The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-19

N wv vi
rect than either value taken separately. But the
Rrtish of the of tran sit az OBJ
served from southern stations do not of
give spy means of determining the suns distance
Thew must be combined with observations of the
an alton Of transit as observed from northern sta
tiors and no british party was stationed where such
n ens. ~,u Gould he Obtained The vaina then
Of these particular British southern Observations
can oniv be educed when comparison is made be-
tween them and the northern observatlo BY Amer
lean German and Russian astronomers.
We must not. then. be dishearened II the results OF
the brsisn opels.ons aiyno suoulu not seem 10 DO
that that portion of the British Operations which
only has value when combined with the work of
other countries may be found to possess extreme
value. We had good reason for doubling before
hand whether results OF any great value could be
obtained by Delisie's method. 1t was only because
Haey's WAS supposed to fail totally that the gov
ernmcnt astronomers thought of employing
that method when the experience or former ransits
iad taugn, US 20 rssat h Is OF very little value.
American astronomers VIII accept tho new estimate
of the suns distance, unless-which venture to
predict will not be the case-the entire series OF
transit observations should seem to point to the
same value as tho most probable mean. Even then
most asst onomers VIII, believe think rather that
transits of Venus do not afford such satisfactory
means OF determining the suns distance as had been
NEW CRATER IN THE MOON.
The moons surface has been so long and 20 care
fully studied that 1t is almost impossible to under
ssanS nov Saun ,a a as now ~
II,
dreds on the moons surface. But many astronomers
nave gwen years ., sae,f e 20 the s.uay o. @
sons which astronomers will understand has been
studied with exceptional care 1t seems so unlikely
that deep crater three miles III diameter coulo
escape recognition. that astronomers have not
hestated to regard the newly detected crater as GER
tainly now formation. FOR my own part. though
1t seems almost impossible to explain now such
crater could have remained so long unnoticed.
can regard tho evidence OF change as amounting ony
to extreme probability so far as depends on the re-
COLD WINTERS
The chapter devoted to cold winters will BIO found
of peculiar interest at the present time:-
During the cold weather of last December (lY7s)
we heard much about oldtashioned winters. 1t was
Cenersllv assumed that some thirty or forty years
ago the winters were colder than they now are.
Some began to speculate on the probability that we
may be about to have a cycle of cold winters con-
tinuinp perhaps for thirty or forty years as the
cycle Of mia winters is monty supposed to have
done II any doubts were expressed as to the
Greater severity Of winter weather thirty or forty
wears ago evidence forthcoming to show that at
that time our smaller rivers were commonly frozen
over during the winter and the larger always
encumbered with masses of ice and not unfrequently
Sorsotfen rastima -, these davs a. rad
with what It was when the seniors of our time were
lads Nor were dismal stories wanting Of villages
been lost amid snowdrfts and of other troubles such
as we now associate rather with Siberian than with
British winters.
m.a,, go. .,a ,,.ras 80 ~. r.n.,, ,,.n-,. Co..
turning W. 'Ao pese' ~ 'Ao '''"S 1us"-'"' Ao'
the year froctor came ACROSS passage
which shows that "these ideas about winter weather
go. .ar. go ,vora ar+or+.in.d sor.x, voars ano
1870 49,. ~ ,,;.o.,, 80. 49, 80 ;.
m. .,, % ....,.., -,
gives no valid support to the theory OF change Nor
is it difficult to understand how the idea that there
mas neen has 10 te
with Children observe or feel the effects of mder
| weather. child gives no heed to mild winters.
They pass like ordinary spring or autumn days, un-
noted and unremembered: But bitter winter. or
every year. is remembered. Even though 1t lasts
| but for short time 1t produces as
much effect on the childish imagination as
long ana bitter winter produces on the
minds OF grown foik. Looking back at the days OF
| childhood the middle aged man or woman recalls
what seems ike series OF bitter winters, because
recalling many occasions when, during what seemed
long time. the snow lay deep, the waters were
frozen and the outdoor air was shrewd and biting.
| Before considering some of the remarkable winters
which during the last century nave Deen
in Great brttan anu In Europe gsneraay W.,
lief that the winter weather OF Europe and OF Great
Britain especially, has undergone no noteworthy
change during the last century.
Professor Proctor concludes this chapter by saving
-.
tna'-
On the whole the winter OF l87S-79 must be re-
garded the coolest we have mad during at least the
last score OF years and probably during twice that
time. 1t was not characterized by exceptionally So
we're short periods or intense cold Ike those which
occurred during the winters OF 1880 iSooo6 and
dsoo-oi PUT ~ mas Deen surpassed oy rev winters
perature and long-contnued moderate frost. During
the last ninety years there nave Deen only TOUR WIN
ters matching that OF io'o-'S III these respects.
OXFORD AND cAMBRIDGE ROWING.
r,o NV, ohar,or % NJ, =, yor.rt s,,,,..
Aio "o~' P " Va 80 ' ~ '"o'oos
from any OF the foregoing ana treats OF the points
of difference bet ween oxford and Cambridge rowing
p,sassr proc+or "a an ax,,srt oar.ma, ond ,,rao.
NA - ~ eA
stands his subject he SAYS
The records Of the eighteen boat races between
Cambridge aud Oxford indicate clearly enough the
existence adherence of style in the rowing Of the
two universities circum stance quite as plan v sur-
gested by the five successive victories of
tories of Oxford which preceded them For it is or
should be- known that the victories of Cambridge
only began when Morrison one OF the finest Oxford
oarsmen, had taught the Cambridge men the
oxford style so far as it could be impaired
to r0wers accustomed for the most part
in intercollegiate struggles to a different system
With regard to the long succession OF Oxford VIC
tories which began in 1861 and WIFI CHI be it noticed
followed on Cambridge successes obtained when the