The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-05
Astronomer Airy Dead.

LONDON, Jan. 4.-sir George BiddelI Airy, X.
t. b., T. R- S, st one time British royal astrono-
mer, Is dead.
- George Biddell Airy was born at Alnwick,
northumberland, on June -, lSgI He was ed.
ucsted az private schools, then at Colchester
grammar school and in 1919 entered Trinity
college, Cambridge. He was senior wraugler
when he graduated in 1923. and in the folIowinr
year was elected fellow OF the college In 1SSS
he was elected to the Lucasian professorshin
after obtaining his degree of NJ. A. This pro-
formerly been held by the renowned Barrow
and Sir Isaac Newton. Professor Airy soon be-
gan course OF public lectures on expert
asn'aI NE w.p phiiosSophy' Continuing until lsSe
adequately illustrate in these lectures
the unduiating theory of light. He had been
elected as Plumian professor in ISIS and en-
trusted with the entire charge OF the Cambridge
observatory. The improvements which he made
IN methods OF calculation and the publication
of observations as shown in his astronomical
observations, work of nine volumes, have
since been adopted at Greenwich and other OBJ
servatories. In 1885 he selected by Lord
Aukland, president OF the board OF admiralty,
to succeed John Pond in charge of the royal OBJ
servatory at Greenwich, his services there hav-
ing proved highly beneficial TO the cause
OF science Among the new instru-
altazimuth. water telescope, transit circle,
and the large equatorial erected from his plans
to magnetism. rneteorology, solar photography
and spectroscopy. He took an active interest
in other departments of the sciences and
was frequently consulted by the government on
scientific questions OF general interest. In
1884 when the former national standards
OF weights and measures had been de-
stroyed in the parliament house fire
Professor Airy was chairman of the
commission to construct new standards. He
advocated the establishment OF decimal coin
age, and recommended the adoption OF the
four feet eight inch railroad gauge
IN place of the six feet guage. In 1888
ne investigated the disturbances of the compass
IN iron ships and devised means TO correct IT,
The preliminary astronomical observa-
tions necessary to fix the boundary
between the United States and Cam
ada were conducted under his direction,
and he aided also in tracing the boundary be-
tween British Columbia and the United
States. He caused special experiments
to be made with pendulum in the
Harton mine near South Shields for the purpose
OF determining the weight OF the earth and IL
chronology has been aid ed by the computation
OF the exact time of several of the most import
ant eclipses on record: For the
purpose OF observing solar ecdpses,
continent, going to Turin in 1872, To Gothen-
burg in 1851, and to Spain IN 1862 at the head of
the Himalayan expedition so named after the
ship in which he sailed. lie had charge of aud
directed the British observations of the transit of
Venus in 1874 reporting the results three years
later OF recent years he has devoted much
time in demonstrating a new method of the
lunar theory. He published several works on
science and was a frequent contributor to
scientific periodicals. His labors were recog-
nzed by British and foreign scientific societies,
who sent him numerous medals and other
marks of honor. The University of Oxford
conferred on him the degree of D. C. L., and
Cambridge that of LID He president of
1873. On July 30, 1872, he was made a knight
Commander OF Bath