New-York tribune., 1900-07-01

tuition to investigate the SUMS spectrum was
transported to Wadesboro for the bolometrtc
work. With what difficulty these delicate in
struments made the long journey only those who
familiar with them can appreciate. Mr..
Abbot in charge of this work. carried the gal
vanometer in his own hands, and at night placed
it in his berth for safe keeping. 1t sustained no
injury in transmission; even it's suspending fibre,
a thread of quartz crystal 1-1500O inch in d-
ameter and ten inches long. was not harmed.
With these Instruments which were invented
by Mr.. Langley more than twenty years ago.
Mr.. Abbot assisted by Mr.. Mendenhan, detected
the heat Of the corona for the first time, and
after careful observations found that the corona
gave positive indications of heat as compared
with the moon. This heat, whila certain.
too slight to be subdivided by the dispersion of
the prism with the means at hand.
Mr.. Langley made a visual observation with
the same instrument used by him at Pixies
Peak in 1878 when he observed such a beautiful
and wonderful structure. of which he gives a
most interesting account in his Popular As
tronomy," but under less favorable conditions
he unable to discern the curious fIaments
then seen in such glorious detail. Structure was
evident, but not in such minute subdivisions as
had been remarked by him in 1873 Ol.e remark
able prominence was seen as Well as several
small ones. but the coronal streamerS did no:
give the impression of being connected III any
way with the prOminences.
The other work undertaken by the Smithson-
ian party included the automatic reproduction
of the flash spectrum" by means of an auto
matte prism with the 135 foot lens, a photo
graphic study of the outer coronaI region, in
cluding provision for possible intra-mercuriaI
planets; observations, both visual and photo
graphic, of the time of contact, and sketches of
the corona from the telescopic and naked eye
observations.
The negatives Of the outer corona show from
three to four solar diameters the longest stream
ers. The equatorial wings become finer and finer
as they recede from the sun, and at last
lost in the iumned sky, without showing in
any way that they have come TO end.
The plates taken for intra- -mercurial planets
have not yet been developed. bat stars 10 the
twelfth NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. those only to and
including the eighth magnitude have been dis
cernible on Photographic plates-can be clearly
seen, and while no prediction be made 1t
is not improbable that Scme fainr objects may
be discovered
Associated with Mr.. Langley's party were the
Rev. Father Searle, who directed the assembled
telescopes for the outer COrOnal region; the Rev.
Father Woodman, who. with a four inch tele-
made sketches; Professor Hale in charge of the
Yerkes Observatory, and Mr. Clayton, of the
Blue Hill meteorological Station. The co-opera-
tion and counsel of these associates Mr. Lang
ley much appreciated and counted of great
value. The party representing the British As
Economical Association, headed by the Rev. ]. NJ
Bacon, who were camped near the Smithsonian
Expedition, cognizant of the many cour-
tesies shown them by the American scientists
one of their number giving evidence of his en-
thusiasm for the country in which he was a
guest by wearing a helmet covered with the
Stars and Stripes. from the top of which min
iature flag 1oated in the wind.
For more than year Professor Hale has been
planning to measure the heat radiation of the
corona at this time with the bolometer an in
strument with which Professor Langley has been
able to map out the invisible part of the spec
trum below the red. This is an exceedingly
delicate bit of apparatus, and has detected diff
ferences in temperature Of only millionth part
of a degree. Professor Hale's instrument suf-