New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-20

region nut there southern place where the wnOe
OF the transit be well There is great change
between these former features and those we have nov
chord of transit very short In 1882 You VIII
notice South America II carried right away the othcr
great change all the You will notice the only
southern station where the beginning and end OF the
here at Rcpulse Bay. But although they are IN view
there they are 80 close TO the edge OF the dsk NJ
sun, found, would only be four degrees above The
horizon Ii becomes difficult problem, very difficult
touches inside OF the SUMS edge and that observa
ton cannot be made when the sun is 30 low down.
Mr. PROCT0Rs EFFORTS TO OBTAIN HEARING.
Then YOU sec the condition of the two transits. You
may know that America has done more than her share
in that matter There seven stations to
be occupied by North American observers IN these
northern regions and then, beside, they are send
ing observers 10 tins southern region In TINS
S forts' AZ the beginning Of last Year when
I found the time was drawing near used all
The whole controversy has been about this point
whether England will change the arrangements orig
TO the transit from the Southern regions. spared
no eforts-wrting in daily weekly, monthly, quarterly
upon the true views of the matter IL Is Objectionable
always to insist upon views unless there is good reason
Feeng that no time was TO lost, for the moment
neglected that rule, in order to press my arguments;
tory headed by Prof Adams the greatest OF astronom
real he aaa 10 " the en"s
tic regions, and the proposition was unsni-
@ousy carried by all the astronomers soa rsss
viii be obtained. One other point noticed IN making
Astronomer Royal-who. il should be remembered. has
duties TO perform at Greenwich which take up all
his time-this particular region the chart here IN
India where the begnning and end OF the transit will
be was overlooked happened that the name OF
that the mistake arose. l recognized that region,
and after a shorter struggle OF about two years that
region has been selected for new station so that the
transit III also he observed from that point.
II mention this 1t is because some reason must he
given In excuse for the opposition OF comparative pc
cnner against not merely standing high but de-
servedy standing high, as does the Astronomer royal
No man living much for the cause OF astron-
omy given of his life to the work ana mas
abored enerReucally in II, az the Astronomer Royal
But the time was approaching when IL wouid DC 700 a.o
speak aud many years must pass before similar Oc
easiUn would return This induced me 10 come forward
and nothing would have led me otherwise 10 TAKE so
energetic part as have done in this matter NOW
this matter OF the ranss OF Venus to pass 10 the
study Of the moon.
THE MOON AS A GIvER OF LIGHT.
when dealt with the subject of the sun. spoke OF
the worshpers OF the sun, who net down TO him and
regarded him the ruler Of their destinie but there
were nations who worshped the moon, and II we in
aulre Of such worship we very readily
ind IT. notice that job speaks of the moon todk.
ing brightness and he speaks, too, OF the suJect OF
the moons worship. IL was natural that men should
WORSHIP the moon. Tue ancients worshiped any body
that seemed upOn the heavens, and therefore,
Now this orb that moves around earth to be
there order to give light during the night Time Leu
the moon is very much smaller than the earth with
diameter 210O miles She is distant from the earth
earths the proportion Of TO 3t In other words the
surface of the moon is about 4eQOW0 square miles equal
almost exactly to the surface Of North and South Amer
ica Is also equal approximately 10 the surface OF
Europe and Africa taken together II the moon is the
abode there is plenty OF for life there and IL
interesting question whether she now can maintain
life. We know that the volume OF me moon Is TO that OF
that OF the EARTH 80 that her mass Is to the EARN AS
First of ali as to the Offices OF the II shown
that she discharges important Offices 10 the EARTH you
viii zee that We are no longer oonud by tRe %,
for the division OF time She gives light
the greater to rule by day and lesser by night alter
naeiy There is a service performed by the moon which
is co regular suggest that perhaps the Almighty
intended the moon Tor that special purpose
Iapace went so far as 10 say If he had made the moon
he would have made it much more useful TO man. He
would have put four tunes its present distance away
the earth when il would be far enough away 10 he
light The objection to this astronomical one,
for Of all nusances the moons light Is one which the
astronomer dislikes most especially al time wheh ne
10 study some nebnlae. or some barely visible
comet; at those times the moons brightness seri-
surprised indeed, that Iplace, himself an astronomer
as that But there other difficulties 1t the moon is
that condition she would always have TO be opposite
the moon also The moon would longer be measure
Of time she would longer rule the Iides III the
represented in hight by You have another caused
by the sun, represented by O. Those two waves are
together sometimes opposing sometimes coaescng Ac-
cOrdng to these changes the tide varies in night from
the difference OF and 10 the sum of and 2 That is to
say the least hight aud the greatest That is very
matter lives " tS i E sesDor ssrv Knows as
II is of great interest to the shpbullder and
merchant that there should be variable tides,
low. That important service would not have been sub
served by the moon the suggested
yOrtant service. The moon enables the asIono-
OF less than the time at the Observers station III
She moved ~ times more slowly she less lit
indicate the tune in exactly degree the hour
hand OF watch Ii less III than the minute bahu Ibele
by Lapace, which l wonder did not occur
lived of whom it can be said He was the rival OF
Newton" He himself said Newton was fortunate in
having lived before him. In another man 1t would have
been rank conce in Laplace IL considered
Just statement. Yet he failed TO notice when he sug-
gested this moons being four times further from u.s. that
nnder his conditions If spread so as TO give the same
light, the material of which the moon would be made
think 1t well that the Almighty did not take counsel
from Lsplace III creating the moon
TELESCOPE yIEws-THE MOON HOAX.
pass from these considerations 10 the telescope study
o. the MOON When think how near the moon Is, the
planet that comes being times further
away than the moon, certainly the hope would seem
natural when Galleo first turned his telescope to the
moon that would discover signs of its fitness to be
thc abode OF life. We know what happened He found
there surface covered with mountains so that he com
pared them number on the moon 10 the "eyes" on
peacOcss tuiI Where there appeared 10 be dark
surfaces OF a level nature he called them seas.
He found them To be really solid. and aferyard tele-
scOpc went aud all that found Was
the gradual enlargement of these features and the reye
ation of new details but nothing to suggest that NE
existed arid surface Men went on hoping That
with telescopes of increased size more would be OBJ
tanned 1t was thought that with Hersches great tel;
escope something more would be determined. Herschel
Thought he could recognize in the bright part OF the
moon signs volcanic action, because he saw faint
light OF volcanic eruption We know 1t was only the
reflected hight OF the earth.