The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-03
Work of the American Expedition
at Pekin.
THE OBSERVATIONS IN CHINA.
Professor Young on the Great
Problem.
The Celestial Empire Pho
tOgraphed.

purpose OF Observing the transit or venus, and
whose return to this country was announced In
yesterdays HERALD. delivered lecture on the
nature and object OF the expedition in the Ste.
vens Institute, Hoboken, last evening" While the
parties were stationed in China the Professor re.
ceved o letter from Professor Henry Morton,
President OF the Stevens Institute, requesting
HIM to lecture in Hoboken on his return. Profess
sor Young acqulescsd, and this exposition OF the
work done by the Pekin party Is the
first that he has made since his return
home. The hall was comfortably filed by an ap-
preciative audience. Professor Young does NOT
seek to popuiarize abstract science. He interests
his hearers by a cursory resume Of the mathemati
cal features OF the work, and giving graphic
episodes incident to the progress Of the observers
THE DISCOURSE
The lecturer began his discourse by expressing
his regret at not being able to speak carefully
as he would wish. owing to his excessive and
arduous duties. He would be compelled to address
them eXtemporaneOusy. What. said he, Is this
transit of venusy The rlanet Venus simply passes
between the earth and the sun. This passage would
take place at the recurrence oil every revolution
OF Venus were it not that her path does not lie in
the same plane with the path OF the earth. Ordi-
narily Venus, on passing between US and the solar
GLOBE appears either above or below the sun, but
once in a while she comes directly between the
earth and the sun, looking like black spot pro.
jected on his disk slowly crawling over Tor a few
hours and thence disappearing again into space.
The passage itself is very insignificant
phenomenon, but the calculations which
can be based thereon are OF vast i'm
portance 10 the astronomical and the entire
civilized world. From careful observation
Of the planets track, as seen from two north and
south stations on the earth, we enabled TO de.
termine the parallaX OF the sun. This parallax
1.-THE size OF the earths radius as viewed by an
imaginary observer at the sun) once determined,
we can calculate the distance between the earth
and the sun, our distances from all the planets.
their weights and sizes as well as our distances
from the fixed stars. Any error arising in our OBJ
servatOns of the transit
PERMEATES ALL OUR COMPUTATIONS
as 10 the other heavenly bodies. the Professor
proceeded TO illustrate by diagrams on screen
the two apparent tracks OF Venus across the solar
disk as vie we'd from TWO distant stations on the
earth. The lines resemble two black parallel
plate The angular distance between the lines
was the key to the solution. 1t Is needless, per-
haps to further repeat the lecturers explanation
OF the nature of the calculations. Inasmuch as this
mas already been extensively treated in the
HERALD. The descriptive portions OF the discourse
upon the screen ground plan OF Pektn with its
meats and towers and gates and the encasing
wall against which British cannon had thun-
dered long in vain. The American observers were
dOmiced in the court attached to the Episcopal
mission: the French remained at the French
Agriculture were depicted, and also the site OF the
Observatory erected there by
THE JESUITs,
in which are to be found many old fashioned astro
nomical instruments and some glasses OF great
ton taken up by the american astronomers during
their observations. The locations Of the equatorial
telescope, the photographlng apparatus the hello
stat, the transit pier ana every appliance used by
the scientists In their observations were accurately
pointed out. All the equipments including he
very sheds and houses used during the observa-
rlons, were carried across the seas by the Amerl-
cans, and borne from the landing place to Pekin
on the shoulders of courlers. The appliances
weighed ten tons.
THE CAPITAL OF CHINA
presented many strange scene. The sky is clear
by night and the heavenly oros tremble much less
than they do when viewed from our own shores.
The air, however, Is filled with dust: the streets
are always crowded with pedlars story and
newsmOngers. The imperial palace is magnlf-
cent edihce OF marble. Attached to it are
artificial pleasure grounds. lakes and retreats
among trees whose antiquity Is shrouded in mys-
terry. There also Is to be seen vast marble bridge
500 or 600 years old The Confucian Temple or
Heavensin one quarter of the city Is visited the
winter sOlsice by the Emperor. Within Is a
spacious chair for that magnate ana several others
for the spirits OF his ancestors. There Is large
white board bearing proiusion OF traditional in
scrlptions. In another part OF the capital is
AN OLD BUDDHIST TEMPLE
to which thousands OF devoted followers have re-
course. 1t Is q pile OF white marole ninety ieet
high. The life or Buddha Is encausted on he
walls. At distance from Pekin stands the ce .e-
brated mauso!eum within which rest the bones of
the great emperors. Unloruna ely there are only
two dynasties represented there because when
regning princes, he took good care to destroy
the rehcs of their ancestors, lest spirits OF The
latter might give annoyance. The grim repository
Is sandwcned between two hills IN q dark recess
studded with snrubDery and trees. The astrono-
mers made
AN EXCURSION TO THE GREAT WALL.
the CONVEYANCE which is considered artsto-
gland carl W no snnas anS drawn WE" py
mule. There was no seat IN II, and the passen-
gers had to squat In Indian fashion. The wall was
built 200 years before the birth OF Christ, Is 1900
miles in length, lOrty teet high and forty feet
thickness. 1t is topped at intervals by strong para
terest in the stupendous work. The surrounding
country abounds with antique stone monuments
and colossal statues or mai-clad warriors and my:
biological beasts. The Professor then described
i was necessary to determine with the
latitude OF the place, then the rate OF the astrOno
mical clock. In order to accomplish this the Oh
view the stars wheeling across the sky Fifteen
hundred observations or transits OF stars across
the meridian. and $50 transits for determination
OF latitude. were made in THIS way. On
THE MORNING OF THE TRANSIT
the clouds began to tnicken, and 1t soon became
evident that the spectroscopc would be useless.
The electric circuit was accidentally broken by q
lunctlonary VINO was born under the constellation
OF Aquarus, accommodating difficulties as the
eventul moment approached. Everything was
remeded, however and at the decisive period OF the
first contact, satisfactory observations were made
planet seen before 1t came INTO collision with the
suns rim. AT some stations, where the SKY was
clear, Venus was distinctly visible long before the
occurrence OF the first contact one hundred
photographs were secured. the four contacts
were sienalled with probable accuracy, although
there was and IL marginal error OF thirty
onds In the estimate OF the nrst contact. The
results, on the whole, were satisfactory, and when
the next transit takes place, IN 1882. we
will have the advantage OF Witnessing 1t from our
own country, and 1t VIII DE scanned by eyes
already experienced.
AN UNEXPECTED PHENOMENON
was noticed after the second contact at Pekin.
Several fingers seemed TO intervene between the
planet and the suns rlm-due to the acti0n OF
Venus atmosphere. Professor Young portrayed
the ooservatories and instruments constructed III
CHINA long ago by the jesuit missionaries, anu
which have scarcely been surpassed In our own
times. He described some of the rude Astronomical
implements IN vogue three centuries ago; among
them an equat oral III perfect state OF preserva-
ton. on concluding his interesting discourse the
lecturer was warmly applauded. lie proceeds to
his homo to-day, ana WA then return to his col
lego.
"BILL KINGS" PROPERTY ATTACHED.