The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-24


election cases when they provided for the
protection of the States against domestic vio-
lence.
The Transit OF Venus.
Early in December next the planet Venus
will pass across the suns face. The event
is regarded with the greatest interest by the
scientific world, and already extensive prepare
tons are making for the observation of the
transit. The results to be gained are the
accurate determination of our distance from
the sun and q more certain knowledge of the
distances of the planets and some of the fixed
stars. Solar photography will be largely en-
ployed in making the observations as auxiliary
to the scientific work of the astronomers. A
majority Of the nations taking part in this
study will employ the method Of observation
known as Delisle's, but many Of them will
also employ the Hallsyan method, which
will necessitate the choice of different
stations for each, . station suitable to
the one being unsuited to the other. The
choice of these stations is matter Of the
utmost importance, especially in the matter of
placing the observers in opposite parts of the
globe, it being plain that the ''ingress' Of the
planet upon the suns face will be witnessed
sooner at the eastern than the western sta
tons, and its segfess'' will be last seen by the
western observers. The English, who ore
taking the most active interest in these OBJ
servatons, will establish their opposite sta
tons at Honolulu, in the Sandwich Islands,
and Rodriguez Island, near the Mauritius.
Besides these there will be secondary stations
cooperating with each of the principal points
of observation, two of them being in other
parts of the Sandwich Islands and two in Her
euelen Land, sometimes called the ssIsland Of
DesoiatioI,T in the Southern Ocean. And,
last, Chrulchurch, in New Zealand, and
Alexandria will pair together for the observa-
ton of the accelerated" and s.retarded"
egress. France, it is understood, will
have stations in the Marquesas and other
islands, in the Southern Hemisphere, and at
Pekin and Yokohama for the north. Ger
many's northern observations will also be
made at some points in China and japan,
with Photographic station in Persia, on the
line OF the Indian telegraph, and in the south
at Mauritius and other islands Russia will
have no fewer than twenty-seven stations,
though more moderately equipped than those
of other nations, extending all the way from
Odessa to japan. Strange to say, the infor-
nation as yet afforded us in regard to the in
tentions OF our own scientists is more meagre
than that from any other country. We only
know the location of the stations, which are to
to be at Vladirostock, in Northern Siberia, Pc
kin, Nagasak, Hobart Town, in Van Diemen's
Land, in New Zealand and in Chatham, Crozet
and Kerguelen Islands. The parties going to
the southern stations are to be sent out in
naval vessel; but we have not yet been in
formed of the personnel of the expeditions, and,
excepting the work that is now doing by the
Board OF which Admiral Sands is chief no
very active preparations have yet been made
for the event by the Navy Department, to
which all the credit that falls to our share will
be due. But for the Secretary we might
have had no expeditions at all, Congress
never Offering timely aid TO scientific enter
prises and our official scientists not being too
eager TO earn glory by their Investigations and
discoveries. Preparations and experiments
ought actively to go forward at Washington
from this time ii American science is to be
honored in this enterprise. The English are
already busy at Greenwich, and, as the result of
their study and experiments the best results
may be expected from all Of their stations.
We cannot afford to be behind them, either in
the excellence OF the equipments we carry out
to our stations or the value OF the scientific in
formation we bring home from them. If we
would sustain proper comparison with other
nations we must lose no further time in carry
ing out the scheme which the Secretary of the
Navy seems to have adopted; for though De-
cember may be far way of, no time is to be
lost in preparation, for Venus will make her
transit at the time appointed, whether or not
the Americans are on hand to witness it.