The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-16
To Be Accurately Determined By
International Science.
WORK IS NOW UNDER WAY
RESULT OF GEoDETIc CONFER
ENCE AT STUTTGART.
Measurements Will Be Taken to De-
termine the Difference Between Ahe
Polar and Equatorial Diameters-
Latitude Observations to Be Taken
at Stations Encircling the Globe.

Washington, Nov. 15.-The work of
the International Geodetic association
at the Stuttgart conference last month,
which is expected to bear fruit of far
reaching Importance to the scientific
world, is announced by Mr.. b. ID. Pres
ton of the United States coast and geo.
detic survey, who represented this gov
eminent there, and who has just re-
turned to Washington. Little publicity
was given the proceedings OF the con-
ference, but an interesting report is
now about to be made by Mr.. Preston.
The prime object of the conference,
which was in session from Oct. to II,
was the measurement Of the earth, and
action was taken for the measurement
of an arc at the equator This, taken
in conjunction with the measurement
of an arc near the pole, now under
way by the Swedes and Russians, will
throw new light on the fattening of
the earth. The comparison of the two
measures will make it possible to de-
termine how much shorter the polar
diameter is than the equatorial, knowl-
edge of which is important, both in the
making of maps of great extent and in
the solution of many astronomical
problems.
Ever since it was discovered, some
ten years ago, that the ATTITUDES of all
places on the earth are subject to a
small periodic change, the scientific
world has given more or less attention
to the subject. Now the International
association has determined to go to the
bottom of the matter and has planned
to take up the work of continuous lati-
tude observations at six stations, en-
circling the globe near the 99th degree
of north latitude. This parallel passes
little north of Washington and San
Francisco, through Cincinnati, and
crosses Japan, Turkestan and Italy. In
each one of the countries named an
observatory will be erected.
The three stations in the United
States will be at Gaithersburg, Md,
Ukiah, Cal. and, of course, at Cincin-
natl, the exact parallel chosen, by a
happy coincidence, passing through
the regular astronomical observatory,
which has been established there for
many years. The work will begin in
the summer of 1899, and is now nro-
Vided for during a period of five years.
1t is altogether probable, however,
that much more time will be required
and continuation of the observations
for at least 20 or 80 years may be
counted on. The total annual cost of
the work will be about $4,000, so that,
if necessity arises for prolonged inves-
tigation, the association will have am
pie outlet for its surplus funds.
An account of a new alloy-of nickel
and steel-was laid before the confer
ence. The international bureau of
weights and measures at Paris has
found that when aasbar consists of So
per cent of nickel and GA per cent of
steel, the expansion from heat is only
1-50 of what we should expect from
the individual components. This dis
covery has great Importance in the
construction of astronomical clocks, or
in fact, of any clock, since the effect
will be to practically eliminate the
temper question, which thus far has
been the great difficulty in obtaining a
uniform rate in timepieces.
Nineteen countries belong to the as
ISOLATION, of which Is were represented
at the Stuttgart meeting. The proceed
ings are published only in French and
German, but any report submitted in
the language of the country from
which it. comes, mayl be printed in that
tongue. An effort was made recently
to introduce English as one of the of
fetal means of communication, but,
owing to the comparatively small num-
Der of delegates who spoke it, this was
considered impracticable at present.
Besides if English is so admitted.
there seems to be no good reason for
excluding Spanish, which is more wide
ly spoken than French or German. and
which is growing in usefulness more
rapidly than either.
Seventy years ago some learned men
/ in Germany formed an association to
7 give impulse to the awakening inter-
est in the size and shape of the earth.
From this beginning the society has
steadily grown. In 1866 it merged into
an international convention, in which
the principal nations of the globe were
represented, and now stands as the
worlds authority on the ways and
means of determining the earth's fig
ure The next meeting will be held in
Paris in 1900.