The New York Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1874, Page 6

NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1874—WITH SUPPLEMENT. ENUS. |THE EARTH AS SEEN FROM VENUS IN HER TRANSIT. The Nations Fully Prepared for the Grand Phenomenon. HISTORY OF THE EXPEDITIONS. Commerce, Navigation and Science To Be Benefited. THE AMERICAN STATIONS MAPPED. The Transits of the Past and Our Revo- Yutionary Sires. As the eventful day of the 8th of December | @rawe near the whole scientific and commercial | ‘World becomes more and more astir. On that day | &@ question of vital importance to commerce, navi- | @ation and science is to be definitely aud, Wt Is | Roped, finally settled. A common error of our times is that the beautiful and saolime science of | astronomy has to deal with questions o1 little Practical utuity, and that the votaries thereof eonier but tittle material benefit upon man. No greater mistake can be made; for, apart irom the mines of wisdom and the rapturous delight ex- perienced in contempiating the thousands of mys- terious worids that spangie the eternities of space and time, there ts a0 amount of palpabie, tangi- ble value in the results of all such explora- tions, especially those to be made on tne 8th of , December, that may not be perceived at frst signt, The thousands of vessels afoat, bearing {rom jand to land the richest luxuries and the idispensavie necessaries of life, are surely @ subject of interest. The salety of the families taat imtrust their destu- Bies to our navigators, the success of our naval dorces in time of war, as well as their security in tame Oj peace, are certamly matiersdear to the hearts of aliour citizens. And yet wll these in- terests, and many more, will be affected by tne ob- servauons of the coming transit of Venus by tne grand array of astronomers scattered over the glove to-day. They expect to solve a proolem Which will perfect the science o/ navigation, in- crease geographical knowiedge, and therevy con- tribute to the welfare of the whole commercial world, Itisto be regretied that the long looked for transit of Venus will take place while it is Bight ume with us, preciuding the possi- Dilty of its veing observed from our Continent. | If it could be seen upon these shores the advent of numerous scientists from Europe, the bril- Nancy of their equipments and the vast sums of money that they would expend, with a view to Success in their labors, Would convince the ave- Tage American of the importance o! the labur to be performed in observing the passage of the Planet Venus between the earth and the sun. AMERICA IN 1769, But, althongh their appointments and marvel- | lous scientific apparatus might far outshine those Of \he last century when a transit took place, our amterest in tbem could nardly excei tne enthusi- asm which onr predecessors manifested at the | part borne in that scientific work by the colomes | @uring the transit of 176% Notwithstand- | ing the excitement which attended ine advent of Engiish regiments trom Halifax | to crush the proud spirit of resistance | Maming in the American breust; notwithstanding the smouldering of the revolutionary fires and the | Silent preparations of those sturdy sires of ours to | Geiend their liberties and homes, they did not for- get the glorious scientific event taat was to be witneased in every portion o/ the Continent on She 3d day of June, 1769. The American Philo- sophical Society of rhiladelphia heid along con- suitation as to the best means of oaving their country play # prominent part in the endeavor to @oive the great problem. They selected. as a rep- resentative David Rittenhouse, whose youthiul @ays were not unlike those o! Robert Burns, ana ‘who was remarked in nis boyhood for imscriping on walls and fences, on his ploughveam and old barn doors the caiculations of his resviess mind regaraing the movements of the heavenly bodies, Tius gified Man was assigned to a position at New Narriton, Pa., whither ue proceeded to make reaay for the appearance of the phenomenon. He was assisted by William Smitn, D. D., Provost of the College of Philadeiphia; Jonn Lutkens, Surveyor General of Pennsylvania, and Jonn Sellers, the representative of Chester county in the Assembly, Several associate committees were appointed to share the labors involved in a careiul observance Of the transit, At the time of their appointment they labored under many disadvantages, being in Want of suitable telescopes and delicate angie measures. The Provincial Assembly voted a large sppropriation for the purchase of one of the best | Teflecting telescopes ana £100 extra to detray the expenses incideniai ta the erection of an observa tory. About this time the Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, | who was Astronomer Royal at the Observa- tory of Greenwich, England, wrote to Tnomas Penn, one of the proprietaries of | the province, giving full details of the Methods to be pursued by the observers, and recommending Pennsylvania as @ most favorable piace for making a successful observance. In accordance with his request, Penn urged the | Philosopuical Society to send to England ior a tele escupe of the most approved pattern, with a re- flector two leet six inches in diameter, and a Dol- land micrometer (an insirument for measuring ‘with extraordinary accuracy the moment when a Celestial object passes a given point), to be trans- mitted wito all possible haste, These apparatus were procured accordingly, and were afterward presented to the college. Rev, Samuel A. Wil- Mame at the same time prepared to view the oc- currence from the observatory at Newbury, Mass, | EUROPEAN EXPEDISIONS OF THE LAST CENTURY, | Wille these things were transpiring on the | American Continent like preparations were being made in every part of the globe trom wach it was calculated the transit would be visibie. Great Britain, France and Russia, as at present, tfterested themselves in the event, and expeditions were ordered to Cape Wardhus, Kola, Cajaneburg and Otaheite. Cap- tain