The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-20
HUNORS OF ASTRONOMY
THE Abusing INCIDENTS OF
LITE
In the Great ObssrvatorIss of the
World.

- OgaEENaA1ElNl VI AAA
World. .
To the outside world the realms of
science. those arid peaks of intellectual
research, tenanted only by the deeply
learned, may seem wholly unfavorable
soil for the cultivation of Humor. And
Of all the sciences that of astronomy
might appear to that subtle property
which is the essence Of wit, and lies at
the root Of laughter. Astronomers, it
has been supposed, are too absorbed in
the contemplation of the sublime to
descend, even in their moments of I'M
bending, to the ridiculous. and even an
astronomical joke, could such curious
anomaly exist, would be far above the
heads of ordinary mOrtals. Natural
enough as is this supposition, however,
1t is very far from being the case. Pos
sibly no human beings enjoy a laugh
more heartily than do your astronomers
and among themselves they tell many
good story, to enter into which it is
by no means necessary to be a scien-
fist. Take, for example, the tale told
by an eminent American professor of
an eclipse, expedition, some years ago,
to the Southern States, in which he
took part. There was in the house
where he was staying an old negro SER
want. whose duty it was to look after
the chickens of the establishment The
day before the eclipse took place the
professor, in an idle moment, called the
old man to him and said: Sam, If to-
morrow morning, at eleven o'clock, you
watch your chickens, you will find they
will all go to roost" Sam was skepti-
cal, of course, but when at the ap-
pointed time next day the sun in the
heavens was darkened, and the chick
ems, as is their wont, retired to roost,
his establishment knew no bounds. He
approached the professor in awed Won
der--'Massa how long ago did you
know dat dem chickens would go to
roost?" ooh, long time" said the
professor airily did you know year
ago. NASSAU" yes" "Then dat
beats de Debn! exclaimed the
astounded old man, Dem chickens
weren't Matched a year ago!" 1t will
be noticed that in this case it was the
power of prediction which puzzled the
negro servant The astronomer him.
pCIl PuHAlGu Wy cll1OI11SL
of solar eclipse-that mysterious and
beautiful appendage surrounding the
hidden sun at totality, known as the
corona, the nature of which has yet
to be explained. A story is told of the
late Professor Shell, of Amherst col
lege, which relates how he once asked
for definition of the solar corona from
member of his class in astronomy.
The young man, after good deal of
hesitation, and dread consciousness |
of impending failure, plunged desper- |
ately into the statement that he did |
know what the coronna was but had |
forgotten. The professor turned to his |
class with a tragic gesture, what an |
incalculable loss to science!" he eX- |
claimed, with emotion; ''the only man
who ever knew what the suns corona |
is and he has forgotten!"
The astronomical errors of the I'M
learned prove fertile source of amuse-
ment in expert circles. TELL me-" said |
man to an eminent living English |
astronomer not long ago, us it still con-
sidered probable that the tides are |
caused blythe moon?" The man of sci
enee replied that to the best of his be-
lief it was, and asked in turn whether
the inquirer had any serious reason for
questioning the relationship. "Well, I
don't know" was the answer Some
times when there is no moon there
seems to be tide all the same"
Equally poser, though with better cause,
was an intelligent workman who
sought information as to the causes
which led, to a solar eclipse. He had
been making inquiries, and asked
whether 1t was not true that the phe-
nomenon was due to the moon getting
in front of the sun and obstructing it's |
light. On being assured that this was ,
so, he further inquired whether it was
not the new moon which did this
Yes" was the answer. You are not
far wrong" "Then how is it, he OBJ
jected, that the new moon which is
crescent can hide the light of the sun
which is globe?" A query like this
might well have puzzled certain of
those youths whose answers to astro-
nomical examination papers prove a
perennial delight to their examiners.
Account for the frightening of the
lays in summer" was one of these i,
questions, and the answer of the in
senfouS candidate was to the effect
hat ''all things expand with heat
Why not the day also?' Possibly the
more recent candidate who was asked |
% determine the time at sea, and who Z,
began his reply with, First, set the
transit instrument up on deck" was
lstonished that his work did not re-
'eive full marks; but he might have (
'onsoled himself with the thought that s
wen great minds are liable to error In
matters of this sort There is a tale e
ret told at Cambridge of a senior f
Wrangler who set himself to find the J r
ime of sunrise on given day at a Civ il
n place, and was much distressed +
When the answer came out in thou /
ands of miles. The explanation of the v
heory of the procession of the b
lquinoxes," always puzzling to the G
tyro is well known a
atch question with examiners No s
Ollbt the VolIth who wrnta tho follow, | f