New-York tribune., 1896-05-09
rur NAVAL OBSERVATORY
. nrpoRr ON ITS CONDITION MADE BY
SECRETARY HERBERT.

90, TELLS OF THE FohCE E"i HoiED' iiiH o'-'
or THE DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS AND
THE WORK BEING DONE.
,,v TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBrNE.l
,.on Nav 8-Senator Morrill, seeks and
"a usrbert has furnished to the Senate GER
see' ,.,ormatIon relating to naval observatory al
ian wr Morrill, has long been interested in the
i,orv is" In the last Congress he introduced a
oO'~,, ,,,on looking 10 the transfer OF the insttu-
wor, civil control and its conversion into Ma
10" " .sservatorv The measure did not pass. but
uo"a congress adjourned the Secretary Of the Navy
sne. general order defining more distinctly the
issue omcers and astronomers respectively. MT.
Hs' -, n,ants more light about the management OF
N0' "sssrva.ory A few days ago he introduced
"e ",,,,on IN the Senate providing that the secre-
fes =, the Navy be directed to inform the Senate
"H ,anv astronomical observers are engaged IN
DO" observations with the principal instruments
maH Naval Observatory and the object OF the
.N s.,rg done with each instrument; whether any
WORK ' ,"A-,,r,ents are not yet in condition not
~ '"' .,fu, use for making observations OF the
sd s' and IL So the nature of the defects; to
Des .v,ent results of observations made with each
" ~h ,rstr,,ments since the occupation OF the new
ol" ol..,orv have been published in scientihc jour-
o0. or3cial works; in what respect, IL any, the
'' ,e,ng done and the observations pelng nade
wN .ch of the instruments are different from or
n n
yaiories r.s o.. ,,,orr,at,or as "a
ip i,,nrovements II any. have been made upon
,.rs and methods of work at the old Naval
u.,orv: u how many chronometers and nautical
v--,ren,s are annually issued by the observatory
s,ss of the United States. compared with the
w., ksued by the Royal Observatory at Green
- 70 British ships; the total annual expense or
s,.s,sr,ne the Naval Observatory, including the
sum- ..rai onicers on duty there and the respect
- ,,,ons OF that expense growing out OF or fairly
,n.b,s ' 10 the care and issue of chronometers,
- .,,a and issue of other nautical instruments
!" ~. economical work of the observatory In
distance With the resolution Secretary Herbert
has written this reply:
!. ne department Of astronomical observations
.sc orofessors Of mathematics, three assistant
y,ss.nontrs IN and four computers.
sr..,d-The work done with each instrument Is
=. SoIows The 9-inch transit circleIOoservatlons
q ns sum- moon planets. Nautical Amanac stars 1,I
in~ n' the last fiscal year TO total or ssS Inc
mime ~ vertical transit ins,rument-Observa foE
yysristion Of latitude and the constants OF apeT-
,sion and mutation. Zenith telescope-Observa-
ians for variations of latitude. The 2e-inch Hqua-
io, oomes and asteroids doube-stars and some
nreiminary spectroscopc work. The Pinch equa- qua
tor.a telescope-Observations OF comets, asteroas
toini stars occultatons Of stars by The moon. ana
ecljpses Of Jupiters satellites
Tbb;rd All the Instruments have been in regular
usa whenever the weather permitted. for about two
and one-haf years-some little more. one HI
"g "gTosnrfh-Ow,ng to imperfect workmanship in the
repsirs effected at the time OF removal from tne
ia Observatory defects developed themselves IRON IRON
,ms n time but most Of them haze been renedled
with so little delay that the average output OF "o1h
Two Important Instruments have besn contracted
for but not yet delivered, VIZ: one o-iHch 'ia"s'
% one 4aspes1 tn the work of the
and Snch telescopes upon faint satetes comes ,b
rsms, custom of astronomers. and has published
nearly all OF it in the current astronUlea , eytical
ns IHe ins,yep o and Zenith telescope is usually
reserved for the Observatory volumes ana hone h
Of that done at the new Observatory has yet 'ee'
"sxth-The work of the transit circle and l2-inen
and %-inch telescopes Is nssruments at other
6stcass observatories but the superlntenuen. b oa
" Naval Observatory reports ra na yeTtiea M transit
hrrlment and zenith telescope for the oete NC
ion of variations of latitude Is pecuhar 10 '''''
Srenth.EThe principal differences between tine the
,ha Of work at the new and old ooservato'@S @ tbe
mai - international catalogue OF the German astro.
Soca Society, use OF the nine.incn trans ans the in
eention of Continuous duplex series Of
for detecting variations OF LATITUDE, hnds If &c oh
serving at the old Observatory but upon the com
niet,or of arrangements in progress the mem
cd of determining the constants OF 'Ne nie''
circle will be simplfed and improved. ~. oos
Eiehth-For the purpose OF estimating me cos
nf department or Astronomical OoSei
is necessary 10 state that in addition 10 the PEI
enumerated above engaged IN nght WOih .,la .t.
denartment includes professor OF mathenia,iSi a.
who is in charge of all the work as ASTRONOMERS "a a.
rector. one professor Of mathematics ehedseu /,
comniiing a catalogue OF stars observed Win .n'
piston and Martins transit circle at the oiu Opse va
tory and one computer. paid from tne aPpioPiia ID
ion for miscellaneous computations a.
Ninth-It Is not possible. with the lniornalio" a
,.nd ~ institute an exact comparison between th'
number of chronometcrs issued 10 snips OF @ ua'
the United States Navy by the United states NaVa
observatory and the number issued from the Green n
Wich Observatory TO British ships. Inc IePoIt "
fhe Astronomer Royal does not give in sunclehI ue
fan the data necessary for such comparison ~ ~ !
reasonable 10 assume. however, that tne rd,Io y
thsf of the number of British ships 70 the huihpe
NJ United States vessels commissioned annuany: >.
far as can be learned, the Greenwich Opserva'o
does not issue 20 vessels of the Royal Navy an!
other instruments than chronometers ana Watcnes
willis AT the Naval Observatory all nautical nsti u
mems issued 10 vessels of our Navy are testeu am
Inspected after being repaired or when submitted
for purchase. A., 49,.
The Secretary gives table showing the 'o'a
annual expense Of administering the Naval oo
servatory. from which II appears that there u
chargeable directly to and issue OF cnronole
ters and other nautical instruments sss9s -
able directly TO astronomical work sz.Jo go 20 ,so
abe under general head" $4O56o; totai s''i"
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