had volunteered their valuable
services. The one objection against the s' Merid-
ian Uouse'' as an hotel is the absence OF any
apparatus for the radiation Of heat, and the SUBJ
urban residents Of Milwaukee and San Diego
twean june so and Aug. Il inclusive. The
celestial observations which occurred there on
tho eyeaing mentioned vera taken under the
most chilling Influences, and the qualded1y sue
cessful results Te1e IN a measure due to these
11-toward circu1nstances. The transit telescope,
which an Ia1eT-Ocean reporter ehrunk away
from in diEmay, resembles suspended field
piece with complicated wheels, the muzzle point
ing Lea7caTa7d Ike zucrtar. te1egraphic in
stru1nent, which was to have sent dispatches to
Pe1nDins, was affixed to small table, while the
rich. eye Of one able Professor was attached to
tie toucL-hole Of tho held piece. Those present
instincti7c1y put their fingers into their ears,
dropping parer and pencil, and wearing q look
Of agonized expectancy.
The te.egraphic operator stood over his IL
strument; ready to signal to Pembina, his cheeks
blanched, acd his lips as bloodless as the snow
On Hohenlindcn. Suddenly the able Professor
shouted, ''Ikere it is!'
:1W Wha-t-t?" exclaimed the audience, thoi1
chatterinS tseth pro:ractinS the query to ride
uloos length.
An ono1nous blotch on the left limb Of the
star Mu, in the constellation Hercules" said the
Professor, excitedly. s<1t ia extending itBelf,
too" he shouted; it is growing; by the"
"Let us gee" shouted the reporters With one
The The able Professor permitted TIE TRIBUNE
reporter to examine It, knowing the conse'
quences Of i refusal.
The reporter applied his left eye to the touch.
hole of the instrument. and placed his finger or
tie hight eyaa. most singular pheh!2nsa9Sz !2Rs aS
seemed all ablaze. save toward the edge Of the
field Of vision where an bas1 bloses
s1 %9s beinT epse with Slight protubera5ct
nt one end of the major axis
This protubtrance was round, while
darker blotch was visible on each side Of it. AZ
Inc reporter gazed, q SLOW motion was visible il
the BODY Of the mass, and black ray IVES OBJ
served to be elowly thrust forth. It must have
moved With utterly uncomfortable rapidity ovel
the face Of the star, for in less than minute il
stood out sideways, almost at right angles, ant
about half as long as the object ei1nilal
moyement was inaugurated on the other side, al
the spot corresponding to the first. Then {
SECOND ray IVES thrown out On the first side, ant
then eecond On the other side. Finally, I
third projection followed On each side, and tht
enormous mass Of blaekneBs moved slowly oEe
the surface Of the star. 1t awful por
tent and, es the reporter narrated each success
i've movement, the exclana1ions from the Pro
r..,,,-, .-orc +arrif}a THE miller prnfessor Ha