The New York herald., 1874-12-12

vanced by M De La Rue, Mr.. Rutherford and
others, and if its success is now demonstrated,
as it seems to have been, the prospects for
greater success in the transit observations Of
1882 are opened up. The improvement Of the
instrumental methods precede and insure
the greater exactitude and compass of oil
future discovery, and in the present instance
the French have tested the Photographic
method stll further by employing the daguerre-
otype in lieu Of the collodion process. In
either process, as M. De La Rues ex-
periments show, there is but little
room for error. The employment of
the dry plates prevents all shrinkage Of the
collodion film, and leaves nothing to be cor
rected but the errors due to irradiation and
refraction. The value of these hght-pictured
observations will be largely increased by the
obvious fact that the actual measurements
they afford will be made after the transit
when the observers cannot be carried away by
the excitement of the moment The American
arrangements for the Photographic work were
thoroughly matured by DR.. Draper, and we
expect the results to be of the highest value
We refer to the apparent success of this new
system Of transit observations because they
are the feature of all the expeditionary labor,
and were most extensively used by the
Americans and Russians. 1t is not, perhaps,
too much to say, with our present light, that
the comparison of all the transit records will
enable astronomers to compute the suns dis
tance from the earth to within one hundred
and fifty thousand miles. When we remember
that it is not now known to within two mil
lions of miles the advance step appears very
great.
The benefits, direct and incidental, flowing
from this gigantic undertaking, and the pro-
cesses by which success has been achieved
have been so fully and frequently elaborated
that we need not repeat them here. The his
tory of the transit observations of 1874 will
leave its lessons upon the age and guide it
on the path of actual as contrasted
with speculative science. The splendid
harvest Of real knowledge garnered in by the
patient laborers who have gone to every cline
of both hemispheres will strongly contrast
with the chaff of idle theorizing which seemed
but yesterday to be Turing scientific men from
the true path of research. The wonderful
secrets Of creation are more than ever replete
with interest to the race, because with in
creased facilities of discovery their real value
is made more manifest to the most literate
The order and beauty of the Divine handi-
work revealed by astronomic inquiry-so nice
that the passage Of the star Venus across the
suns disk, occupying but few hours of
time, is correctly predicted centuries before
hands the sermon which science is, con-
sciously or unconsciously preaching to-day
to the whole civilized world. The records, so
soon to be made known, will tell out to the
present century the grandest tale it has yet
heard of the eternal power and Godhead,'
and hush the vain and noisy tongue of scep-
teal speculation now so rife. IF the intel
lectual effort which has availed to give us this
boon excites admiration and applause human
exaltation is checked and chastened by the
marvellous revelations of the phenomenon
itself.