Cook, at the personal expeuse of King George, sailed over the Southern oceans, and it was then he discovered that New Zealand was an island, and gave particulars of the geographical position, | size ano nature of the Sanawich group, During | tbe transit he was stationed at Otaheite. The government of France was represented in India by Bougainville and Degentil. Father Chappé was | sent to California and Pingré to St. Domingo. | Positions were likewise taken up at Fort Prince of Wales and along whe northwestern border of | Hudson's Bay. The commencement of the pianet’s | passage across the solar disc was seen in every part of Europe, and the closing scenes of the‘ wonder!ui spectacle were observed at Yakotsk, Uanilla, Petersburg, Batavia, Pe- king, Orenvurg and various other places along the eastern shores of Asia and the central regions of Siberia. It was fondly hoped that the embarrassing phenomena of 1761 would not be repeated. In that year, it will be re- membe: as Venus was approaching the sun’s @ shadowy cushion had appeared between the two orbs, faitening and distorting the shape of the bodies. A huge blur spread over their rims, which lasted for several seconas, and, all on a sud- | don, the planet made 4 convuisive rush in upon | the solar sphere, leaving a biack patch in its train, ‘which gave it @ pear-shuped appearance. The re- sult was that a diffeience of twenty millions of miles was found to exist between tne great- est and least estimates of the sun's distance from tne earth, All these diMcuiies it was | thought would disappear in 1769, .in consequence of the exireme care taken in the manipulauon of | the astronomical machinery, the improvemencs fn the telescopes and the adjustment of the mi- cTometers. $d day of June waxed on, and at every station upon the earth #t0oda the observers, | With uplifted telescopes, pointing toward the sun, | Jegenit was about to witness the event onder | This map shows the hemisphere of the Earth which will be turned toward Venus and the Sun at the commencement of the transit. This map shows the .emisphere of the Earth which will be turned toward Venus and the Sun at the termmation of the transit, the most favorable circumstances, the sky wear- ing ap azure hue and the prigbt luiainary of the day veaming down calmly on his view. Just as Venus stole forward and was verging sunward 4 streak of cloud crawled over the sun's tave and passed lazily by, but got out oi the way too laie—the planet nad made its first two contacts when Legentil next caught sight of it, At other places the nervous anxiety of the astronomers overpowered them, some persons lust tueir lives by wccident, among others the ais- tinguished Father Chappe, a) San José, during the preparations, and even to those who wit- messed the ingress of Venus on tne solar suriace the horrible shadowy band reappeared, blotting out the globular appearance of the planet the same as in 1761. 0 @ speculator Who loses a for- tune 1D @ Single hour, greater regret or Chagrin cannot come tahun that which filled the breasts of tue sad astronomers on that day. RITTENHOUSE WAS SO OVERCOME during the planets’ contact that he jamted away at tue close of his labors. The efforts he made, however, were duly appreciated in kngland, and the Astronomer foyal sept him a congratula- tory letter thanking him for his account of the Penusyivania observations, which, he qeclared, seemed excellent and com- plete, aud did honor to tre gentlemen wuo made them, and those who promotea the undertaking. Kiitenhouse had actually witnessed the transit under tie most favoravie conditions, and it was the happy success witn which bis edurts were crowned, rather than the heavy responsivility resting On his snoulders that pros- trated him. It is neediess to repeat here what has wiready been explained in sonday’s HERALD, that tity years eiapsed alver this beiore ali tne estimates 0! the observers were coilocated, re- vised, scrutinized and summed up. The American struggie for liberty, tue great French Revolution, the rise Of Napoieon ana the devastating wars that raged all over Europe gave meu bat little time to devote to astronomical pursuits. Fatal. iscs and ustrologers wiil probably :uro to account the Jact that the same year iu which our relations tothe heavenly bovies were first approximated usuered into the world tne child of jertune in @ peasant home oi Corsica, the man otf destny who toyed with thrones and worsuipped the fiery sun of Austeriita, and tnat the place ‘where the methods 0: ovserving transits were first devised was the Isiaud of St. Helena. The as- tronomer Encke, alter weighing all the arguments and objections regarding the proolem, concluded that the distance betwecn the earth and the sun was 96,274,000 miles, and this idea was floggea into us in our schoul days a8 though it were cor- rect. Butitwon’tdo. The SWEEPING STRIDES OF SCIENCE, the improvemeut 0! the telescope, the invention of the photograph and the spectroscope have changed it; and the necessities Of commerce and Davigation and geography imperatively demand that i¢ be reduced to the least possible lumits of error, Accordingly, at the pres ent moment, the greater nalf of the earth 1s covered by expeditionary parties determined to exhaust all the resources oi modern science and Duman ingenuity in accomplishing tne gigantic task. Of ail the expeditious that nave deen set on foot, perhaps none are more eiaborately equipped or more haLdsomely subsidized than our own. EXPLANATION UF THE MAPS. Careful calculations nave shown tne parts of the earih {rom waich the transit will be visible. Much Of this vast region 1s taken up by the Pacific and Southern oceans, aud the points of the earth where the transit might oe seen to the best ad- valtage are either inaccessibie or are on the high seas—an extremely bad place Jor making astro- nomical observations. evertheless, there are numerous islands and strips of coniinenis sumfi- ciently well located to admit of observations being made with reasonable nopes