Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-18
THAT INVESTIGATION
The Inquiry Into the Management
of the Nautical Almanac.
PROF. NEWCOMB BECOMES 4 WITNESS
He Denies the Charges Made by
DR. Morrison.
HIS XPL N A TION s

HIS EXPLANA MS.
The investigation into the methods Of the
Nautical Almanac bureau Of the Navy Depart
ment. as conducted by Superintendent Simon
Newcomb, was resumed this morning at the
naval observatory by Capt McNair, U.S.N.
Additional Importance was given todav's pro-
ceedings from the fact that Prof. Newcomb
took the stand in his own behalf and denied and
contradicted all the charges Of any consequences
which DR.. Joseph Morrison, the plaintiff in the
inquiry, had brought.
Dr. Morrison offered objection to Newcomb
going on the stand on the ground that the
superintendent was An infdel. Upon Prof.
Newcomb making the statement that he be-
lievsd in God as he understood it, he WAS al
lowed to testify.
Capt. McNsir says he experiences much diff
Guilty in confning the testimony as to come
| within the scope Of the investigation.
The evidence given at yesterdays session by
Witnesses Edwin ]. Loomis and g. W. Smith
WAS read, and, after some minor corrections,
was approved.
Mr.. Loomis was recalled and several ques-
| tions were put to him by DR.. Morrison which
| were objected to by Prof. Newcomb on the
|
| charges filed with tho Secretary Of the Navy.
The questions were ruled out. Capt. McNair
stating that he had no authority to investigate
! charges not contained in the exhibits referred
| to hum by the Secretary.
DR.. Morrison said that he had no other wit
| nesses.
Prof. Newcomb then asked to be examined,
| and after the objection mentioned above he
was sworn.
Prof. Newcomb's Testimony.
Prot. Newcomb then said he had been super
intendent Of the almanac Office since 1877.
The written charges were handed the pro-
fessor. He said that the statement that he had
| employed plaintiff to write certain parts Of his
text book, Analytical Geometry, was not true.
| He could not say whether or not inaccuracies
occurred in the Ephemsris during certain years,
as during those years he was absent from the
| country. Other statements as to mistakes
| in the almanac he could not answer.
| He denied that the English almanac was en-
| tirely checked in duplicating. He regretted to
say that the American almanac OF 'sS did con-
| tain some errors.
He said that the statement that too many
duties were exacted Of DR.. Morrison was in
correct.
| He then told what plaintiffs duties were. The
plaintiff had never asked defendant FOR assist
ance. He declared that Morrison had often
appeared too industrious and eager sometimes
| to do more than assigned him.
He would have given plaintiff assistance
had he been asked to do so. Morrison had
| sometimes had the assistance Of Henry Meyers,
who was, Notwithstanding Morrison's charges,
q good computer.
DIR. Morrison Responsible for Inaccuracies
Prof. Newcomb said that DR.. Morrison VA
responsible for some Of the errata He denied
that the mistakes Of other eomputsrs had beer
accredited TO plaintiff. Dr.. Morrison was no,
1 xhn d, xho -hn~ or1l
putstions.
He denied the charge that he had become en-
ragged because Morrison had used Prof. HANS
tables, and had given that gentleman credit for
them in the appendix Of the Ephemeris. Plain
tiff had not been overtax xed by extra work during
the years 1888 and 1885,
Plaintiff undertook to work voluntarily. All
the statements concerning Loomis were either
| grossly exaggerated or false. He WAS not ar
| idlsr and had all to do that one man could vel
attend to- II any board had ever recommended
| that Mr.. Loomis be put to computing because
! cognizant Of it.
Loomis had computed some culminations and
| had followed q usual mathematical plan. He
| WAS taken of that work because his other duties
were arduous; besides he was somewhat rusty.
Prof. Newcomb declared that Morrison wa
not now a member OF the ROYAL Astronomical
Society, as would be inferred from the papers
! filed with the secretary.
| Tho Understanding ~ to Private Work.
| Prof. Newcomb testified that Dr. Morrison
had done some private work for defendant, but
had understood distinctly that it should not be
done during Office houra II the doctors name
had been expunged from the preface Of q later
edition Of the book in question 1t was without
his (Newcomb's) knowledge.
| He denied that he had been guilty Of knock
ing the doctor out Of the professorship in Adel-
bert College as charged. He had never gone
out Of his way to prevent DR.. Morrison getting q
professorship.
Defendant said that Morrison's claim that be
was superintendent de facto was not correct.
Defendant was not absent during the whole Of
each summer. He was not on hand each time
that johns Hopkins opened. That his time
spent at johns Hopkins was to the utter neglect
| OF the almanac he said was untrue.
In reference to the charge that he had writ
1 ten four scientific volumes with the aid OF
others, appropriated all the credit to himself
and printed them at the expense Of the govern
ment. defendant denied the charges at length.
He had published nothing in the astronomical
| papers that was not of use to the almanac bu-
reau.
| Some Positive Denials.
The statements Of the alleged incompetency
Of Deputy Superintendent Hendrickson were
denied. He was capable Of checking the
| Ephemeris and was the first to report the un.
satisfactory methods Of DR.. Morrison.
The charge that people we're borne on the
| rolls Of the almanac Office and were employed
| on other work was incorrect The preparation
| and checking Of the almanac was the first duty
of the bureau, and men we're only permitted to
| work on the astronomical papers as they could
be spared from the almanac.
| He had not violated the labor contract Law
with regard to the employment Of the Austrian
Hertz, because no contract had been made
with him till he had presented his credentials
| Work had been taken from Van Week and
sent to England to be done in consequence Of q
reciprocity arrangement with the English
almanac. 1t was a time and labor-saving de-
vice.
Prof. Newcomb said that politics had nothing
to do with this trouble. He was not familiar
with the political opinions Of any Of the men
employed in the bureau He had also no,
taken offense because plaintiff had made . mis-
take Of half second of an arc. He had
relieved plaintiff Of the printing be-
cause he strongly suspected that he wa,
not correcting the proofs at all Defendant
thought that plaintiff mentally incapaci-
tated for effective work, no matter how efficient
he might have been. He had wanted Morri
sons resignation because the latter had grown
rusty and took one week to do what skilled
computer should do in one or two days.
He did not desire plpintif'e place for Prof