New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-24
VhNUS DURING TRANSIT.
OBSERVATIONS IN TASMANIA.
REPORT or CAPT c. W. RAYMOND u ~ A. |iii"' WI
PARTY AT CAMPBELL TOWN.

REPORT or CAPT C. W. RAYMOND. u S. A. ChiEf of
PARTY AT CAMPBELL TOWN.
CAMPBELL Town. Tasmania, Dec 10, 1914
Prof SIMON NRwcOMD. U. s. NJ. Washington ~ o'
SIR: This letter will give you all the iniorma-
ton concerning our doiUgs winch you VIII ioii' "
tho renor, can he nat 10 better form after me- reth ior
inst AZ present we are busy closing UP or worh
Cr,ro,v to our expectations which were founded on
oteoro ris and all the information wO con1
obtain We hive had very bad scaSoh "ero 'or ou'
work. Nevertheless as far as preparatory woh Is COZ"
cerped think You will fnd that wc nave "one every
thing which you expected. MY observatory was got Ill
perfect working order at early day. aaa mas Deen
kent 40 to this limo Up to the day OF transit wo had
fcoouen, drills onj when We could not get the SUM- As
"a Frequently the case. often drilled without HIM
We had our last drill with the sun on MONDAY, Dec.
The weather was partly cloudy ana azy. bat the sun
shono ont brightly at short intervals throughout the
day and We mad very thorough drli Indeed, taxing
nv good including contact pictures o.
Tnosday Dac g. it was cloudy all day. Tie not
The day wac spent IN completing tne necessary
instructions OF tue Commission and my 0wn general
order for the day The sky was watched all night IN
order TO take advantage of any sudden break thai might
occur especially tn determine azmutn 0i transit ihsu
men but no stars were seem la the morning tIe say
was full OF rain Clouds the wilma Blowing little west OF
NORTH and when the party assembled at he Observatory
at 1880 ~ IN accordance with orders. 1t vas raining
rain poured In Orronts Occasionally distant thunder
was heard my ordors oa .ns T6 en
wore compared and put In Their proper places Tue
electrical connections
cult or course the adjustments OF the Photographic
telescope could not be examined or the errors moajured
but this done Immediately after the transit.
Otherwise everything was done a. II wodd nave been
done had tue day been fair Thirty minutes before tho
com pu ed tune OF first took pace (gIth lay
volunteer aid. Col Lehbrdge) In the equatorial house
The equatorial set for tho planet AT first contact.
and at the chronometer time OF computed first
the cOcKwOrk set In motion. Tho members or the
photographs corps took their station IN The photo
graphic house at IL a. n III accordance WIN orders,
and stood silently at their posts al nOuSn ts ram was
pouring hopclcssly outside. Mr. Tilman could not put
up the small telescope in the open air. as was intended
lie therefore suprlatended the arrangements generally
outside the equatorial house. AT about 1918 tho rain
suddenly ceased and the sun appeared SHINING diny
through clouds INSTANTLY threw open the shutter,
took my place at the equitorla aud saw ,hc planet
dimly quite near tho edge OF inc sum but well beyond
second contact. then made an attcmp 10 measure the
strip OF light between Venus and tho nearest nt Of
the suns limb, but without much success trOoaO) on
account OF the heavy clOuas whitL were continually
drifGg the sun. AT ABOUT D. M Violent storm
wind ahd rain commenced and operations tonoraliy
ceased.
mencod under Mr.. Ttmans supervision prac
tcable the appearance of tho sun Nhon tie ram
ceased, the hehosat aud Its cock%ork wore instantly
mounted adjusted and set in motion. ana few photo
graphs were taken by watenns Tor ,opp1rtunu1,
ceased and tho sky cleared little AGAIN nun,
Der of measurements OF distances wcro Obtained al
this time, although the sun was only visible at inef
walls. ,,.--,,.- - ..
