, 1874-10-14
ACADEMY OF sUIENUS3y.


Vnpor by Mr. Colbert ora Ooxolr,s
Comet.
The Academy of socncea hold tlcir rca1lhr monthly
ncostng Inst evening at their hull, It was called
o order at o'clock tho President, DR.. 1ohnson in
Tho ctnr, Tho minutca of tho last mcotng were read
ld approved, after which Tho Bt Of donations 10 tho
Academy ,yak read.
It was announced that Hdney A. Rest md Ior. y,
Letter had each contributed 500 10 tho Ae,cmy, nnl
lcy wero Rceor,liEy constituted life n,en,era, From
II. H. Kn;scr, Of NEomcncc, ILL.,, was recciva sketch
u Fort 10 "lliun's, stt',ac iii Iako County, indiana.
The fort IN SAID to bo very interesting anu thai 0s
mover bosu surveyed or reported. DR.. Keyscr has
explored n.ltnher Of hcse mouutS, nl found lnany
curious relics. In QUO tcro was MI aar IL irchca
sh, o"ils o. stouca beside this lny Skeleton tacing
!he Alter, Upon the nltar lnnk's skull facinH
ns sks!esen aiul provided with artificial cyn curious
Another mound Yielded eoprer laso having four
hoss, each eosersd with movable key or Id. rio
instrument WAS formed Of allco.copcr bent to cyl
1ndricat form. but not Enl1ercd.
THE oRElr Of cot;ttAs co:fEr.
Mr. T.. CobGrt presented tho following mathematical
Intelligence about iinstroua 1isor Of last
One Ct tho most Interesting Of tho facts IN relation
to Coggk.s comet Is tho uncertainty which prevailed
Tor long ntc ind oven now prevails, with respect 10
tic asns el f o, I ,a 'srrc thS ers
would pass she psrhelon ioint aoru timo in August.
Then the pcfhelien passAto VIVA placed successfully
aior l,o cow osnl ~ss ha hat ltereagg Saa ahg
shape oi tic will n rat believed to 10 10 psrabola
then mathematician Of ITO uicau order announced
was generally conceded q la nn cilipso Eysn then :.
tho authorities wcie divided. Ono gentleman felt
anro th1s .o eo1not lst rortod Of u5on. lis ycan
served in CHINA an tho year 1881. Tho Inerencs IT,
tween Tho sena Of tho latest calculations amounts to
itu9 fnor9 ' 10y years. very respectable period in
Tts .To caensttongto which refer weso made by
Tho ilrst gives tho cun,s: rcriui Of Gs5 veara WIFI"
!. equivalent TO distance from tLs s,iu 43,T
tt,n ss taa OK o Ill.,, EARTH Or aueo out into ii
isias mean distances or $50 TINES s,at o tho esr %
tWnc, which Ia tho most distant Of ali tia tnown
plancts III tho solar system.
who Lave read lu tho text boo1 tat uu ouecrytion Of
thrce positions Of any body viii enable Tue asrononer
to calculate i.e orbit, III tic way i not 20 oasiy
~ tne commentary Beonnter tnd the ccu&ro nnd
radius Of circle having gsvo .hao po!uts ii i,s cir
Snmhs,ense a,s .ae Ile lact nlows aonE other hugs
tne diAc'utes attending them, ba conveyed III
the form, of co-c:Icd populIr Instruction.
for these differences a,onG inathcmai:iaus II ia .s
3nauit'censy of THO tansa employed may illustrate
icals il ay tnrce ,toiuts IL tu esrsafsrcuco Of lee
Grcn oS aown, tho plco os tho centre DO fond.
I, na thGsy tAce ronts ba leparated only ~ inter-
Vaia OF half foot, the arc Of tho circumference
prastisaiiy sts.,sht 'ae. ws go eaiealao thss
bo about ono In A4o equal rarts os spgle inch, hut
y ~ could 70, ;sss t!'a dsyiation TO within ut least
Of IL per III o calculated or conyruc:cd dIsnnco
Ut the cenTc.
