The New York herald., 1877-09-24
OBIT u. AR Y.
rnpAIs JEAN JOSEPH LIE vEsn1En.

able despatch announces the melancholy tidngs that
verrier, the distinguished astronomer and sayant,
sho has been Tor many years the Director OF The
observatory at Paris, and one Of the most eminent
aen of science in Europe died yesterday morning.
ior year, the health OF NJ. lie Verrier had
lven his friends tor the utmost solciiude Tho
Intelligence that scared through the familiar
ealms OF space and successfully explored their
depths in search OF new and distant worlds, seemed
ager be released its earthly temple. and while
he mind grow brighter and more pchc'rVVe' Tue
pody gradually lost its vitality, and death has at last
aimed its tribute The career OF lie Ncrricr Is til at
81 u man whose devotion TO science knew no cesst-
sion. His work began in his early youth ana cnded
pnly when he yielded up his life. The fruits that have
been gathered through his labors have proved rich
additions TO tho great store OF knowledge which lie
ong and earnestly strove 10 increase ana have won
or him an inperlshable lame Fut his chief successes
have been in The higher branches OF science, into
which chemistry, astronomy and mathematics enter
Amid the bright galaxy Of scientists which France has
tivcn 10 tie world, lie vcrricr occupied ono of the
highest places. His capacity Tor research was extraor
binary, and only equallcd by his industry and consc
ept;ousness. To such lite his attaches glory
beside which that OF the most famous conqneror
in tislory does compare. He was truly hero in
the warfare against ignorance, and his conquests have
been signally complete.
Manche) Oh 1lth OF March, lSl1 and consequently
has died the age of sxty-sx and hall years. From
the beginning he manifested pronounced and happy
disposition toward the study Of the mathematical SCI
epces. In 1881 he admitted TO the Polytechnic
School, and soon distinguished himself as one Of the
brightest pupils Of that famous academy. After TWO
year close application he LETT the school with such
to entitlc him to choice o! employment
IN any OF the select branches OF the public
that hA phyht hastre
be attached IN the capacity OF engineer
the adm mins,ration OF the governments
tobacco monopoly N order TO remain at Paris and pur
scientic studies. His duties IN tins Office led
him TO occupy himself chiefly with chemical expcr!
During several years he examined the records
OF the laboratory, Ia 1887 published in the "Annas
oil Physics and Chemistry" a memoir IN which he an
nounced a combination OF phos horus aud oxygen,
and described the Of preparing oxide OF phos-
phorus in state OF absolute purity But notwith-
standing This brilliant beginning IN me way oi
chemical exlcrimcntati0n, lie gave decided prefer
ence 10 the study Of mathematics HIS success IN
the branches oil descriptive geometry and minute
analysis procured him an appointment as Iec-
lurer TO the Polytecnnque school. In this position
he drawn above all to the study OF celestial
mechanics. Capable oil enormous and sustained labor
and endowed with rare power oi abstraction, lie
yerrier did hesitate to attack the most general
and most elevated problems OF astron omica theory,
including the calculation oi the secular inequalities
planetary bodies ana the stability the solar system
IN general application In two me-
moirs which he submitted in 1889
the Academy OF Sciences he proved that
if the values acutuaily attributed to |
the mass OF the earth and the SIX principal planets
adopted the grouping OF these bodies SATISFIES inc
conditions OF sablty fixed By Lagrange, and showed,
the other hand that the spposabc errors IN these
valuations small ailect them. From that he
deduced the numerical limits IN which the ccccnrici
lies ana the mutual incnaons OF tncir orbits GU lit
always to remain, and also 10 osclintc. He also de-
dneu that that STABILITY is uterorly and even indci-
nely assured by the system Of the three planets,
Jupiter Saturn and Uranus, leaving the question still
undecided Tor Mercury, Venus, the Earth and Mars
These remarkable memoirs ana those III which the !
results were completely dcmons'r"t d, attracted the |
attention OF geometcrs aud astronomers, ana more !
