The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-23
1HB TRANSIT OF VENUS.
Work Of the American As
tronomers in Japan.
A JEALOUS CLOUD,
The Second Contact and Photo
graphs Secured.

one transmitted from Nagasaki, Japan, by Pro-
lessor g. W. Davidson, to the Transit Commission
1T Washington. The aboIs OF the chet astronomer
ar Japan have already been epitOmized IN special
cable dispatches Sc mt TO the HERALD on the morn
ing alter the occurrence OF tho celestial pnenOm.
enOn. Appended viii be found the more complete
and detailed record Of the work done by the Japan
expedition.
REPORT OF PROFESSOR GEORGE DAVIDSON.
UNITED STATES TRANSIT OF VENUS STATIoN,l
NAGAsAKI, Japan, Dec. 49, 1874.
Rear Admiral G. II. DAVIS. President Transit OF
Venus Commission, Naval Observatory, Wash
DEAR SIR--The report OF the operations OF the
party Will be as brief as possible. The Organiza-
ton effected by the commission was as iolows:-
Prof. George Davidson, United States Coast Sur
veg. CHIEF Astronomer; in charge OF The party.
Assistant Astronomer.
Mr.. W. S. Edwards, United states Coast Survey
Second Assistant Astronomer
Mr. >. X. Seibert, United States Treasury De-
partment. Cmef photographer.
Mr. IL. Il. Lodge, FIRST Assistant Photographer.
Mr.. +. IL. Williams, Second Assistant PHOTO
grapher.
Finding that was short-handed in the photo
graphic department. employed at Nagasaki Mr..
Uyeno as third assistant Photographer. In re.
cor0ing, copying and duplicating was frequently
compelled TO the services OF Master George
+. Davidson, and sometimes those OF my wife. We
left san Francisco August 20, five weeks after the
other Northern parties; arrived at Yokohama
September %, and the Instruments IN charge OF
Mr.. Edwards LETT for Nagasaki next day. Having
obtained the necessary authority from the gov.
eminent to make the necessary examinations
and locate my station in any part OF the Empire,
to receive and snip the instruments free OF
duty, ana to have the use Of the gov.
ernment telegraph lines for any long,
tudes required. left Yokohama and
reached Na9asaki October 6. To the Japanese
government had offered to allow some OF their
young Oficers or students to accompany my party
to witness the operations and learn the methods
and means employed in such work. and they ap-
pointed the following gentlemen to accompany
and assist me 81 Lieutenant K. Oromo ard MID
shipman K. lsomo, Imperial Japanese Navy, and
Mr.. T. Mageme, Of the Aomousho, as interpreter
and negotlator.
1t was also arranged that Professor David MUIR
ray, Chief Councillor of the Educational Depart
Iaent Of Japan, and Mr.. Y. Hatakeyama, Director
OF the Imperial College, should join me about De-
cember l. subsequently Captain n Y. Yanagi.
Chief Of the Bureau OF photography, ana esteemed
one Of tue most learned men In Japan. joined the
party in November. Upon the return Of Mr.. Isomo
to Tokel, his place was supplied Dy Midshipman J.
Kaneki. Messrs. Murray, Yanagi and HataKey-
ANA and Magome were required by the govern
ment to make special reports OF tae operations OF
the party.
MANOEUvRING FOR A POSITION.
At NagaSaki the cable connects with Vadivos.
tok and the southern ports OF China, and, al
though ielt certain Of better weather elsewhere
in Japan within reach of the telegraph line and
more favorable atmospherical conditions for Oh.
serving at great attitudes, yet tue shOrtness or
the time for preparation compelled me to select
this station. The previous three months had been
marked by unceasing rams but on the 9th of Oc-
tooer The bad weather broke and changed for the
Easak Is ltuated, chose steep, bare hill, abous
Sns s Of s om part OF s city
OF N3gasakl district, to open a road to The top Of
It, the chart Of Nagasakl Bay WIN give an idea OF
ats general location, while the records contain q
sketch o. the immediate topography Of the sum-
nit. SO soon as tots ROAD was COMPLETED, the
ground on the narrow ridged crest oil the hill was
prepared for the piers and the houses and instru-
inents carried uD Piers lor'tne transit and equa-
torial instruments were built, and the iron piers
for the Photographic apparatus placed in position.
The utmost care and precantlon were exercised
work completed Professor Hail telegraphed
me that he would be ready Tor work October Is.
OF the telegraph longitudes between our stations
before December 9, lest he should remain there
mined 10 give up my time TO that longitude work.
For several reasons selected transit station In
l was informed that no arrangement had been
made with the company for this special work, and
NO plan OF operations had peen agreed upon.
THE TELEGRAPHIC LONGITUDE SYSTEM.
Upon representing the case TO Mr.. tn. Rus
sell, the manager OF the great Northern Telegraph
Company, he promised me the free U: the
earle Tor the work, ana placed me in communIca-
tion with Mr. Carl Nielsen, the electrician or the
company. urged upon him the advantage of our
sending clock signals directly through the cable,
and upon examining our connections and meth
ocs OF work he reported iavorably, and Twas en-
abled, by means OF the insulated nature OF the
CLOCK heices, to break circuit directly on the
line. But as the clock signals we're too snort Tor
transmission the armature was neld back at cer-
tain definite breaks IN each minute or course
there many little incidental difficulties In
she way, but alter ten DAYS work three nights
were obtained wherein several hundred clock
signals were sent to ana received from each STA
ton.
Mr.. RUSSELL on behalf OF the companies, gave us
the line for one or two hours eacn night, and MIR.
Nielsen, when not on regular duty, gave MS time
wholly TO our assistance. To the other gentlemen
ns we ou are sso %e % se
tue telegraph longitude station was done with the
United Siaets Coast Survey meridian instrument
No. 2; field chronogrsph 4.s4S and relays used IN
tie san Francisco Cambridge work. Without
these could not have done the work until after
completed on the zth Of November and on the stu
ltrans-rrad all our time and Iapors to the transit
rKErARAronY SURVEYS AND EXPERIMENTS.
And may here stare that selected base line
and made the necessary measures Tor connecting
by EMANCIPATION the telegraph longitude station
with the transit OF Venus station. Up to November
"a he observations Tor OCCUPATIONS were made,
but there was blank in the list from that date
to DecemDer2. ] soon found, however, that tho
iabos OF the day. and the regular work OF prepare.
ton. practice and observing was ~ mucc as could
De done 4
la order that might be familiar with the phases
Of Venus | had large painted boards placed on
Morldian Hill, three miles north OF the tran sit
station These phases were to represent the cusps,
Venus when ten seconds on wnen IOrty seconds
on and when wholly on the suns disk. They
were made OF the size which Venus would present
In the telescope; the only error being in our then
uncertainty OF the exact distance.
have recorded the practice upon these objects
In the regular day book, observing upon them
whenever practicable IN all sorts OF weather. and
also practising my assistants. The regular obser-
vatlons lot time and latitude were made by Mr..
a imam md Mr. a nF
December | also observed in the Coast Survey
meridian instrument Some delay was occasioned
In this work discovering that the levels OF the
Stack ole transit, 1901 we're useless; but, iOrtu
nately had the United states Coast Survey me-
rIdian Instrument, with extra levels, which, after
mucn trouble, lifted IN the transit. l deter
mined the valuc OF the micrometer aud the equa-
toria intervals or 1907, and Mr.. Edwards deter
mined the Inequality OF the transit axis pivots,
HllCl u