The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-05-25
ROYAL VISIT.
Her Mnjes v Insp eta Astron nomicaI
Nb-erVatiOos at WBikilSi.

SprVajOry OF Professor hafCuSe, Tue
German astronomer, by that gentle
mans invitation. The Queen was
attended by Major the Hon. j. w.
Robertson, Chamberlain, and Mrs.
c. h, Wilson, lady-in-waiting, and
was joined at the observatory by MIR.
II. f. Glade, German Consul, and
wife, Mr.. and Mrs j. Q. Carter, Mr.
and Mrs +. A. Schaeter, Mr.. j. f.
Hackfeld, and Mr.. +. Z. Hastings,
Secretary of the Foreign Office.
Prot. Marcuse conducted Her
Majesty into the observatory, where
he had chairs in position for the par
tvs comfort. The professor then
gave short lecture on the history of
the problem to aid In the solution of
which he came to Honolulu. He ex.
planned the construction and uses of
the zenith telescope, and setting the
instrument for several stars showed
how they were bisected in the instru-
ment. Outside of the building the
professor had large telescope adj
justed for different celestial bodies.
Venus, in her half.full phase, wes
viewed by the Queen with great in
terest, the telescope being adjusted
at 400 magnifying power. After We
nus, Saturn with its wonderful rings
was revealed to Her Mojesty's pro-
foundly impressed gaze. Two out
of Saturn's eight moons were clearly
discernible. The telescope being set
Tor several double stars these were
brought so well defined into the ocu-
lar glass as to show the division be-
tween them very clearly. Star clus-
ters in the constellation of Cancer
were also viewed, some of which
looked like sets of diamonds.
When Her Majesty and party had
feasted their eyes on celestial things,
Prof. Marcuse conducted them to the
American observatory. Here Prof.
Preston in charge eXploined his in
struments to the distinguished COM
pany, especially the apparatus by
which he takes his pendulum obser-
vations. Her Majesty was pleased
to operate the chronograph in regis
tering an observation, and by request
of Prof. Preston signed her name at
the place to the record,
Atmospheric conditions that early
looked dubious had become very fa-
vorable when the Queen was shown
the astronomical exhibition in the
German observatory. From the
American observatory Prof. Marcuse
conducted the party to the cottage
on the grounds of Mr.. j. F. Brown,
where champagne and light refresh
ments were served. The Queen with
her suite took her departure for town
at S:45, the rest of the party leaving
for their homes shortly afterward In
connection with the foregoing account
nf Her Majesty's visit, brief de-
scriptcn is given below of The work
Prof. Marcuse has come to this coun-
try TO accomplish The technira! in
formation was kindly given to a Bull
LETIN representative by Prof. Mar
cuse on recent visit to his obser-
patory.
The observatory is situated ashort
distance down the old WAIKIKI road.
1t is small building of simple but
special construction. There are dou-
bic walls, the outer one of wood and
inner Of canvas, to secure an eQuable
emperature-an important matter in
the employment of delicate astro-
nomcal apparatus. The observatory
is provided with a zenith telescope of
the latest scientific cons ructi0n,
Which rests on cement pier founded
on the bed coral rock. 1t is OF lS0
magnifying power and has adjusting
devices of astonishingly fine capacity,
whereby a variation of direction is
marked in the thOusandths of inches.
The telescope for the purposes Of
Prof. Marcuse's special observations
is trained due north and south later
ally and to point directly to the zen
ith vertically. To secure the true
polar direction there is a meridian
mark, consisting Of small white
tablet, placed on the face of a hill at
Makiki, $1,000 feet away. The BuL.
LETIN reporter few days ago was
shown this mark in the telescope,
conjoining with the spider webs TO be
mentioned further on. There are
levels in the instrument sensitive
enough to indicate the thousandth
part of an inch. An instrument of
the same kind that Prof. Marcuse
was using in Berlin indicated the
tremors of an earthquake 5000 or
5000 miles away in Asia, the occur
renee of which was confirmed bv tele-
graphic reports next day. BY means
of these levels an almost alb solutely
perfect adjustment of the telescope
can be made at any desired angle.
A few words OH the object of Prof.
Marcuse's observations here will be
in place, although our readers were
made acquainted Herewith long ago.
Indeed, the Astronomical discovery
that led to,his mission was reported IN
the BULLETIN within a week or two
after it became known TO the outside
world. The news was given under
some such head as "The Earth Wob-
bles, and was 10 the effect that the
earlh's axis was found TO be not a
constant fixture, but was subject to