, 1874-04-04
STAR-GAUGIMG.
Progress Of tho Work in Different
Paris Of the World.
W1lat Our Own Observatory Tins Done,
a,ll lyllnt 1t Needs.

Tho Cosmopolitan Astronomical Society, form-
cd several ycarH ago. for tho purpose Of nrrang-
Ing for Bystcmatfo work In oDs0rving tho hoayenH
from dlraront PORTIONS of tho oarth'a surface,
hold a meeting In September last at Hamburg,
Germany. Reports woro submitted from tho
ditroront obsoryatorcs which had undertaken tho
work Of carefully cataloguiDg oil tho stars III tho
norihorn hemisphere. lilo following aro tho
principal facts In tho official report, which has
juAt como to hnnl:
Lcipac, With t1roo observers permanently en-
gagged III tho work. has finished It's allotted por-
tlon of the task in four yours and Aalf but
tho results aro not yot roady for tho press.
Loyden, with two observers, hnd completed
about tlreo-fourti,B Of tho observations required
tn tho zone of stars assigned to tlat obsnrva-
tory.
pu1kowa NeufchnteI. Dorlfn. Honn, Cam
bridge (sng.) Hclsingfors Ohristiann, e-el
Dorpat reported progress. Cambridge ClaBs,)
and kazan made no report. 80.
Chicago reported suspension Of her share Of
tho work. OIL account Of tic great Gro, but OK
pressed tie hopo that Its duty would be resumed
hoforo long. About ha1f tho required ohRoryh-
tions had been made and one-Quartcr Of the cal-
culat!ons completed, In four and half ycars. !
The obAervAtories at Palermo md Mannheim
Ind found themselves compelled to gyo up tho
attempt to cooperate. Tho place OF the first
has been taken by Nicolaelf, and tho othor pro-
vided for by asBignmont elsewhere.
From theso reports 1t was gathered that tho
great bulk of tile observations wifi have boen
made by tue and Of tho yoar 1873. and tho CAL
culationB finished by 1850.
The zone unsigned to Chicago contains tho
material for about 10000 observations, OF
these, Soma 10, 600 had boon made up to tho
time Of the fro by one observer prof. satford).
without assistance, and without the advantage
Of ohronograph to record the observations
automatically. No other observatory has done
10 much In proportion to its facilities, except
about one-fourth dono.
An effort IL now being made TO revtve our OBJ
Bervatory, which has been idle sinco the fro.
1t iB proposed to raiao fund Of not less than
81, 900, in eums Of Sf00 encll. tho payment OF
which will constitute ouch donor life-1ncmbar
of tho Astronomical Society OF Chicago, with
tho right to view tho hoavcns through the mag"
nitlcent equatorial telescope at snoh timoB MI
ready subscribed their names to promise to pay
91O0 each on condition TINT the Whole amount Of
$1,000 be plodgcd, and thirty-lye moro names
arc needed. Those willing to assist aro respect
fully requested to communicate With mo at The
| It is absolutely necessary that something
should be done, nnd that speedily. Tho doma
that covers the telescope is in such bad condi.
| tion that 1t mnst soon be replaced by new ono,
or the instrument itself will be ruined. Tho old
| dome, owing to faulty construction, haB never
| been in good oriler and for TINT roason soTera!
Of the original members have boon dlssatisaod
at not being able to gain FREQ access to the in
strument. With $4,000 new domo can bo
built that will work g." as easily as MI old glove"
aud permit all those who arc Interested to OBJ
tain frequent views Of tho heavens through what
was, till tllroo years ago, the largest and best
refracting telescope III the world.
In addition to n now dome, the fund will pro-
vide for tho operating expenses of tho obsory"
atory for thrco yearg. by the ena Of which time
1t liz hoped Chicago will have sufficiently recov-
cred from tho fire and the panic to hs able to
mako moro permanent provision for tho work Of
surveying the heavens. e. CoLBEnT.