New-York tribune., 1891-05-09
as OTHERS SEE Us.
EARTHLY ASTRONOMERS NOT THE ONLY ONES
INTERESTED IN THE TRANSIT OF MERCURY.

EARTHLY ASTRONOMERS NOT THE ONLY ONES
INTERESTED IN THE TRANSIT OF MERCURY.
TO the Editor of The TIL pn o
Sir: presume that the shadow Of the enormous
sphere on which live will in. few days intercept
great deal Of the Earth's sunlight and cause much
alarm and inconvenience to the inhabitants OF that
distant star. However the fact that another planet
occasionally passes into the shadow Of Mercury Is
looked upon very important to our wise men, since
thoy thus enabled TO make observations from
stations in the twilight which the Intense light
Of the prevents at other times. For this reason
travelling wagons, which all driven by the heat
Of the sun, stored for the purpose have been busy for
the better part Of year carrying those Interested
from the upper down to the twilight zone, from
which the Earth beyond the iceiods OF our
outer hemisphere. 1t Is. however so close to the
horizon, at the outermost point that can pene
trate TO- that in spite Of the vast number OF observa
tions have made, not able TO settle 10 our
satisfaction tho conditions Of life the Earth but we
have reached the conclusion that the atmosphere sur
rounding your planet is much more dense than tiiat
in which we live What to be the solid parts
shift about greatly 10 SURPRISE and we are disposed
to think that these really not solid masses but
vapoy exhalatens similar 10 those which rise In some
Of subject to the direct rays OF the SUM-
But these are exactly regulated with u.s. In the mid
region of planet where the sun Is always directly
In the zenith these exhalatons never occur; nor arc
they to be found in the twilight zone, where the per
petual chill makes the air clear In the zones
between the amount Of exhalation is graduateo
with great precision by the angle at which the
land LES to the rays of the sun. We have also oo-
served some things which seem to show that your
planet whirls around with great rapidty, ana IL puz-
zles us to understand how you endure this constant
agitation. Now Mercury turns always the same por
tions toward the sun and though the midregion
is unlnbabtable except in buildings cooled aruncisy
and all travel there has to be done through uHrr Se
nd In tlQ hpF
one may choose with the utmost exactnsss Just the
kind of sunlight which he likes best the neat .td Si
course being graduated with nicely. owing TO tne
fact that the views Of people change very much on
this alllmportant subject from tune 70 time, ,,o1t Te
our roads cross all the various zones starting from
the md-regon, that in single trip one can Try
with one OF the more humid where the heat OF
the sun Is tempered by cooling breezes In the mid
slonaly cause great loss OF life but in the zones less
directly under the suns rays storms ann TIpeSS
are Of rare occurrence. THfhoo hADohn@oo'
Mr.. BEACH AND THE ATHLETIC QUESTION.
TO the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In your issue OF this morning, under the mead
of News from NewJersey," is an article which Is
so full Of misatements and does such in)ustce 10
me personally, that l am confident that you VIII
give this disclaimer prominent position IN your
forthcoming issue as you gave that nave been
reader OF The Tribune for than forty years. ana
IL is served every morning regularly WIN NY
and am sure that It's influence me ought 10 nave
made me a wiser than the article referred 10
would indicate Briefly then, let me say that
did not say that 81 would throw out all the gym-
nasium apparatus in the place. but on the contrary
I said from what could see that they had Just
about enough apparatus, but that should not ADVISE
adding anything to it, / made no allusion whaeVef
to dchest-welghtso growing g-machines,' or "paralel
barsp I did not say would prohibit playing BASE
balln but spoke Of II as the grand National gnhe'
when not abused did allude to the IaoerhaSe
billiard table, and described what l saw there one
evening but only as an illustration OF my position
that | did not believe that blliard-table shouiu
ever be found in the rooms Of any Y. NJ. o. A, ana
this was said with the kindest feeling toward Mr.
Scudder and his church
am quite confident that the reporter was quito as
far from the truth in reporting Mr.. Scudder as ne
was in reporting me, when he makes him say thas
Mr. Beach represents class OF people VINO Te.aIu
the Kingdom OF Christ by denounclng Things whlch
are Innocent OF themselves" for certainly more
unjust charge could not be made, ana WHICH 'nds'
nsntly repel ~ -. ,.. ,,,
William H. Beach Is, and that the n0lons ne hOlps
i'm this enlightened age are so antiquated ana pre-,
posterous that they not worth combating"
feel that / the poorer for NOT knowing 'lr. .
Scudder, for he would no doubt, set me rlgnt on
these and other questions, for | believe him to be
known 10 a few people up and down the land,
hope by these few words In sclfdefenGe to assure taem
that Il still live" W.; H. bEA6h'