The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-07
THE HERALD OF THE GODS.

THE HERALD OF THE GODS.
The conditions proved highly favorably yesterday
for local tecscopic-smokcd wndowglass observa-
tons OF Mercury's transit AT tho hour OF nrst ex
ternul contact old Sol beamed down IRON . sky
slightly accked with clouds, which served good
purpose In now and then shading his
tense briiliancy, and enabling tho thousands Of
amateur astronomers bring their pieces Of smoked
glass to proper bearing Tho preparation Of piece
OF window pane for astronomical OBJ ser vation Is
undertaking requiring no little skill and circumspcc-
lion. II Ii necessary, for instance, to use rather
burn oleagcnous substance IN order to procure
tho proper degree OF fattincss in tho smoke.
Tho glass must BIO big enough SO that the
scientist may not burn his fingers In the opera
ton OF smoking and, nnally, the smoky sidc OF tho
glass DO turned toward the heavenly body under
observation, otherwise the observer IS likely to
get smudged with lampblack on tho brow or
nose the delicate russell tins Of specimens OF
lager beer bottles just the proper for making
an observation through smoked glass Unfortunately
the oonvcxy OF The surface exposed TO tho solar rays
OF a piece OF broken boitlc does not produce tho
desired effect the VISION. The angle oil inci-
dcncc beng equal 70 that OF reflection scatter
ing Of the rays of light takes place, 70 That
observer using bottle IS Iikoiy 10 see
several images and Is likely TO find II difficult to tell
securing valuable result 1t has been deemed advisa
bio by modern scioEtsts TO abandon the usc OF Tho
aChrOmnttc
ana to substitute the simpler methods Of smoking
piece OF WINDOW glass.
Aiter tho mrs, external and first internal contacts
were observed Mercury was iairy on his travels
the SUMS disk. lie gradually crew ron tho centre OF
what might DO termed the northwest quadrant OF the
solar disk toward anu north of the centre. In this
transit the planet looked IKE a small black spot
buried OF iight yet preserving Its dstiucncss.
II the planet mad its Appearance would
be very much clearer But IL has dense envelope
Of air other gaseous matter about H. the solar rays
rciractcd through this atmosphere and tended to
Itfatp IN nlufnA NH
looking at ~ through large and powerful tel
escapes. Drawing near noon the sky became
overloaded ana threatening, and tue sun was
frequently vbscurcd. though his rays broke through
many riffs 10 the vaporous veil overhead. During
this period OF cIoudincss business with smoked glass
ana telescope was suspended In New YORK, but pubic
curiosity nbatc IN The least Many people, VITO
had not heard or read OF Mercurys transit eoud not
through bit OF sooty glass Their cu iosty was as
10 what these apparently crazy pcopc were doing.
Others watched the sun 10 vain Tor a sign, but saw
nothing on his bright face. several ucope wore just
sure that they saw them-"thcin" meaning svmo
figures which tho observer believed necessary TO a
pror erly conducted transit SO the day and
The clouds passed. Of, giving ~ the later hours .
splendid opportunity for observing tho nnai move
Tho TACT thai Mercury can be sccn with far less dill
ncuty ana without tho intervention OF smoked or
other glass At numerous stated periods every year,
the additional fact that he could not be yes
terday executing through a powerful opera glass or
telescope were no drawbacks TO the intense dosirc
OF The many amateur moon starcrs--of. as the ana
grammatisis have ", asiroDomers-to soc hun
during the time 81 his transit. Why they wished 10
see him " was hard TO say, Tor they could Calculate
nothing from u. Even the Iye-inch telescope winch
Professor Peck aimed ut the God OF Day not large
enough 10 afford scientifically valuable views but The
rage Of the people mono tho less, and from
every available root aud most oi tho street cor
Bers In the city ssobsefvationso were taken. As a
TACT, probably those who had med their
bccks and weakened their eyes really saw Mercury;
but during the evening, strange to say, there was
hardly a citizen IN New YORK Who had not "had an
excellent view OF the experiment Tho gen
ticmaa who was some time ago ufragncd
IN the Tombs Police Court n vagrani,
and who reiutcd tho charge by explaining
that his proiession was smokipE glassea loy ecpse