The New York Herald Newspaper, February 17, 1875, Page 3

: NEW YORK HERALD, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1875.—TRIPLE SHEET. RE ceo Sedncacsnnnt cannes sentria eo mean casa suaaaiiscais. sal ee lt a sah Ei MS RAG Ns NS LEN AS SRE TRANSIT OF VENUS... THE OBSERVATIONS IN SIBERIA. PHOTOGRAPHS OF VENUS. The Planet’s Track Mapped at Vladivostok. TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN INGENUITY, Work of the Foreign Ex- peditions. THE DIAGRAMS EXPLAINED. The Great Problem Drifting Toward a Definite Solution. PROFESSOR HALL’S PARTY. | WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 1875, Professor Asaph Hall, United States Navy, the chief of the party of American observers stationed | at Viadivostok to witness the tramsitof Venus, | arrived in Washington last evening. He was Raturally faticued by his long journe: tented bimseli with one nighkt’s rest, and th’ morning very cheertully gave the HERALD repre- | sentative a three hours’ sitting in his house in Georgetown, He detailed his experiences with much exactness, using bis diary asa guide. As he 1s the only ome of the Professors of the Naval Observatory who has returned his story possesses especial interest, ‘THE VOYAGE OF THE SCIENTIFIO ARMY. The party of which the Professor was chief arrived at the port of Nagasaki (Nippon) on the Sist of August, in excellent health and spirits. Their voyage across the Pacific Ocean had been as expeditious and agreeabie as could have been desired, while, upon examination, their instra- ments were found, with a few trifling excep- tions, to be im perfect order, Bat three days were consumed in transferring their equipments to the United States steamer Kearsarge, which they found in wating, amd on the 34 of September they again set sail for Viadi- vostok. Captain Harmony, of the Kearsarge, de- voted his entire energies to the success of the un- dertaking, and a swift and delight/ul passage of the 700 miles that separate Nagasaki trom the Coren coast was the result, The harbor of Vladivostok was entered on the evening of the 8th. The little city was enjoying one of its fre- | quent festival seasons and no landing waseffected | until the aay following. Then Professor Hall and | Captain Harmony went ashore and, although the | holiday was not yet ended, obtained from the | Chief of Police permission to remain. After con- | siderable search five rooms in the log house oc- cupied by the Mayor of the city, Mr. Federof, were | rented and arrangements ior boarding the party completed. Professor Hall took up quarters with en old Danish captain named Devries, who boasted the desirable luxury of an American wife, ENGINEERING FOR A PAVORABLE POSITION. On the 11th the whole party went ashore and selected’ a site for an observatory in the south- western portion of the city, on a point of land be- tween the harbor and Amour Bay. The next day the work of constructing the necessary buildings began. A brief survey convinced the astronome that they had failen into a region of country desirable alike for aresidemce and for the mu- slonon which they were engaged. The city’ of Viadivostok ts unexceptionably located. It oc- cupies a narrow strip of plain, forming the shore of a charming bay, and is pretected at the rear by grange of lofty hills. The air is clear and ex- bilarating, the temperature being very like that of the State of Minnesota. The thermometer sel- | dom rises above sixty aegrees Fahrenheit, even in | summer. A plentiful growth of oak and pine timber on the hillsides furnishes aa abundance of | building material and fael, while the tertile soi! Yielas largely of vegetables, and many kinas of game and fish thrive unmolested for lack of de- mand, Flour and butter alone are imported. These are purchased tw the San Francisco market. The city proper is little more tnan a naval Btation. Its population scarcely exceeds 4,000 ; souls, all of whom, except some 300 disreputable women sent thither in exile, are rulers, tiaders, | Bailors and coolies, Of the class first named there | ls @ superabundance. The chief officer is the Governor, who ts appeinted by the Russian gov- ernment, and issomewhat pretentious. Ranking | below the Governor’s staff is the Mayor, who lives in a very bumble way and possesses little power. The executive is tne Chief of Police, who 1s | charged with the maintenance of the peace and enjoys almost absolute contre of the people. Two Yankees, named Smith, control the traMec of the Place, one of them being quite wealthy and em- ploying several hundied mea. The coolies are Givided into Chinamen and Coreans and live in a condition but littie better than slavery. TRACES OF AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION. The region ts rich in