The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-23
THE TRANSIT or VENUS.
The United States ExpeditiOnary Ship Swa-
tara Searching for German Scientists.
The Prussians FOund-COmfOrt
able, Successful and Happy.
Comparing Notes---A Bright Record for
the American Astronomers.
UNITED STATES STEAMER SwATARA,(
DUNEDIN. New Zealand. Jan. Is. 1875 /


The United States expeditionary ship swatarR
left Hobart Town for the Auckland Islands on the
18TH OF December. or, more properly. she sailed
Tor New Zealand and the Chatham Islands, intend
/ lag to touch at the Auckands en- route. This was
/ In pursuance OF request from the German Consul
General at Melbourne, who was fearful that the
German transit party sent these islands had
met with some serious mishap as nothing
had been heard OF them their arrival
since their departure from Melbourne, more
than three months before. According TO
arrangements. their vessel, small sailing bark,
should have made during this period two visits to
New Zealand for chrOnometer comparison, and
the absence OF all news from her, taken in con-
nection with the fact that this group OF rocks Is
situated In o very stormy latitude, surrounded
almost constantly with an impenetrable vail OF
iog rain or snow, and grit about with miles OF reefs
and sunken rocks was SUFFICIENT to excite the
nveliest Apprehension.
THE COURSE OF THE GOOD sAMARITANs.
Accordingly, when, upon the morning o. the 23d,
the main island was made out through the mist,
all OF the telescopes and binoculars in the ship
were brought into requisiton TO discover traces,
II possible, OF the German observing party. Our
course lay up long bay or arm OF tie sea. named
upon the charts as Sarah's Bosom, and as we
steamed slowly along in the shadow OF the saw
age looking Cliffs ana and heard the
tremendous westerly swell breaking and thunder
ing into loan upon the rocks that lay upon all
Sides we began TO believe that the fears OF the
Consul were to DE realized. However. as we
passed around one OF the larger islands in the
fog, we suddenly opened on small cove upon the
right and saw dImly through the mist collection
OF about dozen small white, cottage Looking
buildings nesting closely together ar the loot or
the hill.
THE PRUssIANs FOUND COMFORTABLE AID INDUS
TRIOuS.
Shortly afterward the Swatara was at snchor. q
boat was manned and several OF the of1cers went
ashore. The sight Of the ooservatories had Of
course dlspelled all fears tor their safety, but
everybody was anxious to know what success had
attended their observations on the day of the
transit These gentlemen found thu Germans
very comfortably situated indeed: lodged in a hne
capacious cottage furnished with every conven-
fence. They had met with
NOTHING BUT SUCCESS
since leaving Melbourne. They had arrived at
the Islands after short voyage, locs.ted their sta
ton and sent the vessel to New ZesIand to CON-
pare chronomerers with our station at Queens
town, and she was expected back any day. She
arrived the next day. They were under q thou.
sand obligations to Captain Cnanoler for his kind
ness; but really they wanted for nothing IN the
world but clear weather to enabk, them to com.
pete their star observations ior latitude ana
| longitude, SO that they might return home and
| they would be very GLAD to comp are chronometers
with US.
/ NOTES OF THE PRussIAN OBSERVERS.
| In answer to the questions concerning the sue
cess they had met with in observing the transit,
| they told US that the transit had occurred on the
only clear day they had had for weeks, and that
they thought themselves remarkably fortunate.
During the early part OF th, day 1t had ralned
heavily but the weather hid cleared whe the
| transit was thirty minutes old, and the sky had
| remained clear until thirty minutes after the
transit was over
They secured lis phoN,graphs-good ones
several mIcromerrlc easurements ana perfect
observations OF internal and external contact ct
! egress
A GOOD TINE.
The entire party, eight IN all came on board and
dined In the wardroom and we had very Jolly
evening after the Germ8 fashion. We remained
( over until the afternoon OF the next day-Chrlst-
/ mas-when we started Dor Dunedin, arriving here
| SUNDAY evening.
| AMERICAN SUCCESSES.
We learned here that toe weather In all parts Of
New Zealand had been most unfavorable on the
day OF the transt thu only successful party being
That OF the Americans at Queenstown, Ia charge
of DIR. Peters He sue ceejed in obtaining over 200
perfect photographs, with numerous micrometric
measurements and perfect observations OF the last
contacts, both extel5la and internal
ENGLISH REPORTS.
| The principal Enej ish observing station in New
Zealand was al Cps st church. AMI Major Palmer
In charge telegraphed as iollows:-
From Burnham 90 servatory here the observation
OF ingress was spoJ ed by clouds winch prevented
/ any measurements with the douole Image mIcrom-
eter, prior to int Jla contact, and entirely md tne
/ planet rom view lew SECONDS before the cont act
Itself. Pnotogra pas near the contact were impos.
sible. About lou rteen minutes alter contact The
sun showed a. little more brightly at inter-
/ walls. and feH mcrometic measures Of the
| distance or nbi were made during some eight
! ten minutes OUT these would be OF but little
value. A lew phDtograph most OF them indiIer.
/ emf. were also secured. At ihree O'Clock the
/ became entirely hidden AT ha-past Jour O'Clock
the look OF the sky TO wlndw gave hopes hat
the observation al egress-ol Immensely greater
| value than that OF ngress-mignt yet be secu ed,
| but IL again Ctoaded over. aud the SUI was not
seen at az rom nai,past three until some ten
shone brightly until sunset.
The five sub-statlons at Grahams town, Auck-
land. Wellington, Dunedin and Naseoy met with
the same bad fortune, both at ingress and egress.
THE Fin:NcH ASTRONOMICAL RESULT.
To-day the French war steamer lie Wire, with
the French Venus transit party on board. arrived
from the Cam )Dell Islands-a small group situated
about two hpJldred miles to the southwark OF the
Auckland Isles. She Is her way home with the
party ana Instruments. They report that they
had almost continuous stormy weather during
| their stay, taat the sun was entirely obscured
/ during the transit and that consequently no o.
servations CT any KIND were secured.
| THE AUSTRALASIA PARTIES NOTES.
During TINS visit TO Dunedin we learned some
thing Of tine success attending the Australian
transit parties. They were nearly all fortunate In
having good weather, anu very valuable data were
| obtained.
! The goveial ment astronomer at sydney reported
that oearrlu halo was visible around Venus,
| indicating che atmosphere. when was visible be.
! fore the planet was wholly on the sun. No black
drop was ulscernible. The government parties
have totL OF so photographs OF the ingress aud
eRress ano. $50 photographs OF the planet ON the
sun.
| the astronomer at Biisbane reports that the
day was favorable, and that no black drop was
seen. the d ARK edge OF Venus was Illuminated five
inmates lpeore contact AT the station internal
contact at iBgress ana egress was observed.
| Will amstDWu. "A INST Mel