The times., 1897-10-29
SEENTHROUGHTHE TELESCOPE
Satellites Of Mars and Various
Comets Observed.

Inc iuiinWlnE extracts from Tue rtPoIt
OF the chief of naval equipment are Of in.
terest:
= There was expended in the sail LOFTS ot
tie sps eral navy yards the sum OF $685.
3O9.7e for la!;"r and $40, $40. 80 for ma
terial, and i'll the rigging lofts $33,7S2 43
FOR lahor and $18 4o1 10 for material.
Hemp for the manufacture Of cordage OF
all Kinds. To the amount OF sos, ,155.5S,
was purchased.
The sun of 1897, 1877 was expended
at the several navy yards for labor in
equipping vessels.
There was expended abroad for equip
ment supplies the sum OF $449, 956.0T OF
this amount 1876, ,S4O.63 was expended
for 90, 26S tons of coal, an average of
S6.68 per ton,
A focal OF 13S, 3tS tons OF coal. cost
ing $3.50, ,921.72, was purchased during
this year. a against / 16 800 tons, cost
ing $500, 81 49,, during the fiscal year
ending June 3Op 1896; 90. 26S tons were
purchased abroad III 1897 as against 61,-
Z Al III 1896, atan average decreased cost
per ton in 1897 OF II cents.
The average Cost of all coal purchased i'll
1897 was 81. 10 against $3.50 in 1896
There was purchased at home, S2,0ol
tons Of coal. costing S280,091.09, an aver
age OF S3 Al, of which quantity 7l,7S7
tons WAS purchased on the Atlantic coast
AT an ge Cost. of 50 09 per ton, and
10,264 tons un the Pacific coast, ut an
average COST uf 81. 31,a decrea Sc iii ayera &c
cost on the Atlantic coast III 1897 over
that Off iS56 cf 90 cents, aud an increa Sc Of
80 cents en- the Pacific coast.
OF a total of I15.723 tons of coal used
by tie new ships Of the Navy, 52,614
tons, or 40 per cent, was for steamiug
purposes, and 63,109 tons, or 80 per
cent, was for auxiliary purposes, under
which latter head are included electric
Lighting, distiHiug, heating, flushing water
closets, cooking, ventilating. and steam
cutter service. This percentage is the
same rs last year for both purposes
The astronomical director reports as fol
lows On the 20 inch equatorial telescope
''As usual This instrument has been EN-
ployed almost exclusively on faint and
difficult. objects which could not wen be
reached ty smaller telescopes The work
accomplished during the year ending June
80. 1897 was as follows:
Rrook's periodic edmet. 1889 Y, equiva-
lent TO 1886 VI, was observed twenty
three times.
Giacolini's comet, 1896 V, was observed
five times.
Perrine's comet. 1896 f. equivalent to
1897 !, was observed on November 8, :,
aud .. On the latter date it was visible
III the 5-inch finder, and therefore the work
Of making further observations On IL was
transferred t. the 2inch equatorial.
Perrine's periodic comet. 1896 VII, was
observed three times.
The observations OF these four comets
have all been Completely reduced ami pub
lisied in ne volumes uf the Astronomical
Journal.
During the months OF May and June an
attempt was made to find d Arrests
comet, the ephemeris used having heen car
ried forward from the last apparitiOn, but
the search proved unsuccessful, partly on
account of unfa vorable weather and partly
because the motion of tie comet kept it
continually ON the verge of the morning
twilight.
The SATELLITES of Mars were observed
whenever possible from November / 8 to
December Is. 500, and during that pc
| Rod tventyfour observations OF Deimos
and six observations of Phobos Were made
by the u.cthod of position angles and dis
taaces.
on March 25, 1897, observations were
| begun on what Is intended TO be d general
| revision of the more Important double
stars, such as well-known binarieS, sus
| pecteG binaries and new or difficult
| doubles. Although nearly every subsequent
clear night, except Sunday. has been
utilized for that purpose. only eS obserya.
tious have hCen secHred while an equal
number OF attempts proved futile. Out OF
thirty-nine nights OF actual work fifteen
proved fairly good, bat on only three Of
them could 50 high pow er as SS8 be used.
| On the remaining twenty-four nights oil
servations were either impossible or litu
| tied 10 objects which would have beer
easily within reaca OF 2-,lch Ir'escUpe
under favorable conditions of weather A,
a part of this WORK Sirius ana Procyon
were examined in the early twilight, but
| tie condition os the sky was unfavoraLle
| and nothing was seen Of their companions
The diame.ersof Mercury and Venus have
been measured with the filar micrometer
whenever sufficiently favorable conditions
| occurred. The diameter OF Venus at die
tancc unisv gaze, respectively. 1850. II 65
ana II .56 seconds
| In addition To the usual routine office
| work tlIa observations of Titan and Iapetus
| for 1894, 1895 and 1896 have been coIa.
| pIetely reduced
| Tie report on the buildings and grounds
Of the Naval Observatory says:
Satisfactory progress has been mad,
in the improvements of the grounds and
roads.
| THE two new houses erected for resi-
dcnceS Of observers are now occupied.
The buildings are generally in goo
condition.
Leaks through walls on the north sid
| of the superintendent residence havt
| developed during recent storms to d degree
that viii necessitate careful Inspection
and sucn repairs as may prove 10 be
necessary fur its Preservation
The estimates for the next year ale
One chief clerk, 81 500; one clerk OF
class 3. 81, 500; one clerk of class .
| $1,400; one clerk of class 1, 81, 200; one
! copyist. 5000; one assistant messenger
$72O; one iaborer, $3.50.
The report includes a series OF technical
tables from the various departments of ths
| bureau.