New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-21

LETTER FROM PROF slMoN NEwcoMB.

v,ucu CAN BE ATTAINED BT SMALL AND JUpICl-
Gus ouTIAY-NEw AND ACCURATE TABLES
AND OBSERVATIONS NEKDED-vALvE TO NANi-
GATORS, ExILoEERs AND SURVEY ors-AN oi-
SwrtrNITY TO CONFER A LASTING BENEFIT ON
SCIENCE.
"a fbe Edffor Of Ths Tribune.
SIN. The last few years have witnessed a remark
abo interest in the adj Astronomical scencco on
tbepart of men ofwcalth The munificchcc evn"cd py
tbe many provisions recently made for the founumg
and endowment Of astronomical observatoIies must
rebound to the lasting credit both OF our country
and of the ivcrs Every one having the interest OF
American science at heart must desire that TINS
uumicence shall be directed into the most appropr-
ste ebapnels and il is with the hope that may give
sore hints respecting the attainment of this end that
Itake the liberty of asking public attention TO the
subject through your columns
Donations for the advancement of astronomy
nearly al Nays take C form Of endowment OF an OBJ
servatory. The donors know very well that 1t IS
mainly and in connection with observatories that as
Economical researches have heretofore been made,
md therefore toe hastily conclude that 1t Is only by
cnslowing such IN establishment that money can be
,adyantaqcously expended for the advance
ro.,t of astronomical science. So they
build the largest observatory the funds VIII
admit Of fit il up with tho finest
telescope that can I've procured and with clock and
meridian circle. and the work is then looked upon
ns complete Really the difficulty has only begun
To have the right astronomer is more important
than to have the best instrumental outfit. good
astronomer with the poorest outfit OF Instruments
win do more than an unskillful one with the finest
which the workshops Of England OF America ever
produced. 1t needs only glance at onr obsefVa-
tories to SEQ with what poor outfits and under what
unfayorahlc circumstances our ablest astronomers
are making their most brilliant researches. 1t is
prncipally ny spectroscOpe 0f his own cOntryahce
n comparatively inexpensive Instrument, ana IN
hours of respte between exhaustive tours of class
Instruction, that Prof. Young has rendered Dart
mouth College Observatory famous At Hamilton
College Dr. Peters has hardly anything but BIS
ebronometer and his very imperfect telescope.
doubt whether he has even meridian instrument
with which to determine the positions ofhi> compare
eon Stars. Yet through the laboTs of the solitary
astronomer Clinton Observatory is known wherever
astronomy is cultivated. At Allegheny, with n0ih-
ing but his telescope, Langley has made oDserva-
lions on Tire sun which Secchi and Faye are now
usipc in the French Academy Of Sciences 20 support
their respective theories. At CINCINNATI III 1910,
Mr.. Able had hardly the means of making an astro-
nomical observation when he started The system OF
weather signals and Probabilities which, trans
norted 70 the Signal Office are now well known.
cite these examples not TO show what is being
done by all our astronomers but only to show what
is being accomplished with the poorest Instrumental
means Therefore do not cite the operations OF our
larger and better endowed ohselvatoT1es.
II is remarkable that with some thirty or forty
o,scrva.ories We have not so far rs know. single
school Of practical astronomy in this country IN
actual operation. There is a constant demand ior
astronomers to 60 expeditions Of all kinds, Dui
most Of iher training is selfacquircd huircdlv
gotten up for the occasion, and is therefore guiie
superficial. SGch school would need only the
smallest and cheapest Instruments, because an Oh
seryer can practice Inst az well the smallest in
etrumcnt as on the largest one. Wooden models,
which the student could take to pieces and put 10
rethcr at pleasure. wou'd he an important part Of
the outfit by which he would learn moro than he
would by handling OF looking through a fifty thou
sand dollar telescope
My pIincipal object i'll this communication Is not
TO call attention TO the requirements OF an obsrVa-
tory establishment but to present the claims of
n depar;ment OF astronomy not necessarily con-
nected with an observatory at all. refer 10 that
department the object Of which is to perfect the
laws of tho cees al motions, and to furnish the navl-
gator the explorer and the surveyor the means OF
determining his position when Tar away nom
fbe travelled walks of men. This branch has two
fold claim upon public attention. 1t has from
purely practical point Of view national 1tliity not
,,assed by any other branch, and Its problems
have taxed the powers OF the greatest eeomeeIs OF
astonishing triumps Whenthe ancient asironolncis
fouud fiat rs they Travelled southwark new stars
came i'm sight Oh the southern horizon, While Others
disappared in the north and that an eclipse was
seen at Al earlier hOnr of the day the further east
fs observer WAS stationed, they had disc oVcrcd the
germ of the modern method OF determining latitude
and longitude One illustration OF this method viii
give an idea of the perfection Which 1t has at
tanned Place an astronomer on board ship ;
blipdfold him; carry him by any ronte to any ocean
on the globe. whether under the hnnlng tropics or
in the frigid zone; land him the widest rock That
can be found; remove his bandage, and eivc him
chronomCter regulated to Greenwich OF Nasiing'oh
fine n transit instrument with tie proper aIPli-
ances erd tie necessary books and tables, and
An a single dear night re can tell his po-
sition within hundred yards By observations OF
the stars And land sea, there is no Other con
vep;en4 and accurate method of determining posi-
fiona The wreck of the Schiller Affords an impress
eiye example of the consequences which may result
when tho astronomical determination at ships
rositioA Is prevented by clouds; while tic unles-
tating coz fdence aud certainty with which the skill
full commander brings LIS shin into port when he can
oct a Good observation OF star under the
proper conditions, shows how trustworthy the
method is An important fraction OF the work OF our
National Observatory consists i'll furnishing survey
ing and exploring parties in our Territories with the
means of running boundary lines and determining
positions
The labor of devising the methods and furnishing
the tables and other data for the purpose in question
is divisiblo into two quite distinct kinds. The one
consists in making and reducing the observations
xxherel the positions of MOON planets aud stars
Determined from day to day, while the other con-
e;sts in investigating the laws Of their motions, so
s,,.t their future postions can he predicted with