Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-06
ZEE TRANSIT or yenus.

viii to evolve the true facts relating TO Major
Bender's observations of the recent transit
of Venus, December 9Th last. aad which l
sdyerted to at length in the RECORD UNION
of the 16sh ult, find an inadverteut error
was made in misquoting 3s. for Sos. had
FIRST worked out Washington longitude 77'
SIS. and Greenwich time 5h. Sn. II. rs !,
which see Is confirmed by the difference OF
time in the american Nautical Almanac for
the four contacts Ct Venus at the late transit.
Then taking Professor Davidson's observatory
as 122' % Al, gave me Sn. 9n. AZ. q Green-
wich time, and the difference from Wishing
ton Of 3h I'm. 30 g. But subsequently / Ie-
ferred TO it as 81. I'm. 3.6i, and computed
the time OF the transit contacts
on that basis at San Francisco.
That mode of explaining If, therefore, was
Us. too late. I then explained the effect Of
the retsrdations and accslerations, but in
stead Of deducting one from the other, 1
should have taken the proper amount of
ingress and the proper amount OF egress, as
explained by Professor Proctor's chart, and
although there was only half minute diff
ference in the retsrdstion at ingress between
Washington (Sm) and San Francis CO t73m.) J.
the proportions Of egress at Washington was
I'm. l5s., and at San Francisco about 3u.
I5.. These facts altered the basis Of the cal
crllation and from the actual time the transit
occurred at Washington it was clear that the
published computed time lSh. BON. A..
N, On. lon. a. NJ, 70. 3om. P
VI. and 2n. 0m. P. had already
allowed for the retardstion at. iDgress Of
Sm. and acceleration at egress OF I'm. los.
80 that where the full duration OF the transit
occurred, or mean Washington time, would
have been Sh. Am. A. N, 80. SIN. a.
H., q. 45m. 15s. P NJ. and 5n 7m. lbs, but
the actual mean Washington time at San
Francisco, 81. SAN. 30s. A. N 90. 15m. 3Os.
A. NJ, 2b. Am. P. NJ. and 81. An. P. NJ. The
whole duration of the transit being AIM.
| greater in San Francisco than at Washing
ton. as Prof Proctor's chart necessarily
makes it. Msjor Bender used San Fran
cisco time. which should be, and probably is,
daily obtained from Prof Davidson's observ.
atory. and given to the G. 2. r. r. Our re.
suits therefore at .he State Capital should be
about the same as Captain Gilbert's, who had
charge of Prof. Davidson's observatory. The
relative difference of the acceleration of
| egress here or at San Francisco would be
very trihing. If, therefore, we deduct 3h.
| I'm 80 6s from 2h. Am. P. NJ we have 1lh.
40m. 90 f.. a. NJ. result, and from 3h. Am. P.
NJ, 12h. Pm. 29 As. But as matter of
| fact several observations of the third
| contact averaged I'm. 473s. later
than the computed time, and were
noticed by Professor Colbert. That addition
would make cur third contact due by San
Francisco time at 11:42 IL A. NJ. Captain
| Gilbert called it at Hap, and DIR. Jaynes'
medical almanac Irsdicted it at 1l:42 sjor
Bender called it at 11:42 45 A. NJ. If Mr..
Shearers watch was correct, and Major Ben
| der believes he called it rather late owing TO
| the "boiling" character Of the stmospherical
| effect. which the fog clouds caused, both
| here as we'll rs in the East /; but If it was not
| due until 11:4217 A. NJ, Msjer Bender was
only % seconds lats; and perhaps not that,
if had obtained the precise amount of tbs
acceIeration. The fourth contact, and indeed
all the contacts, were noticed by Professor
| Young, at Princeton University, about one
minute late. showing, as he remarked to
the New York Herald, that the true
| longitude Of Venus was little back
| from where it had been computed" Still
| Captain Gilbert having called it at 12h. Pm.
| los, and Msior Bender at 12h. 2m. 25s., if it
was not due until 12h. I'm. 90 a.. it does not
look that we should be justified in adding the
one minute to these figures, but rather thst
! NJ jor Bender was only Al seconds too quick,
ard Captain Gilbert 49, seconds too quick
A small difference In the acceleration
would account for any little discrep-
ency, however. and by and by we shall
hear l suppose what Captain Gilbert or Pro-
| fessor Davidson makes it of his observatory.