of success. The accompanying waps show the portions of the earth irow waicn the transit cn be seen, and tne locations aud uames O1 tue respective stations of tue American expeditions, Tie Orst map illus. trates the nal! oi (he earta which will be turned toward the sun at the time when Venus wili com- mence her journey across the sun. The line drawn from the top through the middie and to | the bottom of the map crosses all the tracts were it will be noon o1 the 9th Of December, when the transit begins, It will then be fifty minutes past eiznt o’cluck in the evening of the 8tu of Decem- ber at New York. This apparent discrepancy of time results irom the earth’s spinning around, so | that while it 18 night at one piace it 1s day at @nother, avd while it is evening in ove part it is tretigas at the opposite quarter of the globe. ‘om an inspection of the map It may be seen that when the transit begins it Wiil be visible to Ausiraiia, a large por- flon of Asia and the islands lying between Ans- | tralia and Airica, ‘To all those places lying along the right band, or eastern border of this hem- ispoere, the suo Wil be just setting, and men in tho-e regions, consequently, will ouly see tue be- giuning oi the event, To those countries touching the ieit haud, or western burder of the map, the sun will be rising, and the whole transit will, of course, be visible to them, Aiter four hours and Uniee-quarters Venus will be departing from the gun, and im the meantime the earth will have turned about oue-fliih round on its axis, and would present to an observer at the sun the hemispuere shown in map No, 2 At ali places to be tound on both maps the whole transit is visibie; at regions Lot to be found on either it will be wivisivie; along the left hand strip of map No, 2, only the close of the tramsit can ve seen, and along the right nand portion of map No, 1 only the vegiuning oi the phenomenon can oe seen. Tne American stations are marked and printed, appearing on both diagrams, and at those locations, Oi course, the entire event may be wit- nessed, Weather permitging. Hence it may ve perceived that the Americans have three statious in the northern and five ia the suuthern climes of the globe. The South Pole of the world will be presented to the sun, experiencing perpetual day, while the Norto Pole will be hidden trom bis beams and shrouded in the middle of a night of SiX moncus’ duration. It may be well to observe that a little belore sunrise and @ littie after sun- set the yreat luminary 18 visible, owing to the re- iraction ol lis rays im passing through our atmos. phere, and, consequently, the transit may be ob- served a litte Leyond the mits indicat in the diagrams. THY AMERICAN OBSERVERS are arranged as jvilows:—In each expeditionary party there ts one chief ascronomer, one or more @asistant astronomers, ove chiel photographer and two assistants, These, with the com- manding and assistant officers and seamen of the vessel, constitate a party. Kignt of such corps have sailed a8 lollows:— Tne United States corvette, Captain Mm: thews, conveyed Professor Halls party to Wiad wostok, iD Siberia—iatitaude 431 deg, north, longitude 132.5 deg. east (irom Greenwicn)— landing there on the 7th of September. The Kear- sarge, Captain Harmony, carried Protessor Wat- son's party to Pekin, China—latitude 39.8 deg, north, longitude 117 deg, east—which they reached on Sepiember 16. Proiessor Davidson's parcy are to work at Nagasaki, Japan, in lat- itude 82.75 deg. north, longitude 10.1 deg. | east. The southern positions ure, of course, in south latitudes, and, except one, in east tongi- tude, cuuntea from Greenwich. The observers destined to act at these places were conveyed per United States steamer Swatara to their various destinations, At Crozet’s Island, tne indun Ocean, the observers will accompanied by Captain Raymona, of the Army Engineer Corps. The latituae of tulé position 19 46.5 deg. and Jongituue 523 deg. lutelligence since received irom the parties despatched to Crozet’s Isiand, Lo wever, ites that, owing to | Stormy weather and the atter absence of @ spot Suitable 1or anchorage, the observers were Una@oie to go ashore there, and, consequently, proceeded to Van Diemen's Island, Intenuing to selecl a po- sition on that island. ‘This is much to ve regret- ted, inasmuch ag the island is an excellent geo- grapMicai station trom whien to opserve the tran- sit. Lieutenant Commanger Ryan, United States Navy, takes a party to Kerguelen Isiand, iat- tude 49.6 deg., jougitude 70.7 deg. Lieutenant Peters, United states Navy. does the honors at Blufl Harbor, latitude 46.6 deg., longitude 169 deg. Chatham Island, which hes east of Austraiia, in iautude 43.8 deg., longitude 176.30 deg. (West), will be visited and uved [or transit pur- poses by. a party under Prolessor smith, o! the Coast Survey. At Hobart Town, in Van Diemen’s Land, lauvude 42.8 deg., longitude 169 deg. Proiessor Harkness, United States Navy, Will superiniend the observa‘ions, Al! these iocations are mapped With precision on bo'h of the accoin- panyinz diagrams, Every ‘actiity has beev ac- corded the eXpediuonary jorces, tie vessels of the Lavy have been placed at their disposal anu the SUD Of $1.0,000 has been appropriaied by Congress to deiray the expenses incurred by te sc.enusts. But a these preparations op the part oi the American government form a smail iraction of the gigantic efforts of other astronomers through- out the world. THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT has made ample provision jor tue equipment of thirty separate expedinions, which Will be =cat- tered Over tie Vast regions of Eastern Siberia and the part of Kussia proper wuicu 1s represented on the maps. Along tie vorders of the Black aud the Casplan Seas, those cold astronumers of the Nortu wili play perhaps the most important part lu the grand work, jor it i8 culefy upon the frozen plaius oi that territory that brigit sups aod bilge skies prevail in tne depth of winter. Tue government of the German Empire has