TAta is something like Tic difficulty which the
nslsonesners h1so a to encounter in tracing tlo orbit
Of cog';ls'a comet TAas part CT It's path ii
mhisa IT. was visible to ua is very short IN
TEGng advantage Of Ao fnct that ~ dcerces OF tro
Rn.nI lrJu ine petineo11 aro described In ttu,cs
s a M o rao q s
eaaily csuate u.t tho tines of describing that arc
With rssile!lau dissanco equal 10 that oi Cogs!a
Eur le,toA Il sua5 years so1 rrinuses
Eor ie,asa Gi l1a23 80 minatea
CT s;m'at Gsaf aaya in each esae. ''''>@~
Tha II tie ting o. describing tho src OF co
'clion would therefore 10 only four n,luntcs eolal
20 an sugio Of motion which may t,c represented By
apart At TIC Distance oi oao nils rom III tlo eve.
ean !osi O. ertcs III tho oosorvatsong Of tho comet,
SHa1 e fe @ @ ory St sao during tho o wsa
clint TO produce error III tho calculation Of tho
petcalc tl1ae equal tue difference between y5 aud
It muy be thought that With tho perfection Of 1nod
srtt netr.''ncnta cstp srch small stnEo could not
tlo eo1oct ero simply point Of light. Dat it vii 10
Z Tint dashg to carry PORTION Of ita vlabil-
ut Gu ss nueMs ina at nt aya yhs With
sAe Is!asinn tho position Of It's centre conla 10
e1gaed Will IN socs4y equal to TINT ohatuable III
TIL cakE OF u fixed stGr.
The fault ltea ten not IN tho mathematics hut III
% insaeeasy Of tho lata employed tho 6aYis of
ca !eutl:ion. Tue comet Is about taxing Ills de-
p3rtlfo from the rioT Of tho astronomers of tno
50 hhes11 He,AspatTs When their observations u1.,
obe ~,nttl A1lu coare1 with those nasi In tho o,t},-
br ion:s halc, tso urit DO ca1cuIatt.l Ecctuxo
w iGai! ha3e i:ach Longer arc or tho ortt ftola
whltA 10 eo.n-pns. Tho wlolo. 4
4s worthy of 4e'ar!; thai the arc Of $50 degree.
9aEtas tho pcitaeNon peiut iii It's middle would DO /
ueae.loea Eia 1099 year era, III scarcely ouo hour
ess tno tan tnat required Iescriba tic EGmc sru
III psr: orl tho period Of which in,lnte VIII
poflSu q l2uc1 JslH tEe comet wo1 lake but stop
towards thb honhaarS Of tho solar aysteu-sti lea
Into 20 11Gu!ta dena af the universe. THO distance
must u lH!l4lled H. ~ i'll order TO ohtaiM tho iE-
tns9 81 even he tarcs t1cd Star and il thu conlct
6houu movc Ill amy 6thes posatLlB directto excctt
toward hat hta7, could travel uo gpacu to distance
eao, ,e1o tles greater liam Else Of the c1rs fl tlo
auN uuu nlc., i.a o:Li: haSNiy period OF 35EuU0GO
yaare, without reaching tcint wtcro 1t would Io H.
tFae1ea hy ray Gt2r TO owtstuy ia by our el This
1eriod then, Represents Ito n..1mur limit Of Gomez
Try Revolution Within the goar systelu.
lTpf. Do la FoIta!no lereteI All aldfc9a a,,nunr, |
ing tho theories u sloAtaIcolH generation Euu ovn
luslon. Ne also gave brief lecture on tho puu;ec.
mate: Of Mr. Eollcrt essay cl2nia1 that Cp7uila
comet wna solely OF y GlieoNs formation.
George &, Walker exhibited sevel duorcnt kinds NJ