Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-04
The Coming Sth of December, 1874.

and nope, since the Z4th or November,
1859. An event took place on that
day which was expected by one only
out of the whole human family. Mr..
HORROR, young English gentle
man, who was an amateur had devoted
himself to the study of astronomy, had
satisfied himself by calculation that on
that day the planet Venus would pass
between the sun and the earth, or in
other words, there would on that day
be transit Of Venus across the face
of the sun. He notified his friend Mr.
Crabtree, residing in another part of
England, and who had also devoted
himself to similar course of studies,
to observe the sun on that particular
day. These two gentlemen, in differ
ent parts of England, distinctly observ-
ed small black ball enter upon the
suns face and slowly pass across his
entire diameter, in the same manner as
if it were an ordinary eclipse. This
was the first transit of Venus that had
ever been observed, and caused the
name of Mr.. HORROR to become famous
all over Europe. Unfortunately for
science, his early death in 1910 put a
period to the hopes that were enter
tanned of his future renown.
The great astronomer Kepler had
predicted that there would be transit
of Venus in 1851. But no eye had
seen it, and in 1859 it had not occurred
to any one to use it for the purpose of
discovering the distance OF the sun from
the earth. After the last named date,
astronomers began to calculate for the
next transit, and they discovered it
would take place in 1851.
In 1877, when Mr.. HALEY, the
great English astronomer, was at st.
Helena for the purpose of forming a
catalogue of the stars in the southern
hemisphere, he observed transit of
Mercury across the sun, and from his
efforts to measure its position was in
duced to form the opinion that if
transit of Venus could be properly OBJ
served it would afford precise deter,
mination of the suns distance. he
knew he could not live to see the next
transit, but he did the next best thing,
he studied out all the conditions of the
question, published all his plans, and
made all necessary calculations, so as to
aid, as for as possible, in obtaining the
best results when .he proper time ar
rived.
AS the year l76l approached, Hal
ley's computations were closely criti-
cized and such alterations made in
them as were warranted by the advance
in science and the improvements in in
struments called for. The various
Governments of Europe gave their aid
and ships to convey the observers to
distant parts of the globe. One hun
dred stations were selected, and great
expectations were formed of the results /;
but all was to end in sad disappoint-
ment. There were wars in those days,
and observers were refused permission
to land a: some far-distant ports.
Cloudy wea her interfered with obser-
vations at these stations, while at 9th
ers, almost at the point of contact, the
observers had their instruments set,
their eyes to the glass, the black spot
was seen to approach the edge of the
sun, in moment more the instant of
contact would have been noted, when
on sudden a black wedge-like shade
passed between the sun and the obser-
yer, shutting out the moment of con-
tact. When this mysterious shadow
passed away, Venus has advanced from
II to Is seconds Of time on to the sun s
face the great point Of the expedition
was defeated. The observer was con-
founded and disheartened, but he cou-
soled himself with the reflection that
others might have done better, and
that he alone was unfortuna te, Alas E! it
was not so. All had met the same
fearful disappointment. Skill, labor,
time, money, all spent to but little ad-
vantage. The only consolation that
could be given or received was that in
eight years more there would be anoth-
er transit, and by that time some means
would be devised that would secure
success in the future.
In 1869 the stations were as numer-
Gus, the Governments aid as liberal,
the instruments We're thought to be
more perfect, and the sobservers as en-
thusiastic and careful as before, and
perhaps more skilful from their past
experience. But, again: all in vain
the world of science was doomed to
another and more bitter disappoint-
ment. More bitter from the fact that
los years must pass away before a
third opportunity would offer to clear
away the mystery Of that dark veil,
with the nature Of which astronomers
are not to this day agreed. Every
precaution then known to science was