New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-17
SIS EARTH AND THE SKY.

NATIONAL OCiou0Oo
rday morning at IL oclockin the classical room at
Eo,rmhIa Colleoe The first paper was by Professor
Pickering, of Harvard in which he presented a plan
Tor SECURING cooperation in the observation OF the va
liable stars compilation Of all the observations
hitherto published of these objects has been maze
At the Harvard College Observatory, and all VIII oe
reduced TO uniform system and published IN
volume of Anrals All past observations VIII thuS
Professor Pickering said, become available ior .u
ture astronomers. This work SHOWS 'n"'
many important stars have been hesiecVou'
Nearly thousand . have peeh susPo0'0N
of variability, but the observations neeueu 10 eS-
tablish this point are still wanting plan mas az
eorl,noIv been developed by which any persons in-
serested in the matter may do useful work. Inc Cd
seryations of most amateurs have little permanent
value not being made according to.a carefully pre-
nqred scheme They are accordingly invited 10
take part in this plan when the number OF observers
will compensate for the small amount OF Work uoAo
by many of them. 1t is anticipated that lhPol'an'
yariables may thus be discovered aud class oi oO-
servers will be educated 10 a realization % 'uo az
that time spent at their telescopes Is wasVou
reduced and published. Measures OF Aho"n va"
ables are also 10 be obtained An account was a'O
given showing what was to DE expected from INC
method of observation employed elf " lLnaih no
scbel devised itand a reduction made at Canon uge
Of his measures shows that this Is one OF his moSO
valuable contributions TO astronomy some causes
of were indicated and their effect illustrated
by a long series Of measures of the Pole star
Professor G. T. Becker, of the United States Geo
logical Survey, followed with paper on Inc
ironogyanbicsl Effects of Faults and Landsides."
IN which he gave an account OF observations inaue
a. the Vest of old earthquake cracks. Professor
{ Nerberrv. of Columbia ollege, then read an
essay on The Physical Conditions under which
Coal was Formed" The paper was N substance as
follows: ,..
The peatboe theory Of the formation OF coal mas gen
erIv been accepted. This View Il 20 the eject mat
cool q rae residual hydrO-caroon Of plants wnoh I4ve
roxu where heir remains are lCuud, ana tAaJ mas
~ GrsndenTv mas recently eudeavored to refute tns
ineorv and that makes II necessary TO discuss me uaV
sl IL formed have transported from their place OF
growth 10 greater or less distance IL the bottom %
i sI' full and faithful record OF her work
in facts 10 which We have gwen an per % ono
Tins is OF the lowest ooa in the series ms coal Hes IN
series OF narrow troughs or basins whlcn we're eYl,
DENLY once marshes occupying local depresslons ana
The valleys OF streams upon the then existing surface
Many these deposits have been worked ih'o anu eA
the GLOWING scam 20 Seoetrsed in every
direction with roots and rOotlets OF sugmaTla- . -.
e. A coal having maximum thickness OF SIX
feet IL the bottom OF TIE basins Ininnihs ou' " 'N
81 The coal On the margins Of the basins is sometimes
thirty OF forty feet above lis place on the bottom
a. average Of 2ia per cent OF assn o,o -, ,,,ob
Ier LAYERS are crowded with impressions OF plants
Prom these facts derive history OF the formation
OF Goa which made the pa0og theory the accepted
oue.
Professor T. D. Cope, OF Columbia College, next
read a paper on The Fauna Of the Puerco 10
ceueD The substance OF this paper was as follows;
II 1874 discovered immediately below the W9s9lc9
brls Of Nev-MeXlCO "A formation or some 0OO Ieet
in thickness. winch named he Pneroo IL mas slice
beea found Colorado otl later found 70 DC IO5-
slferous; aud this fauna that attention is now
directed st of hftyeX species gwen Was tuOuEut
suhicently Characteristic 10 enable us 10 FORM a
pre- ~ good idea OF tn Puerco fauna Omttng SIX un
determined species 81 reptiles We hnd INC following pc
cuharities la tne remaining forms As aHeAHy po,Ieu
out tne determined species OF rtpues Otong 10
suborder thus lar been only found IN the lara
nile formation OF CTetaceeus 90. y. ms $500 m
ERGO position below al the Otner terualles Inc
hV nAey 20 r.nr@senied are as Il is the only
Tertiary fauna kEOwn which perlssodactyla are az
sent The absence OF ambyp one oI tne oHest pee
lss only due TO failure OF dsCOyery put yet 10 De
found l.y very ana tner absence Is con
els vita their small representation IA Inc ASaon
beds above them. in the large number OF Dun1therla
the Purco agrees with the later eocenes Dut e Oruer
characterized 10y the small NUMBER VI
ana eInurCidea are appaTeu y absent Al estevlat
sSses of narsutIa family plaglanlacidae which
lbs is origin In tne Jurasslc period and extended
forms belonging disncvey TO later epoch5 denotes mat
this belongs to an carrier Tune tua1 any DINER
s.pai semi narsnpa! forus WIN nail 'em4rs ana
great expansion Of the hyacod type
Professor 4. \. Young, Of Erhc7tOn COllege, 1Ol-
lowed with ali address the importance of " The
Total Solar Eclipse of May 5, 1883" lie said
The important questions which can be sOved IN this
ECLIPSE those OF atmosphere the spectrum oI INC
chrfrOsp.ere the outer violet portion OF
The spectrum the polarization Of the corona, the relation
between the LOacA hsut ant tne c)rOHa the question
NJ me existence Of an mira planet The palh
OF tie coming eclipse makes II exceedingly dheull TO
get al. 1le time OF tue eclipse Ia very important
because time when there will be Il grsat
deal solar spot activity The duration VI tlls eclipse
VIII be unusually great being about Az minutes since
1865 we had when lasted over four and one
halt SIX minutes lie nearly the maximum pos
siJe duration. portion Oh tne pam eVes over Caro
line Island little place near Honolulu but out Oh tue
pain OF ali regular vessels The French Government
viii, however. send vessel thcre carrying TWO
French astrOnOuers, one frOld Itay anu one or
II out an expedon Now observers can be got 70 give
their services IL this country II The money can be raised
done by private enterprise II VIII cost about @I0'OOO
Professor Charles H. Rockwell OF Tarrytown.
also spoke on this subject. Hs had been at Homo
lulu and had learned the position of Caroline
Island and the possibility Of reaching 1t. The
island is situated in latitude 80 "a south and longi
tude 1862 g west 1t is from 10 eight miles III
length and from two to three in width. 1t can
only be reached by chartenng a steaper at San
Francisco. Ihis would cosI from 500 to $125 per
day. The vessel would have TO 20 down TO the
island March In order u allow time Tor the cree
ton Of masonry as bases Tor telescopes ana the
proper preparation OF facilities Tor observing. IL
could not return before June l. his would make
tern of TWO months and a half and would
about $1,000. he expense Of going to san Fran
cisco would depend upon the iberailty OF The rall-
roads Professors Langley and Newton also strongly
urged the Importance OF such an expedition. Prof
ieSsor Cope proposed that a committee Ue appointed
to present the matter 10 the Government The sub,
lect Was referred 10 the meeting Of the Council
which Will take pace this morning
OBSERVATIONS CT The COMET.
AL internlsson tor luachcon then took place.
otter which Professor &. ii. I. Peters, of Hamilton
College, spoke briefly on The structure Of the
Present Comet" he said:
We mus compare the structure Of the present comet
Its has