Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-12
ASTRONOMICAL CALCULATOR.
Long and Tedious Computation BY
Nautical Tables Rendered Unneces
sary by New Invention.

at once apparent to naVi6at0rs and
others who have occasion to determine
terrestrial positions and directions from
Eastronomical observations, when il is
realized that by its use the following
determinations may be made instantly
and automatically, without calculation
or reference to tables; and with great
accuracy
J. The position of a ship at sea may
be. found, or the latitude and longi-
tude of any spot on the surface of
the earth determined
2 Local time may be accurately de
termined Independently of the com
pass, and compass errors detected and
corrected.
). Local time may be accurately de-
itermined.
These determinations may be made
at any hour of the day or night when
the sun or a known star is visible,
even though the period of visibility
is very short
/ Any one who has even the most
elementary knowledge of navigation,
or who has ever tried to work out the
position of Il ship from the usual OBJ
servations, or who has known the anX-
iety caused by the uncertainties of the
magnetic compass, will understand
the inestimable benefit which such
an instrument which saves time and
mental labor, and above all, elimin-
ates the liability of error. involved in
these determinations, must be.
The methods heretofore necessary
and now generally practieed. for de-
termining compass errors and ADJUST
! ing eompasses, and for determining
the position of the observer on the
earth's surface, by astronomical OBJ
servations, involve a cumbersome Sc
ries of observations by the aid of diff
ferent inst runents, and complicated
calculations. including the solution of
a spherical triangle, with reference to
numerous tables of constant and Nari-
able values. Even certain recently
devised methods Of simplihed naNlga-
/ ton. by which more or less close APP
proximations of the true position at
sea are obtained, involve a consider
able amount of calculation and refer
ence to tables. The use of the But
terfeld instrument greatly simplifies
the observations to be taken for these
purposes and wholly eliminates all
calculations, securing results fully as
accurate as can be obtained by the
most careful observations with the
best Instruments, correctly worked up,
and much more accurate than are us
ually obtained by navigators.
The salient features of the instru
ment are sighting Nanes |. ,, mount
ed to rotate horizontally On ball bear
ings in the center of pelorous plate
3 (Which is itself adjustable about the
same axis, Il timepiece furnished with
the usual hands, and a TRANSMISSION
mocha nism through which motion Is
impaired from the timepiece to the
sighting vanes at a variable rate, cor
responding at each istant to the mo-
mentary rate of change in the bear
ing of the sun or other heavenly body.
The timepieee and transmission me-
chanism are hung beneath the pelor-
Gus and may be inspected and set,
by inyertine the pelorous In its sup
port, into the position illustrated, TO
which the reader is referred for Illus
tration of the description following.
The timepiece drives an annular
gear, 5, by pinion. not shown which
is connected with one of the arbors
of the timepiece. This annular gear
is the segment of a spherical shell
and rotates about the timepiece. II
also carries .pivots. 6, to which there
is swiVeled band, !. surrounding the
gear and carrying studs 8, of which
there are two (only one being shown.
These studs are rotated with the gear,
5. and drive a yoke. 9, which is pro-
vided with a guide-way, 10, formed
to receive the studs. The yoke. 8. is
semi-circular and is connected at its
middle portion with stud, II, to
" hich is also connected the arms, T.,
carrying the sighting vanes. 1t is ar
ranged in the same plane with the
central lines of the arms, l.. and
sighting vanes
The timepiece is carried by frame
I12 springing from slide IA which
rests and slides on the inner surface
of a semi-eircularly curved bar Is,
hanging from the under side of the
pelorous plate and being rigidly con-
nected to the plate. Regulated adj
iustments OF the slide IA along the bar
Il are made by turning a head Ii,
, which is carried by the slide, and is
connected with a pinion 10 In mesh
with line of teeth on the bar 10
The bar is graduated on either or
both sides in angular degrees running
both ways from the zero mark. and
on the slide II there are index marks
and verner graduations. The bar 10
gear ). band and yoke are all con-
centric with single central point
Cor common center of the parts above
described) which lies in the axis of
rotation of the sighting vanes, and
all the movements of adjustment and
running of the moving parts take
place either about this point, or about
axes passing through this point. The
axial line of the pivots and the line
between the studs also pass through
the same common center-SCientitic
American
Pale Blue Lobster.
The latest fad in Berlin, once noted
for plain German cooking" is To have
the feast aglow with color Pale blue
Holsters rose colored consomce and
delicately tinted bread and pastry are
set on the table amid PERCUSSION of
| chemically colored flowers The pale
h1up lobster is ga id tn he the MASTER