New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-16
THE TRANSIT OF VENUS.
PREPARATIONS FOR OBSERVATION BY DIFF
FERENT NATIONS.


poING-oRG AVIATION OF THE UNITED STATES
COMMISSION FOR THE woRK-DETAus OF THE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EXPEDITIONS.
IvRoM AN AsIoNAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE.
WASHINGTON, May IA review of the prep
araons which different nations are making including
our own. for observing the coming transit Of Venus,
will be found somewhat gratifying to our national
vanity. England has selected five stations TO
which she will send parties. She has now the
ship Challenger inspecting islands in advantageous To-
cations the South Indian Ocean. There will probably
two stations IN the Sandwich Islands, one OF whch
will be at Woahoo. for the purpose OF observing aceee
ated inCrcss chat is for taking observations al station
which from its geographical position, will be among the
first where the approach OF the planet TO the suns DISK
IA visible) and two others at Kerguelen and Rod
ricuez Islands, for retarded ngress chat is,
for observations from station among 'he
last from which tho approach can be perceivedl;
another at Auckland for accelerated egress and fifth
at Alexandra retarded egress those stations being
among the first and last where the departure OF the
planet from the sun can observed the two parties
the Sandwich Islands being considered as occupying
one station.
The estimates submitted by the Astronomer Royal
were Woahoo detachment 25OO; for Rodriguez
and Kercueien's $4,000 each Auckland. 5000, and
Alexandria 1885, making total Of S412 $50. grant OF
ss2.5OO was made in May, 1862 TTOughon and simms
make the Instruments and Dent the clocks for all the
parties Tae Cambridge Observatory lent two ana MI
DE la Rue one, the telescopes u NC
oquatonlIs was the formerly used by Admiral
smythe.
ENGLISH METHODS AND INSTRUMENTS.
The buildings for the Instruments are substantial
Structures stout wooden framework covered with
weather boarding and rooted with zuc and roofing felt
Each instrument has separate building those for the
transit instruments being 10 feet square, with walls SIX
feet high The atazmuth huts nine feet hexagonal
with bcxagonal dome circular frames, with six
rollers to permit their being turned with the open
M in the roof 10 any part Of the heavens
Tic buildings made portable by being constructed
in sections which connected together by bolts and
nuts. For the transit Instruments massive Portland
stone piers will be provided with foundation slabs. For
the atazruth stone pier caps only will be sent out
leaving the piers TO be provided on the spot Inc
sources personnel the officers Of the Royal
Artillery the students of the Naval College. and some
private individuals who are now undergoing prelim'
nary drill at Greenwich. Photographic observations
will be made at Peshawar in Northern India and Lord
Lindsay has equipped a party al his own expense 10
observe the transit from the Island Of Mauritius.
There was a belief current among astronomers
that photography could not be used where the photo
graphs afterward to be subjected to such rigorous
as are necessary TO give us more accu
rate value of the solar paralax than we now possess
or IN the words Of Mr. Rutherfurd, The photo
graph of the VIII have greater or less diameter DIV
many seconds of arc, according TO the energy OF
the rays which have produced: 1.-THE image; and
this discrepancy may be produced by a change
Ia the aperture in the length Of the time of exposure
iu transparency of the atmosphere, in the hour OF
the day. or 10 the sensbity of the chemicals" Accord
ingy the position of Venus the suns disk must not
be measured the limb Of the sun. but from its
center; and II found that the probable error OF
measuring the position OF Venus, as given by Prof.
Hail. will be about twelve hundredhs of single second
OF arc which about the oneioureen-hundredth of the
whole OF the sun, which is certainly within the
probable OF an observation by the eye OF contact
As it became evident that photography would
be an important auxiliary England ordered of Mr. Dali
meyer five photo photographs built under the direction
OF Mr. De la Rue. whose o1ect-gasses, four inches in
diameter, give an image Of the about half an inch,
which afterward enlarged to four inches in diameter
The whole apparatus, unlike the American Photographic
apparatus, moved by clockwork, and mounted in the
equatorial style md for the purpose of derayins
the expenses the Photographic apparatus $500 add
tional has been appropriated.
RUSSIAN. FRENCH, AND GERMAN PREPARATIONS.
Russia will occupy twenty-seven stations. stretching
across her siberian possessions. about 100 miles apart
from Kamschatka and from the Black Sea- Tle equip
monts of the individual parties will not be as complete
as either the English American. and 1t Is the design
TO determine the geographical position OF the stations
by the geographical survey, which will use line OF
telegraph through Siberia TO Nicoaevsb, 10 determine
the lOngitudes. An appropriation OF s'23V1 mas Oeeh
made % defray expenses.
The French Commission before the FrancoPrussian
war recommended TO the Bureau des Longitudes the
occupation Of ST. Paul's Island Now-Amsterdam foko
hama Tahiti, Noumea, Mascate, and Suez Since the
close of the the subject has again been taken up
the French Academy has applied TO the Government
for aid and under the head OF "Public Instruction"
provisional appropriation OF t2l,OOO has been made
TO be expended under the direction Of a commission
whose head is Aphonse Martin Lately this appropFia
ton has been increased by Onehalf. -.
Germany decided to furnish four parties for hello
metric OhscrvatODs-One in Japan or China, and the
others probably at Nautilus Kerguelens, ana Auckland
Islands. - A., - ,,.
scales, even Nevsouth Wales granting 5000 and under
the direction Of Mr. RUSSELL establishing three parties,
about so miles west from Sydney the European
nations sending parties TO comparatively unknown re-
this way viii contribute to the natural sciences as well
as astronomy 1t would have been desirable to nave
had "A naturalist attached the United states parties
had funds OF the commission having the matter In
charge justified the necessary outlay.
AMERICAN PREPARATIONS.
In 1871 the United States Congress appointed Com
mission 10 expend such appropriations might be made
for the observations Of the transit Of Venus IT consisted
of the following members Rear-Admral B. F. Sands,
Superintendent U. s. Naval Observatory Prot Joseph
Henry, President National Academy Of Sciences Prof
BENJAMIN PIERCE, superintendent U. g. Coast Survey;
Prof Simon Newcomb, and Prof. VIM. Hardness U. s.
Naval Observatory. The Commission selected Admiral
Sands for chairman, and 1t Is TO his warm
sympathy with the OF astronomical science and TO
his executive energy in properly bringing the matter
before our that the thanks OF American
scientists DUE for with inadequate provision for de-
reason for the doubt OF DE Tocgueve which Prof. Tyn
dali quoted to "The future VIII prove whether tne
passion for profound knowledge, so rare ana 30 iaIn
iul, be born and developed 80 readily In demo-
cratic societies as IN % o. s IOr sa6ds
March 1872 asking for s5OOO0 TO be expended In three
ent the Secretary Of the Navy and the appropriations
asked were granted by Congress II was resolved 20
tact, and after discussion as the various.tphoto
iuap nf