sent ob- servers (o Kerguelen Lana, the wes.ern vorder of New Zealand, Auckland, Persia, Cuina ald Palestine. WORK OF THE ENGLISH ASTRONOMERS, Engiaud 1s to bave uine stations, under the con- trol of Sur George Airy, the Astronomer Koyal, and Tesponsivie tiivugh him to the government. Uf tuesc, two are in Egypt, three in the Sandwich isiands, one in Koarigue Isiand, one 1D New Zea- Jaud and two in Kergueien Laud, Anotuer post tuun wi.l be occupied Ou Mauritius Isiaud oy Lord Lindsay, Who bas equipped an expedition at nis own expense and taken ali the necessary appliances from his private observatory at Dounecut, uear Aberdeen, Scotiand. Forty-three chronomevers (clocks keeplug accurate time) had been iauded there at the late-t writing irom that dis‘ant land. A Convection had aise been establisned vetween that station aud Rodrigue Isiand. in Egypt a spot has been chosen on the bills lying between Cairo and the Red Sea, aud a secondary station selected at Thebes ior toe Use he The new comers were weil receiveu by the Khedive anu numberiess bDashaws, Whose Cuiel interest in the strungers lay in the prospect O/ odtuining pipes and coffee trom ‘bem. A position will be occupied at Alexandria for the sOle purpose of maintaiuibg communica- ous between the vtuer staious aud Greenwich, At Honolulu, Hawai, and anotuer island (Awol) \ne observing parties have been intrusted to the care Oo! Captuin SUpman, recent despatches from Whom aunounced uis warm reception by the King and members of the Mivistry, ihe Captain was domiciied 1D & house belonging to members of the King’s jumily. On the isiind of Kourigue, in the pouto indiao Ocean, toere are numerous inhabi- tants not of & highly civilized vature, but they bave welcomed to their sounding shores the strange lovking men irom knglund, with their shining brass poles and iragrant tobacco. There being DO auchorage round the piace tne instru- ments had to ve dragged up tue cliffs with ropes. Everything, however, was progressing well there, Jn New Zewand the saciiues for communicating with knzland are very lew, and the mem- bers have to conient tuemseives with the estab- ligoment Of @ iine Ol Leiegraph to Welitngton. Tuey will likewise interchange courtesies witu the German corps situated at the extreme west Portion of tne island. Tue party which set sail jor Kerguelen Land were duomed to mueh disap- pointment, ior their suip broke down and they were compeged to uwait the arrival o) assistance alithe way Tom England. They vad been fairly avarted, however, on the 18th oi September, but they must have arrived later than the Americans, whu have consequently bad a chvice of positions there. THE FRENCH EXPEDITIONS, Owing to the secrecy with which the French scientists conduct their operations litte is known about the novel mechous Wich tuey mtend to use, but it is well known that France was sent out scientific men to St. Paul’s Island and Camp- beil’s island, barren Wiideruesses, in the Indian Ucean, abu to Peking ana tie soutwern tract of New Zeaiand, One of tue French war steamers arrived some tme ago at Sydney, New South Wales, With @ stuf Of asironomers and forty cases Of transit instruments, but, for some reason, they ababdeued the idea o} stopping either at New Caledonia or at tae Marguesas Isjauds. Fieurials lefs onanghat tor Pekin iast August, and he inteuded to muke pro- vision lor parties at Yukobama and Saigon. the expedition to Campbell's isiand came very near losing ail their astronomical equipments by fire, which broke out in the storeroum of the steamer Jeudaa, while sue was at Sydney, and lasted tor twoasys, All the apparatus, nowever, was for- tunately Saved. dir. Juusseu, one of Lie observers, is the same tndividuai who broke out of Paris ina baloon during the siege oi 1870, in order to ob- serve aM eClipse Of the 8.0 Which Was visible in Algeria. ‘WO years previously ne had witnessed, under admirabie circumstances, a solar eciipge in india, Tue Academy oi France bas taken every pussivie precauiion to insure success, Long belore tue astronomers set sail an ob- servatory Was erected in that portion oi tue Luxembourg known as the «Pepiniére,! for the sole pu:pose of making experiments in taking puotograpis of the sun’s image, with @ view LO uw g Tesuil OD the trausit day, As svon as the eX)eriments were over the structure was ruthiessiy pulied down. The amount expended tous Jar un we French observing parties foacnes 300,000 irancs, and it 18 probable that sume repre- sentatives of Frauce will make observations at Shanghai, ‘awit, Che-Fvo, Amsterdam LIsiand, Noumea and tne McDonald Isianas. [taly con- tributes her part turougo the iWustrious Father Secchi, who p uposes to make @ wonderful sppil- ance Of h peciruscope in the determination of the poi Oi contact, as Was eXpiained ia the HERALD Of the 80th of Novemver, PREPARATORY LABORS OF THE SCIENTISTS, hen the expeditionary corps have janded on the shores from which they intend w view the wenomenon the first thing to be Jone is the con O/ & position irom Which the sun is visiele turoughout the entire day. A damp, sandy Kade 1! poasibie, is Chosen, and the workmen proceet to dig @ good foundation tor tne instruments to rest on. Snelter irom the prevailing winds is desjrable, a8 the least quivering o/ the te.escopes during the eventiul momenis Oo! Observation would cause grave embarrassment. Three piers are con- structed jor the support of the transit instrament (an apparatus for ascertaiuing the moment at whica @ heavenly vody pusses the meridian), the photograpiic machinery and the equa- torial telescope. A temporary observat is erected, as weil as @ bot in whic the photograpiis of the planet are to be taken during every stage of its first and last con- tacts, On tne desert isiands suitable apartments Must be constructed wherein the meno! science Can slumber comlortavly and feast as well as may be, wits jealous recoilectiong of Velmonico’s, Tne chrouomevers are compared with the time indi- cated by the stars, as they wheel across the meridian