The Washington herald., 1913-06-01

ON HEHALO, OONDA
smoke from railway trains was IN the
| air, and when observing was nnishsd.
the sun was already wen below the tops
of several church steeples . half dozen
blocks away. and 20 faint ~ 20 De oo-
shade giasses having been thrown back
Its shape was decidedly nat the APP
parent hattenIng of the lower limb be-
ling much greater than that OF the up
| per limb. Finally, the last observation
made was on the upper limb at an APP
parent altitude Of one degree six min
utes which, when corrected for refrac-
ton and semidiameter. reduces to true
elevation for the SUMS center OF less
than twenty-five minutes
"It should have been mentioned also
that the apparent length OF the mercurtai
horizon had become so narrow that the
entire image of the sun could not be
seen in II at once. yet the observing was
| stopped because the suns light became
too faint to give q definite reflected
image.
Before giving the observations made
In this test II Is well to state, and with
emphasis that similar observations can
be obtained by most any fair observer
with a sextant and artificial horizon on
any clear evening or morning. and SO
these are not to be considered as some
thing to be taken on faith"
Truth of Conclusions.
Mes,rs Mitchell and Duvall say in
closing that I'VE must concede the truth
of the following conclusions:
"First-That observations with sex
tant and mercurial horizon on a celestial
body are possible even when the body Is
very close to the horizon. In the face
OF observations Of about one degree al
titude, Peary's observations of over six
degrees altitude at the pole do not look
difficult.
nection with a mercurial horizon for the
measuring of altitude Is accurate within
one minute.
"Third-That computed values for the
correction to the observed elevation due
to refraction are probably correct within
two minutes. even when the observed
body is very close to the horizon.
Applying the above conclusions TO
the observations and results at Camp
Jesup. We feel justified in repeating our
belief that any reasonable assumption
that we may make regarding the various
errors OF observation and computation
at Camp Jesup will not produce an error
as great as two minutes in the computed
position of that point. Further any as
sumption made in regard to the errors
affecting the ten-mile traverse on the
night of April must tend to move Camp
Jesup further away from Cape Column
bia and at the same time further away
from the pole
This displacement would hardly be
more than one mile. but its effect on
fha ra.f H. a.
on the traverse Of the morning Of April
:. between $50 and 1880. would be to ma
terially lessen that distance. one and
siX-tenths miles, and to strengthen the
statement that on the morning OF April
z, 1909. Peary was within one and six
tenths geographic miles Of the North
Pole"
Thus the report fled at Rome with the
Geographic Congress settles for once and
for all whatever there may remain OF any
Controversy over Peary's achievement.
II will be included in the official report
OF the congress, and sent to all the geo.
graphic societies Of the world.
Peary was royalty entertained In Rome.
He was received in private audience by
the King. and entertained by Mayor
Nathan, Marquis Cappelli. chairman Of
the congress. and Ambassador O'Brien.
He was elected secretary OF the Inter-
national Polar Commission. The presi-
dency went to a Russian delegate. be-
cause the next congress is to be held
in st. Petersburg.
After leaving Rome Peary went to
Cairo. where he was the guest OF Lord
Kitchener. Later he addressed the Geo
graphic Society at Marseilles. where
gold medal was given to him. Yester-
day he received gold medal from
the Geneva Society and on June 6
he will be received with honors at the
University OF Paris by the Paris Geo.
graphic Society. Peary will sail for
home two days later.
Mr.. Bridgman. after leaving Rome.
visited the Balkans. where be obtained
material and hundreds Of photographs
for a series of lectures.
'One thing that surprised me in Bull
garia-" said Mr.. Bridgman. was that
American ideas seem to have found sutA
a fertile field there. / was amazed at
the conditions in Sofia, the capital. II
is a modern city. with trolley cars and
telephones and pavements of vitrified
brick. Half of the members of the Bull
garian cabinet were graduates Of Robert
College in ConstantinopIe, an American
institution. and that probably had much
to do with il.
The Bulgarians didn't care to discuss
the future: they seemed absolutely con-
fident Of It, and took the position that
they could afford to await Developments
Bulgaria is going to stand for its rights
The country assests that 1t furnished in
lives and money a per cent of the losses |
Of the war, and IT does not feel that the |
which furnished but g per |
cent should receive equal recognition. |
II seeks, among other things. a port on |
the Aegean Sea. which can be improved. |
Conditions in Bulgaria, and in Ser
via for that matter, have created a big |
ield for the investment of outside capi- |
tai. and found that there was a general |
desire for closer relations with the |
United States and to interest our capital |
sts. The country is devoted almost en-
tirely to agriculture, and manufactured |
goods have been obtained from Austria |
md Germany.
Now. there is the invitation extended
10 America The Bulgarians and Ser
7ians seem to feel that friendly relations |
have always existed between their coun-
ries and the United States, and they /
want to continue and strengthen these
.elations."
Why Clocks Get Out of Order.
From the New York Timex