The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-23

most uniortunate OF I'll tile observing parties on
Mr. Edwin Smith, OF the United States Coast
survey. Chiel OF the Chatham Island party, reports
tnat the weather on the day OF the transit was
execrabe. Thick, RAINY weather prevaied with
out break until the planet had completed one-naf
OF It's journey across the suns lace. Thus the con.
facts at ingress we're lost. A snort interval OF
GEAR SKI enabled them TO secure number OF
face OF the sun, and no further observations were
possible during the transit.
wHANHAs BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
In summing up the results obtained by the
Swatara parties 1t may be remarked that while
no one OF the parties was blessed with perfectly
clear sky on the DAY OF the transit still the data
OBTAINED are quite enough ior the purpose. pro.
vlaea as good results have been obtained at the
corresponding stations IN the Northern Hemi-
sphere.
DR.. Peters, OF the New Zealand observing station,
was, perhaps, the most fortunate OF the Ameri-
cans, obtalung next to perfect set OF observa-
tons wnle the English parties, in the same
Naseby. Wellington and Dunedin. JAILED entirely
on account OF the weather. the American parties
most fortunate OF all were the English parties In
Australia. nt sydney and Melbourne the weather
was clear, ana complete sets oil observations were
secured the contacts. both at lngress and egress
being obtained.
AT the American station at Chatham Island tho
results were very meagre aud apparently OF indi-
Ierent value; but even with the data OBTAINED
Gent accuracy. rom their knowledge OF the orbit
OF the planet and It's rate OF speed, the path OF
Venus across the SUMS face, If not the exact IN
Loss TO THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE.
II 10 oe regretted, OF course. that we failed TO
establish an observing party at the Crozet islands,
but the continuous stormy weather and the dan
Rerous character OF the coast, taken IN connection
with the limited amount OF time at our disposal,
rendered this imp ssible without running the
I Iisk OF losing one or two OF the other
this foreign governments furnished each 90.
serving party with separate vessel the
war steamers Tor their use. The French party at
Campbell Islands, the German parties at Kergue-
len. dt Mauri iuS and al the Aucklands had each
2
the Swatara, third rate American man-ofwar,
had ave parties. with Instruments, houses, provi-
sions, DC, complete, to land and attend TO.
COMPUTATIONS AND CORRECTIONS.
The results OF ali this expenditure Of time and
least, until the astronomers at headquarters nave
finished their computations and mace their final
corrections ana comparisons with the astrOn0-
mers and scientific men OF other nations; but the
suns distance once accurately known the dis
great advance viii nave been made in the most
wonderful and mysterious OF all the sciences.
BANQUET TO THE AMERICAN AND FRENCH OBJ
SERVERS OF THE TRANsIT-PRoFEssoR PETERS
SPEECH.
from the Otago New Zeaand) Times Jan. o.
The dinner given last evening by the members
OF the Otago Institute to the officers OF the French
and American transit OF Venus expeditions. was
remarkably successful Seventy.six gentlemen
or whom only twelve or thirteen were
dinner. The President or the Institute
lMr. J. 4. Thomson) occupied the chair.
and was supported on the right and left by
Professor Peters and NJ. Boquet de Ia Grye and
the officers Of the French and American exped.
lions and OF the war ship La Wire, His Honor Mr.
Justice Chapman and the Rev. DR.. Stuart. Cap
tain HUI ton and Messrs. ]. S. Webb and McKerrow
acted as crOupiers.
Alter lull justice had been done to the viands
the Chairman gave toast to "Tne very good
healths OF DR.. Peters and NJ. Boquet de La Grye
and the members OF their respective STATS"
PROFESSOR PETERS, SPEECH.
Professor Peters, VINO on rising to return thanks
on behalf OF the American expedition was re-
ceiv.d with loud and prolonged cheering, SAID
treir worthy President had began his speech by
going back thirty years, but he professor Peters,
Very ming Although A tnsy need a. nos
be AFRAID tnat he was going to make
Sag speech woes s Nes eg made the
first appearance IN history. Tae historical
record oi New Zealand began with an astronomi-
the occasion Tor their intercourse Tonight (Ap-
plause.) 10 observe the transit OF Venus In 1893,
captain (then Lleutenant) Cook was sent out to
Otanelte. he there became aware from a native
tradition oil the existence OF large unknown
plisned his work at misunderstanding successfully
observed the transit OF venus-ne started IN
search Of the continent, and found New Zealand.
He circumnavlgatea Aew Zealand, aud from that
day New Zealand existed In history. (Appiause.)
One hundred ana five years mad passed away SINCE
then, and now much had changed upon the sur
lace OF The earth! II an innabltdnt OF Venus
was endowed with sight powerful enough to
watch the dongs anu workings and mOve-
ments OF mankind, and exercised that power
only at those intervals when Venus came midway
between, or IN the same line with the and the
earth, would ne not be as Onisned IN 1874, when
he came 10 look again upon the same spots tnat
he saw In 1859? He would see beautiful cities
wnere before he only saw wIldernesses he would
see that the civllizauon oi Europe had gone
through the length and breadth OF Q country
w Ia in nam ted nv ia Ha
would see arts and manufactures OF all kinds
established IN country where wnen Cook sailed
along lis coasts ne saw nothing nut the poor SIM
pie children OF nature; ana perhaps that same In
nabltant Of Venus might also cast glance at Lake
Wakatlpu- (applause)-and remark there little
party Dusy engaged looking at Venus ana the
sun. The problem which they mad to solve Dy obser.
vai1ons OF the transit OF Venus was the measure
ment OF very small quantity-to the measurement
OF smau quantity NY means or TWO large quantl-
titles Let them suppose two astronomers, one
at the centre o. tue earth and one at the surface
OF the earta. looking At Venus wnen she was
nearly in the direction of the sun. The observer
III the centre OF the earth would see venus at
certain point; and the observer at tue surface II
not exactly IN tue direction from the centre OF the
earth TO the sun, would Venus little displaced
IN another point IL was Lns difference, or
this displacement, which had 10 be measured. He
sad 1.-THE centre OF the earthn out OF course, no
one--not even their daring friends OF the Frcncn
eXpedition-woud venture to 20 there There
northern and another IN the southern hemis-
pnere-and observed the displacement ID regard
10 the m SUMS centre between those two
points. The further apart the better, and, there
lore, the points Oh observation were extended over
as vide range as possible, and not at that point
where Venus was IN the zenith. For that reason
every one tried TO get as lar away as possible from
that point IN which Venus was IN the zenith. For
that reason, also, mad the French selected their
station IN the very centre OF me southern Polar
regions. Now, The question was, How could
they measure the displacement upon which
all depended, as their chairman had ex-
plained-the parallax upon which all
depended-n order to measure the distance be-
tween the sun ana the eartn. In former timeS-in
the last century -wnen the previous observations
OF the transit were taken, there were no otner
means availaDle put to follow the rules OF Haley
or DE Li3e Ito mea ure the time wnen Venus
would be seen contact with the sun-when
the limbs touched either externally or internally.
since That time Otner sciences mad come into
existence, anu as every science he.ped the
Others these sciences helped astronomy. For
stance, they now had photography, and wnen the
time was approaching that the transit OF Venus
should again take place. one OF their first IDEAS
was 10 make use OF photography to determine tins