every night, The latitude of the place virtually its distance from (ue North Pole) i found by determining the height of the Polar Star, or by observing (he sun in (ue same manner a8 sea captains, though with far greater exactitude. Toen the angular distance of the position east or west irom Washington or Greenwich (ite lougt- tnde) is ascertained in various ways. M, ior example, curonomever snows thal it js nooR at Washington, while the observers see thas it) 18 midmight with thew, then they cnow that they are twelve ours of time different from that of Washington. Every hour oj uifference in the time shows a re- moval of fifteen degrees or one twenty-fourth part of a circle round the earth, Jrom Washington; hence the observers would be twelve times iteen degrees from our capital But as the very best chronometers fail to keep exact time otoer means are resorted to, The moon, during her circuit round the earth, passes between us and certain stars. The Moment at which she passes be.ween any star and Washington is known irom previous caiculation, i, toeu, it be found ata certain Station that the moon passes over the same star eignt hours earlier than at Wasuington the obser Vers can estimate their longituve as beiore. Eclipses of Jupiver’s moons occur with marvellous recision, By noting tne times at which they ecome -visivle on an island and comparing this time with the hoar at which the aimanac shows them to be visiule at Washington, the lon- gitude can be determiged as belore. Best of all systems, pernaps, is tue electric telegraph. Ii, for lustauce, wheo it 18 noon at Hovart fown the wires fash from Pekin the intelligence tnat it is two hoars taree minu‘es and twenty-eignot seconds belore noon there, it becomes evident that Hobart ‘own ig thirty degress und fve-sixihs east of Pekin, In these ways the precise location of every position on the earth’s surface can be deter- mined. The amount of error made by the oiocks can be rectified by observing the time which elapses irom tve instant at which astar passes the meridian on one night to @ similar moment on the night succeeding. [If the clock bas kept per- fect time it will imaicate a lapse o! twenty-turee hours fifty-six minutes and four seconds. If it be siow or fast, as compared Witn the stars, its error can be computed aud aliowance made therelor. THE PHOVOGRAPHIC ARRANGEMENTS, At each of tue American stations upwards of 200 glass plaies are coated wito a solution of the white o: anegg in water and a@ little nitrie acid. Colludion 1s then poured over them, and they are mace ready ior exposure during tue contacts of Venus. fhe image of the small strip of the sun in the netghvorhooa of the contact 1s aduitted through a sit and strikes the giass. One of plates is imtroduced the mgment Venus touc! the sun, and @ perfect representation of the a) pearance is imprinted on the plate. This image 1s pas-ed to an attendant who fastens the impres- #100 as in ordinary photography, and In the mean- time another ‘plate 1s introduced into the camera, anovber iikeness of the phenomenon 1s taken, and so on, In this way about 200 negatives of the transit during its first and last stages are taken, from which any numoer of maps of the transit may afterward be copied. The two methods of Halley and Delisie respectively, @ full explanation o/ the nature of which has aiready been made in the HERALD, will be used according to the taste of the observers and their positions on the globe, Halley's metnod Fequires stations as far north and south as pos- sible; in Delisle’s thé locations lie east and west, ‘Tue committee appointed by our own government will employ the system of Halley, while that of Delisie wili be used by Sir George Airy and the Russian observers. The French and the Germans Wul take advantage of both, having selected sta- tions at four distant corners Of the Visibie portion ofthe earth, On THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 8, when it will be thirty-fve minutes past eight o’ciock at Washiogton, it willbe the morning of tne 9th at ali the American tions. Duriug the jew decisive minutes after that time the whole army of observers throughout the world will be Pointing tueir telescopes toward thé sun and raying Jervently that no clouds may intervene. hould the weather prove unlavoraole at any sta- tion all tne exertions and time and money spent on that particular locality will have gone jor naught. Gold medals, honors, and greatness of name await the fortunate soldier who will best Periorm the task. Is it any wonder that they should betray anxiety to witness the grand event under favorable auspices? Theirs ‘Will be no transitory merit, for the history of their glorious works will be inscribed forever upon nis- tory’s most luminous pages, and will go down trom age to age as an imperisna>ie monument of the genius, tne energy and the triumphs of science in the nineteenth century. While wearied mortals will be wrapped in repose over the extent o! our Own iand the aposties of science will be absorbed in Scientific reveries beneath the sun of other climes, @nd winning wreaths of fame more durabie than the jaurel or tne imperialcrown. It is not im- Moderate to hope that America will not be the @ast among the nations in this heroic and peaceful contest jor houor aud same, THE AMERICAN CORPS IN TAS- MANIA. Incidents of the Voyage to the Antipo- des=The United States Ship Swatara, Her Passengers, Command and Per- formance—Distributing the Parties and Placing the Instruments—Scien- tific Preparation for the Discharge of an Important Duty—Geographical and Meteorological Facts. UNITED STATES STEAMER SWATARA, Hosart Town, Tasmania, Oct. 1, 1874. ‘The United States ship Swatara, with the Crozet, Hobart Town, Bluff Harbor and Chatham Island traffstt of Venus observation parties on board, ar- rived here this evening, jorty-flve days from Cape Town and eighteen days irom Desolation Isiana, where we left Lieutenant Commander Ryan and his transit party. THE VOYAGE FROM THE CAPE, ‘The Swatara left Tavle Bay on the evening of the 17th of August, loaded to the water's edge with coal, provisions, lumber, houses and instruments. Our first directive point from the Cape was the Crozet group of islands, distant about 2,000 miles 1n a southeasterly direction, and situated in about 46 deg. south—about the same relative latitude as St. Jonns, N. F.