valuable to the author the good Will OF Araso who |
engaged HIM apply his powers OF calculation to the
determination OF the orb OF Mercury and his pcriur
bations tnat IS, the alterations affecting the planet
In Eis e!liptca. motion around the sun, due to the
attractions other bodies Lee verrier brought this
work tie consccn tiousnoss, cearness ana analytca
penetration which had been apparent IN All
his scientific undertakings lie then commenced
the study of the comets, which was thea
attracting tho attention of astronomers, and N
lsi4 presented to the Academy Oi Sc,epDcs theory
TO he periodic comet of 1870 and first memoir OF
the comet oi 1S43 These works opened to him the
doors oi the Academy Of Sciences and he was elected
in the section OF Astronomy Oh the l9tn Of January
1876 p OF Count Cassini
The with which A. Lc verricr reconstruct
the Inaccurate ephemerldes OF the planet Mercury
encouraged him TO attempt the st.ll moro difficult
task OF calculating the tables OF those the
planet Uranus A short time alter his elec
ton 10 the Institute he submitted the first
results OF his to that learned body. Convinced
that the movements OF Uranus could explained
by the attraction oil known celestial bodies he led
10 seek IN an unknown body element of disturb
anee Alter having eliminated The hypothesis Of
large satellite, or of an unknown comet, hc recognized
The prolonged, continuous, persistent, but stu vara
bic action OF a planet Proceeding from tue very
movement which 1t was necessary to explain by lis
Influence, he arrived by equations at the mass, the
orbit and the position OF the unknow disturbing planet
the 1st OF June, 1916. He announced publicly
10 the Academy OF Sciences, what would be WITHIN
about ten degrees the position oil Tins planet the
heavens the lst OF January Of tho following year.
AS the slouuess OF It's movement would from This ale
hold IL a very little removed from tho position pre-
dicied, 1t possible from that search for
II. a German astronomer, NJ. Gale, engaged pre-.
~ "A "A n hrtnl yb
the planet was announced by lie Werner exist
covered 1t virtually Oh the 23d OF September On the
ist Of January Neptune. for that is the OF tho
planet that was predicted reached Longitude exceed
ing only by Two degrees that calculated prior
The sensation produced Europe by this discovery
was immense The public wonder at the exactncss of
science and the power of mind that could divine
without the aid o telescopes, tho existence Of such
distant body. lie Velrer received from all sides the
hauerng tokens OF universal admiration The
King Of Denmark sent nm imme ediately the order OF
the Danebrog; the greater number OF aca
denies OF Europe hastened 10 lnscrbc his name
tho Inst OF their ioreian members; VI. de Salyandy
Minister Of Public Instruction, gave an Immediate
order TO have his bust sculptured, and King Louis
Philippe conferred on MIN the Cross OF Officer Of the
Legion OF Honor and gave him particular marks of
his esteem Chair of Astronomy soon created
10 the Faculty Of Sciences favor Of The great
ecomerician who also attached III the capacity OF
Assistant Astronomer 10 The Bureau OF lonltudes
Tic comple,e work of lie Vcrricr on the planet
Neptune. which tor short time known as Tho
planet lie Verricr was printed III the Connaissances
des Temps for lS49
rvas and some oi them revcngcd themselves on him
by dspung tho honor and the merit o the discovery
But thanks 10 tho popularity which his success
savant had gwen HIM lie Vcrrior who had lruit-
lcssy tried political rdie France during the demo
cratic movement 10 lS4s elected representa-
tive for the Department OF the Msnche III
lhe legislative Assembly He sat then IN
the ranks Of the anti-rcvolutionary majority
und occupied himself chiefly with quest OF pub
bc instruction and projects Of law which we're
connected with scientific discoveries. In 1896 he
appointed to report project OF law relative the
construction OF new lines of telegraph He took part
III discussions on bills relating to public instruction,
the organization OF the Poytcchniquc School the
recruiting Tor the engineers Of the Points et ChatssicS
lie was appointed on the commission the remodel
ling OF the programme OF professional instruction and
was the author Oi scyera propositions Without being
exactly an orator lie Vcrrer spoke with
f3cilty and above all with that clcarncss
which attracted attention TO his astronomical DIS
courses at the >orbornc Alter the c0up det1t be was
named member ol tho Senate and little later In
spcctor General OF Superior Instruction From that
momcnt Ie Ncrrler eXeIcIscd a notahlo inllnnncr OH