The longitude, 1210 29 IA, l compute
for the State Capitol, makes our time 3m.
46 24s in advance Of Professor Dsvidson's,
adding that to 1lh. 42D. lis gives US there.
fore 11h. 46m. 8 24s. This also exceeds DIR.
Jayne's almanac 8 24s. so that probably We
are not justified in adding more than 1.44m.
instead of In. Ais. for being later than
Washington predicted time; but DR.. Jaynes
| computation, lib. 46n., seems to
| come out astonishingly accurate, when we
notice these variations at Washington. 1t
may also be remarked that while Professor
Mills computations were adopted for the
American Nautical Almanac, regarding the
transit of Venus in 1874 and 1882, and were
acknowledged to be more correct than the
Greenwich Nautical Almanac in 1874. which
Wss computed by Leyeriier as well as for
1882, and adopted also By France end Ger.
many, perhaps Leverritrs computation for
1882 is going to restore his credit again but
as the Greenwich Nautical Almanac for 1882
has not reached the State Library, / am IN
able to consult il. It is about time, how
ever, that the proper longitude and Washing
ton time was practically adopted in
Sacramento City and acknowledged by
the State, and 12l' 80 "A gives US either
3m. 46 24s. in advance east Of Prof. David
| 57m. A 36s. earlier than Washington time,
or 81. 5m. sc 49s. Greenwich time. Wash
iugton, as already stated, being II 8 Ii s., or
! 81. Sn. r. 12s. Greenwich time, our Washing
ton longitude therefore is 44' 26 5.4. In
conclusion 1 will only remark that the
golden thread of light encircling Venus as
shs approached the sun and left as observed
| by some astronomers, confirms the former
theory of the atmosphere Of Venus, enlight-
eued by the solar rays but brilliant point
| OF light, at about quarter Of the circumfer-
ence from the course or path of the planet,
| deepening into q concavity on the dark globe
| of the planet, as observed by Prof. Langley
at Pittsburg, although not explained by him,
seems clearly to denote something more than
| q polar depression, and may confirm the
theory promulgated by Symmes and Sir Will
| lam Thompson, that there may be hollow
channel of several degrees in diameter from
| pole to pole of the planet, as they believe ex-
| ist through our own globe from pole to pole,
illuminated by electricity. No doubt the
discussion will soon be revived by the astron-
omers aud redoubled efforts made by and by
| to reach the north pole at least, and deter
mine the question. The analogy of Venus
seems ain ost conclusive, however, without
the expense and terrible risk Of another polar
expedition. A. T. GODDARD, G. E.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS -The Board Of
Supervisors were in regular session yester-
day. J. Z. Hobbie was allowed S4U, making,
with the s125 allowed on Thursday, the full
amount of his claim SIS expert. as signed by
the Grand Jury. The report of A Ksithly,
! Overseer Of Road District No. 2, was received
and ordered on file, as was also the report of
5. P. Boyd, Overseer of Road District Ne. 8.
| The arbitrators in the McGrew case were re-
qussted to file with the Board the testimony
| taken in the case. A. Heilbron, Sheriff, was
allowed 1898 for feeding county prisoners
during the month of December. The report
Of n. Patton, Overseer of Road District No.
9. was received and ordered on file. Il. L.
| Buckley fled bis opinion as District Attorney
in the matter of the claims for preparing the
recent Great Register Of this county. The
Finance Committee made favorable report
on large number Of bills, which wss adopted
by the Board. The report being made one