—im longitude they are anywnere from 44 deg. to 61 deg. east, their position varying upon diferent charts 48 much as 7 deg,, so little fe known of them. The group consists of three or four periectly barren and almost perpendicular rocks, surrounded by dangerous reefs, Possession Island, the largest, being abouttwelve mites long by six wide and rising to a height of 5,000 feet above ‘the sea level. They are almost inaccessible from the absence of harbors, the precipitous and rocky nature of their shores and principally because they are entirely exposed to the tremendous eweil of the South Indian Ocean, the roughest and stormiest water on the globe. Captain Nares, of her Majesty’s ship Ohallenget, who made last December a recon- noissance of this group for the purpose of testing ts capabilities a6 an astronomical station for ob- |. Serving the transit of Venus, in nis report says Uhat the Challenger steamed to within haifa mile of the entrance of the bay, Anding thirty-five fath- oms of water; but the heavy cross swell setting in from the northwest and southwest meeting here created sach @ heavy sea that the vessel could not epproach nm . Me adds also thay thay conid see the surf breaking heavily and rolling up the beach, which extends across the head of the bay, which cannot ve called @ harbor, being only one cable wide (600 feet) and open completely to the eastward. He accordingly reports that it would be impracticable to establish an observing station at the Crozets, We came up with the Crozet Isianas two weexs alter leaving Cape Town, and, alter losing two days to be charged to fogsy weather, we sighted Posses- sion Isiana, Owing to severe weather ana Cap- tain Chandler, remembering the claims of the otuer stations and feeling assured that it would be three gays helore @ landing could be at- tempted, was obliged, very much to his chagrin, to give up the design of landing here and he accord. ogly put tne ship op her course for Kerguelen Island, After @ quick run with strong westerly winds and misty weather late one evening we mave the southwestern Cape of Kerguelen, and bext morning saw us steaming along the southern Coast Oj tne island, WE CAME TO ANCHOR in one of the bays formed by the numerous islands in the sound. Here we jound two American whal- ing schooners, the Charles Coldgate and the Emma Jane, of New Loudon. They told us that they had been away trom home, fishing for whale and sea elephant, bere and at Heara’s Island, for three years, and hat they had met SETTLEMENT FOR THR SCIENTISTS. For the next tnree days ail hands were at work establishing tne seitiement, landing their material nd building the party @ dwelling house; the transit, equatorial and photograph houses pene maue 10 light sections, ready fitted, they woul Dave no difficulty in setting them in place them- Selves, once their astronomical insiruments were in position on tueir stone foundations, ‘4 ROUGH WELCOME. Upon the evening of the second day at Mount Crozier we were struck by a very heavy squall from the northeast, causing us to drag our two bo «er anchors for a considerable distance and en- tailing @ loss of two boats; but luckily no lives were lost, ONWARD FOR HOBART TOWN. On the 4th we started jor Hobart Town, distant 8,400 mules, For two weeks we rao, or rather flew, before a succession of heavy westerly gales, with constant snow, rain hail accompani- ments, Dot to speak of the long, following sea that kept compiny with us ior the whole dis- tance, and the cold weather. We got ai steam and ran up the D’Entrecasteaux channe to Hobart Towu, where we came to an anchor this aiternoon, the Swatara being the first Ameri- can man-o’, /ar ever in the port, The Swatara in Port at Bluff Harbor— Anteres:ing Preparation for Observing the Phenomenon. UNITED STaTES STEAMFR SwaTaRa, BLurr HARBOR, New Zealand, Oct. 16, 1874. The United States expeditionary ship Swatara, with the Blof Harbor and Chatham Island Venus transit parties on board, arrived here yesterday, five days from Hobart Town, Tasmania, THE WORK AZ HOBART TOWN, At Hobart Town we left, not only Professor Harkness and his corps of assistants, with all of thetr impedimenta, but also the party originally in- tended fur the Crozet Islands. A few day after our arrival, however, he received informa- tion from the Superintendent of the Melbourne Observatory that he had received a complete pho- tographic apparatus to be used in connection with their reflecung telescope—the largest in the world—in observing the transit of Venus. So that there was 20 longer any reason for going to Mel- bourne with his instruments, but many reasons why he should establish himself elsewhere. By increasing the number of separate and distinct stations the chances for fine weather and good observations are multiplied, not to speak of other advantages accrulug from a large number of widely spread observing sta- tions. .And while they were determining upon a site that should possess the necessary qualifications, along comes a letter from Dr. Valentine, @ gentleman of scientific tastes and attainments, residing upon his estate at Camp- bellstown, a village in the interior of Tasmania, about eighty miies from Robart Town, offering to Captain Kaymond his park as a site for his ob- servatory, and promising to provide bed and board in his own house for the Captain and two of his assistants, Tuis generous offer, 80 courteously extended, was not to \, tefused, and, after learning much in favor 01 Apadilities of the place as an observing stu..vn, and especially that it possessed telegraphic communication with Ho- bart Town, to enable him to determine accurately the longitude of his position, he unhesitatingly acceptea