Tne photograpbing was resumed when'he snn reap
peared and was continued throughput tne daY whoh
the visible. observed the 81 contact ~
the equatorial About the timo OF contact l.hG cloli'
were drifting over the sun and planet. The planet
seemed 10 mo 10 gradually assume tnc pear shape. ~
shooting out or tGo piilet toward the suns iimD az
near the time OF contact, was observei' zoe SUM
seemed very mucn like those observed with the arLh,
cal transit az Washington. out the uncertainty seemsd
greater apparently account OF the agitation Of tn,
suns iiinD. Tue cloudy LINK between tho planet ana
suns limb lst before contact seemed muoL more con-
fused Daiiag the day obaileI IS fan sized photo
Graphs, and n Jans5enS between 81 ana 4tl contacts
Tue sized photographs are nearly all good although
thy were an taken through clouds. few
or look though they lad been sal on when they
whcn at sri We nad perfected it ana the drll
en- that cJuld easily have takeu $50 pcturts
with 1t on clear day Oetween IL ana "a contacts.
We have OF single plates OF JinSscns at about an
average OF Is Tor eicn picture. ahd i've plates at ABOUT
on average Uf for eaon cinre including changes Of
plates all delays. | had 10 intention OF rdnbinS
the Janssen, OF 1st cOntact longer than about l0.
however, which would have gwen me about 2JJ pa
lures because the instructions seemed 10 be explicit On
That point ana nos lutoGd TO tahe any Janss.s o. no
strucs to that END. ana because We could very
easily III all our plates without JansseIS ana
an convinced That the lu sized atcs are far more
valuable. IL would Do nice sounding tainS 10 d. 10
take / 5Oi pictures at contacts bub if hid done 1t
should have expected good scJldne on my return.
rms ready put when deold sd to take them we qIloGN
IN aGe ono by pJncnIng hole il tho lst contact
paratus. A. in great hurry our hole was not
made as IL might been, and our Jams
sons httle rough and unsAlp'y round the edges
The guns and planets edges OdIl; ont sharp ana GEAR
and oil course lhIs VIII maze no DIN renee 10 YOU as
you don't require photographs of hOes but aitcr the
beautiful plates wo made at drill these u"'ishy ones
are not pleasant. Immediately after thc observation
OF the IL contact commenced Measuring cusp', and
got ABOUT measure Dens5 90 reddiHS) through
Intervals in the clouds. They all good ones
4 believe, the sun ehOne ont brightly at Tue
intervals Very near fourth contact heavy cloud
passed tho Ii reLaiued about two minutes,
and wnen H. passed away the planet was gohe. must
MOI that the chrOuOgrapn made an auto
matte and unmistaiiblo record Of every phJtJgrdph
taken including JtusscuS After Inc Transit was over,
the ali OF the Photographic telescope were
e4 amined and found correct aud obscrvAilJns were
uao determine the errors In level ana azlmuth OF
Inc telescope The iron rod was carefully
measured In tho evening, although stars could 0nii De
intervals account ~ clouds, falr tnc
set was observed. including good azlmutn stars.
the WHOLE THINK We may claim "a ialr success at
Campbell Town. We have had observations enough 10
give us splendid time. and our Photographic adjust
meDts arc all Tho errors have been deter
mined three times week generally, Instead OF twc, IA
the ions so what we have got ought 10 De
valuable. AT all events, are aIead OF HODirG Town
and Melbourne. Hobart Town. lam told got no contacts
and no nedsuremen;sin fact they did not use their
equatorial AZ all We got more fulszed photographs
aud more JiUssens than they did. As for Melbourne.
Ellery teegraphs that they got second contact and
few Janssens so nave done better than snould have
done had Como to Victoria forgot 10 mention that
the the trnusit perfect day. ana there
been cloudy 9tD or December hero Tor tie last
nine years! Sucn Is luck. Very truly &C.,
CHAs. W. RAYMOND, CDief OF party at Campbell Town.
OBSERVATIONS ON CHATHAM ISLAND.
REPORT OF MR. EDWIN SMITH. CHIEF OF PARTY At
CHATHAM ISLAND.