The New York herald., 1874-12-08
The Event to Begin
To-Day.
The First Transit Observed BY a
Young English Astronomer.
ANOTHER AMERICAN STATION CHANGED.
Professor ParkhurSt on the Advent
Of the Grand Phenomenon.

| the long and eagerly sought phenomenon OF the
transit OF Venus viii begin. The planet will steal
forward toward the eastern ana upper portion OF
the SUMS rim. come in contact with 1t and then
push its way slowly across the SUMS face, on winch
1t win appear projected like small black speck
Venus Will occupy iour hours and three-quarters
In journeying across, ana at hafpast one O'Clock
A. M. on tomorrow morning the planet viii pass
away from the disc leaving no track behind. Few
could believe that little though the velocity OF the
planet appears, 1t nevertheless dies through space
at the rate OF 77,20O miles per hour,
or 1890 miles minute. Though 1t
looks tiny spot when viewed with the naked
| eye. 1t is. nevertheless almost large our
own earth. The sun Will have set upon our
shores when the transit commences, but while
our portion OF the globe win be turned from the
great luminary other sections viii be ilumined
by his rays, aud in these regions he will be oh.
served the planet crosses by thousands OF
astronomers throughout the world. During the
transit Of 1863 the occurrence was visible
every part of this continent, but now 1t Is our
turn to lose sight OF the appearance. In 1882 We
shall enjoy the favor OF being enveloped in
daylight during the OF the transit that
is to take place in that year.
AS the nature and results OF the eventful cir
cumstance and the history OF the expeditions.
past as well as present, have already been exten-
SlVeIy ueIalleu III tue HERALD OF november SU anu
December Z. 1t Is needless revert to them here.
IL may be well, however, to recall to the readers
memory the extraordinary ana romantic circum-
stances under which the first transit OF Venus
observed. TranslLs have, OF course. occurred four
times every 243 years since the creation, and no
doubt exists OF the ancients having noticed some
Of them, as they were accustomed to
watch the constantly shifting positions OF
the morning and evening stars. There
are evidences OF these observations still
cxtant On earthen vessel IN the British Mu-
are carved the movements or the planet
Venus during o period extending back to the
sixth century before the Cnrisuan era Still
there is no transit pictured thereon. The first
well authenticated observation OF transit Of
Venus was made IN 1889 by Rev. John Horrox, q
young English curate Of an obscure village near
Liverpool. transit had taken place eight years
previously in accordance with the prediction or
Kepler but 1t was night time In Europe when 1t
occurred, and consequently 1t was not observed
by any persons known to history. One OF the
strange facts connected with HOrrox's 0bserva-
ton was that he was not aware oil the
uses that could be made OF the observations
HALEY had not then propounded the celebrated
method OF ascertaining tae SUMS distance. nor
had Delisle existed. Kepler predicted the transit
OF 1889, but his estimate OF the moment at which
the transit would begin was some hours wide OF
the mark. In 1888 young Horrox was placed in
Emanuel College, Cambridge, where he soon gave
evidences OF mathematical and Astronomical
genius When he reached his eighteenth year he
had mastered all the problems OF mathematics as
the science then existed, and betook himself TO
the study or the movements OF the heavenly
spheres. Being Of religious turn OF mind, he found
in the vasty regions OF the stellar universe rEe
most glorious and sublime display OF the Creators
majesty, believing, like many others, that the
blest ahodes were fixed beyond the stars He
viewed Kepler's calculations OF the date Of the
transit and found them slightly erroneous. He
communicated his discovery to two lntlmate
friends, and when the month OF December came
round he made ready to verify nis predictions By
watching the sun throughout the day. The morn.
ing OF the Attn Of December dawned: Horrox
darkened his little room and admitted the SUMS
rays through lens which projected an image OF
the SUMS disk on Q white sheet OF paper.
It was the Sabbath day and the sky
was bright, the sun beaming calmly down
upon the screen Of the young astronomer.
From the rising OF the sun until nine O'Clock he
watched the image, but no planet appeared.
While he was on the tiptoe Of expectation the
pealing OF the church DELL called MIN away. He
hesitated for moment. overcome with conflicting
emotions, and he knew not whether he would
honor his Creator more BY repairing to His house
mutable laws according to whicn BE made the
celestial orbs revolve He decided, however, to
visit his flock In church. At ten O'CLOCK he re.
turned to his house, but found no speck dotting
the surface or the SUMS image. ~ OBJ
served the sum-" said Horrox, 'from sun.
rise to nine O'CLOCK; again . little
before ten O'Clock, and lastly ct noon and from
one to two O'Clock, the rest Of the day being de-
voted to higher stud1es." In the afternoon clouds
rolled sullenly BY, obscuring the image on the
screen. Finally the skies grew clear, and lol
young Rorrox beneld the ptcny shadow OF Venus
crawling forward upon the solar disk. The rap
turous emotion with which he suddenly viewed
the touching incident overpowered him for
while, but ultimately recovering himself he pro-
ceeded TO make measurements or the plane ts po-
sition on the screen, which paved the way for the
brilliant calculations OF more modern times.
HORROR spent the hours subsequent to the
transit In writing 10 his friends the ecstatlc
convictions that glowed In his enthusiastic brain.
Few years elapsed before the career thus brightly
begun was brought to speedy close. Horrox
died at the age OF twenty-five, leaving q void in
the scientific world that was universally regretted
| Could he nave beheld during his last moments the
| varied appliances and the gigantic preparations
| OF modern scientists for the observation OF the
same phenomenon, not merely In darkened rooms
| throughout England, but from obscrvatories in
the four quarters OF the gobes he might have
| quilted the sphere OF his earthly existence with
one pang less than those which the agonies OF
death sent through his frame.
ANOTHER CHANCE IN THE AMERICAN STATIONS.
special despatch recently received from
friends oil the parties attached to the New Zealand
expedition states that Dr. Peters, OF Hamilton
College. who II In charge OF the expedition, has
changed the location from Blur Harbor to Huens-
town, 100 miles In the interior, south latitude
as degrees west longitude 1es degrees 40 minutes
elevation 1900 feet above the level Of the sea.
This change was made owing to the poor prospect
Of clear weather at Bluff Harbor.
PROFESSOR PARKHURST'S VIEWS.