Dr, Valentine’s hospitable invitation, and & day or two after he loaded his boxes upon wagons and started over the hills with his train for Campbeilstown, THE HOBART TOWN PA..TY OP AMERICANS, Proiessor Harkness, of the United States Navy, in charge ol the Hobart Town party, had in the meantime been busy making his preparations, The colonial authorities had offered him every assistance, including the use of storehouses for tis Instromeuts and whatever land he might choose a8 @ site tor bis observatory bulidings, and.long before we left Hobart—as the city is sometimes termei—the piace was selected and the masons at work laying: the foundations for the piers of the instruments. The spot chosen was upon @ élignt elevation in the outskirts of the city, iar enough irom the roadway to insure perfect steadiness and absence of vibra- tion to the instruments, and right at the side of the large water main that connects the reservoir with the Water pipes of the city, iresa water pone. On essentt: used in washing the photographic plates, and plenty of it, because the transit—avout during the time singe ry four nours—there will some 200 plates taken; and the cyanige of potassinm nsed in fixing the impressions i8 @ virulent potson—prussic acid, A constant flow of water must, therefore, be kept up to carry off the large quantity of the poison used upon sO many plates.in the comparatively short period occa)ied in the transit; otherwise the fumes rising (rom the bath would in a@very short time incapacitate the pnotograpbers ior farther operations. Wita Professor ness are associated Mr. Waldo, assistant astronomer; Mr. Moran and Mr. Churchill as photugraphers, They have tuken up their quarters at one of the hoteis in toe city convenient to the observing station, and will, doubtiesa, pass three very pleasant months in this beautiful city. THR PEOPLE SYMPATHIZE WITH THE GRAND IDRA. Bere, as at Cape Town, the citizens were very kind and hospitabie.* The Ministry of the colony entertained Captain Chandler, the oMcers of the a the oificers of the Swatara at a State oanquet, and the ladies of the city gave us grand ball in the City Hall, not to speak of priva parties, tan us continually in sort of social feativi HOBART TOWN 1 the capital city of the colony. It has a popula- U0n of about 25,000, and 18 a very quiet, well built, Englisa tooking city, supported principally by the wool trade with the ‘imyerior. 1t 1s remarkable ior —————__——. nothing, excepting tne exces grandeur of the aosbery facaute mere. oa “MAN seems to be ‘he most fertiie of ustra- lasian colonies. The ci:'mate Fancast if England; the country is well w and there is @ moist heas everywhere is very re- ireshing and cheering. Professor Harkness has secured some seeds aud shoots which he proposes: to pisat in Washington upon our return to We remained at Mfovaren own or at Hobart Town tor ot na’ filled up witn coal, which ts versal par point, We stvod out of the Derwent Rive: the evening 0: the 16th inst., bound for Bluff bor, New Zealand, ° ue, Ber and, situated about 1,000 miles to BLUPP, av THE After @ quick run with strong wes' we arrived at the Blut on the isoruing of. We 10k and, mooring the snp, at once began janding: “a8 equipment O/ the New Zea'and party. Very soom aiter our arrival Lieutenant Bass, United States. Engipeers, tue Assistant astronomer of the i Who had arrived out in the steamer of the 5 San Francisco aud Ausiralia, came on board. reported to vr. Peters, tue chier of the pa'ty, thas: he had chogen 4 site in the vieinity of Queenstown, a small village in the ake country ot New Zea-- land, about 120 miles to the northward of this int and well in the interior o! the country, and shes - had — the ar P ions for ransierring the party, boxes aggage . out loss of time, A ooktingsd — THR JOURNRY TO QUEENSTOWN will occopy @ week at lenee for the latter part of the distance must be made over the mountain: Toads iu wagons, and the iast ten or twenty miles: are to be made by steamer across Upon which the village 13 siiuated, The ome ‘was. chosen because, veing at a considerable distance fiom. the sea, the chanves for tavorable wi Would be greater, aud also because it Be the telegraphic coiwunication necessary in deter- inthe oe longitude bays recision, erie, as for other adVali tages 0! elevation, oa! Ook, free- dom from mist, &¢, j THE NEW ZEALAND PARTY consists of Dr. Peers, o! Hamilton College, sn@ | Lievitenant Baas, United States Army, as astrono- mers, aud Mr. Philippi, Mr. Russel and Mr, Aymé aa photographers, THE NAVAL WORK ALMOST COMPLETED. We @aii this atternovn for Chatham Island, and we will provably arrive ou the 20th inst., the dis. tance being oniy about 700 miles, Here we leave the last party. Tuis accompiisped we are to re- turn to New Zealand and Hobe ‘t Town for the purnose of comparing the Curon. aéters Of the ob-. serving parties. Aiter a short stay in Hobart to: make some hecessary revatrs to the ship we. ill start again for Biutf Haroor and Chatham to-p.ck. up the observing parties, CAREER OF A BIGAMIST. nena Operations of an Adventurous Inventor in Cincinnati-Two Wives Within a. Year—Accidentai Discovery and Flight: of the Villain, CINCINNATI, Ohio, Deo, 5, 1874, About four years ago there arrived in this city a: man who gave lis name as W. 8, Dobson, of Rochester, N. Y¥. He claimed to be the great American inventor, and talked a great deal about patents, scroll saws and all such mat | ters, After a time ne was given employment | by a firm in the city. and afterward he worked for various otuer parties. He was rather dasny in his. | general appearance, and it was soon ascertained that he was not altogether in .ove with manual. labor. It was further ascertained that he could, without any serious inconvenience to himself, spend as much money in @ genteel way as two: men in his circumstances could earn. He displayea himself as @ scroll sawyer at the Industrial Ex- position, and made himself very agreeable to lady visitors especiuiiy. HIS OPERATIONS were brilliant and ae always had &@ crowd around: him. He nade minature jurniture and love witn equal facility and was so auccessiul at the latter that on the 3d of September, 1873, under the name of William D. Herscheil, of Rochester, N. Y., he Married @ Miss Sallie Gregg, of 8 US aa Ohio, od, on the isth of November, 1874, he ried: | Miss Georgie Douglass, vf this city, rong Ee | has @ wife aud two children | ester, N. Y. Dobson extracted ali the money he could .from Miss Gre, and had | the baseness besides to permit Miss Douglass to Work out at dressmaking to supply nim with money. He managed to live with each unknown. to the other, uutil tne accidental diacovery of bis+ true name by » business man who boarded in the house with him brougot up tne question of his: idenuty. The notices of bis marriages were then traced in the papers and the place, made so hot for hith that he fled to Once, with Miss Douglass, A detective has been placed on his tracg. THE MASSAORE OP THE HAVANA STUDERTS.. Services Yesterday in the Santiago: Charch. Yesterday morning. at the Cuban Church of Santiago, Fifth avenue and Twenty-second street, services were held commemorating the massacre of the students in Havana by the Spanish autaori- tes in 1871 The church was filled by the patriotic band of Cubans aud by @ number of American: sympathizers. It is no exaggeration to state that, there was hardly one present who had not lost. some relative or friend in the existing strife for luberty in the “Gem of the Antilles,” which was. inaugurated by tne uprising at Yaraon the 10th. of October, 1868, Among the principal mourners. | may be mentioned the widow of the noble young | General Agramonte, whose dashing bravery was: | acknowleaged by friend and foe. There was siso- | present the widow of the patriot Santa Rosa, who- | met bis death in the Virginiusexpédition. Among otuer notubilities was a very pretty little girl, some five years ui age, Wuo is One of the orphan chil- dren oi the intrepid General Jesus del Sol, who was. massacred by the Spaniards, after belug captured |,On the ull-iated Virginius expedition, at Santiago | de Cuba, having been killed with Generals Bernal | Varona, Ryan, Captuin Fry and others. at the | close of church #ervice the little orphan 1 in. question regularly advances to the altar rails and Claims a kigs from her iriend, Dr. Joaquim Palma,. the pastor. Seated in une of the iront pews was the Vice President of the Cuban Repubilc, Fran- cisco V. Aguilera, accompanied by his two daugt ters, Agullera was pussessed in Cuba of estat and property worth a couple of miiions of dol- lars, and to him belongs the honor of being the | first Cuban patriot m the present struggle to: berate his giaves. THE MASSACRE AT HAVANA, In the history of the Cuban struggle for inde- ndence the Massacre of the eight students at avana, charged with desecrating Castanon’s and. another Spaniard’s tomb in the Havana cemetery, will always be rezarded with borror by the Cavan. reader. Nothing was proved against them, and they were acquitted after the matter had been investigated. The affair was, however, angrily taken up again by the “voluuteers” and the politi- cal Governor oi Havana, named Lopez Koberts, and a new trial took place, It occurred at two: o'clock in the afternoon, and at five o’clock they | were taken out to tne Punta and shot. ‘he com- memoration of this massacre was the theme: ; chosen by the pastor in his sermon, SHOOTING AFFRAYS IN BROOKLYN, | The Pistol in # Barroom and the Ferry+ | boat. During an altercation which occurred in a bar- Toom yesterday afternoon, at No. 6 Hamilton ave- | nue, between James Dougherty and Thomas Ooyne, the former discharged a revolver at the latter with probably fatal effect. Douguerty, a car driver, residing at No. 478 Washington ave- | nue, entered tne saloon, which is kept oy Coyne, , 8nd got into @ wraugle with him about the payment of a debt of $2, which Dough- erty had previously borrowed. At the ume the money was vorrowed he left a pistol. as security with Coyne, The words which were interchanged by te two men were ing an argumeut as to toe payment ond during the dispute the pistol was discharged, the ball tuking effect in tne neck of Uoyne, infict- ing a serious wound. ‘Ine injured man States that the weapon was in the hands of Dougherty, while the latter is positive that Coyne shot bimsel! acci- dentally, Tne accused was arrested by Detective Looney, of the Third precinct, and 18 Deid to await the resuit of injury inflicted. At an early hour yesterday morning, while crosaing on the Fulton ferryvoat Farragut, from New York to Brookiyn, Captain Edward scLeer and John Fisher, two revenue officers, became in- volved in an argument concerning the recent, ulicit whiskey still seizures. ‘The Captain inti- | mated that his associate, Fisher, was ware of some stilis, but kept the fact quiet for pecuniary reasons. her attempted to strike McLeer, and that individual retaliated by fring three shots at him, Fortunately the snocs did not take effect upon the intenaed victim. McLeer escaped as soon a8 the bout reached the Brookiyn side. FORTY HOURS’ DEVOTION IN MELROSE. At the Oharch of the immaculate Conception, Melrose, the opening of the forty hours’ devotion was celebrated yesterday morning, The ceremo- nies were Of an impressive character. Grand high mass was sung by tho President of Fordham College, Rev. Father Goeklin, assisted by Rev. Father Yungbaur as deacon, a reverend professor from the college as suv-deacon and seventy-three acolytes, The procession was very imposing, each acolyte bearing a four-branched torch. Inside the charch was one sea of biazing lights, and the decorations Were ail in extremely good taste, An efictent choir rendered Bunler’s Mass in “0,” ag~ sisted by a fine orchestra, ‘the attendance spoke well for the aevowuon of the parishioners, an tm- mense concourse hearing each of the tive maases, | and upward of eight hundred people receiving the | holy communion, Yuring the forty bours services | will be held each hour,