evidences o! a former civil- ization, Half worked gold mines and relics of ancient cities are abundant in the surrounding wilderness, These indicate with certainty tne fact that at some remote period the country was peopled by an intelligent and thrifty race, A telegraphic cawie, controlled »y a Danish corpora- tion, connects Vladivostok with Nagasaki, and runs thence southward along the coast line to Hong Kong and singapore. A land line, owned by the Kussian authorities, extends north and west to St. Petersburg. BARBARIAN AID TO THE ASTRONOMERS, AS s00n as Professor Hali’s party, consisting of | Professor Hall, chief; 0. B, Wheeler, assistant as- tronomer; W. F. Gardner, inatrument maker: UD. R. Clark, chief photographer, and 1. S. Tappan, G 1. Rockwell and F, M. Lacey, as- sistant photographers, had fairly begun work upon their observatory, they found it mecessary to employ a half dozen coolies, and to the supervision of these the scien- tific force found it necessary to bend its best en- ergies. Alter many trying experiences the Pro- fessor learned the Corean parases, “suiango” (ail Tight), and “poo sbango” (ail wrong), and by the skiliul use of these managed to complete the task. Although the coolies were paid but half a rouble a day, they toiled so leisurely that the work cost | quite as much as if dove im this country. The transit house was @nished with strong piers of | Chinese tiles, well embedded in excellent clay ana gravel ground, soon after the middle of Septem- ber, and the force was then set at work building the piers for the photographic house. A violent rain delayed them a few days, but on | the 25th they were gratified by the sight of @ second structure ready for the in- | struments. A day or two aiterward the house for the equatorial was also ready. All of the | buildings were then banked about with earta to Protect them against the violent northwest winds Prevailing in the section; the roof of the e torial house was tied down with stroug cords and outer walls were raised about the photo. graphic and clock heuses, the intervening spaces being filled with sawdust. The whele was fenced In, A Russian stove was erected between the clock and photographic houses, and by the middl Of October the observatory was complete. The cable company very Kindly onmered free use of their wires, an@ Mr. Hansen, resident ager, not only supplied ail necessary a¢commodations, but se exerted himselT to aid the enterprise as 10 win the gratitude of everyone. Professor Hall built s line to tne end of tne cable, Mr. Hansen Jurnishing insulators and a battery. BATTLING WITH RLEMENTAL DIFFICULTIES, VENUS The Planet’s Track CROSSING THE SUN. as Observed by Professor Hall’s Party at Vladivostok. 3 sd.Contact deen with the work. These were periodicat and could be predicted with certainty by one acquainted with the country, A warm wind frem the Japan sea, with rising thermometer, wi jure to be fol- lowed by a storm from the northwest. The wind wouid suddenly shift square about, the weather turn cold, and a fierce, blinding tempest or rain set in. Suck an event occurred on the 28th of Octover, when a telegram from Preiessor Davidson, at Nagasaki, annennced his readt- ness to begiu taking longitudes. Two or three da; delay was occasionea, but a fortnight of splendid weather followed, and was employed to advantage. Professor Davidson formed tetegraphiv connection with Nagasaki and Tokai, and between Tokai and Earope, the Russian government, threxgn Mr. Dipner, its chief of tele- @faph stations, furotshing wire and tnsulators. Success attended every effort, and by the 10tn of November the desired longitudes were ascertained and the wires taken down and retarned to the owners, The work of testing the photographic Bet one circomstance—the frequent violent storms Of Wind And sam—invericred maseriauy apparatus was then taken up. A number of very fax pictures Of the sun at different altitudes were discovered and remedied, One difficulty was in- surmountable, EMBARRASSMENT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHERS. It was necessary to keep the photographic room warm to preserve the chemicals, while the air without was cold. The thermometer inside showed sixty degrees Fahrenheit, and that out- side twenty degrees. To obtain a view of the sun lit im the roof must be opened, and the disturb- ance of the atmosphere thus caused obscured the ‘ight. Bust two alteraatives were presented—viz., to give a long exposure and precure a biurred pic- ture, or short exposure and a share bat faint Picture, Neither kind was desirable for exact measurements, but the latter was adopted with indifferent success. The two weeks preceding the transit were very busy ones. Some days were de- voted to the last essentiai labor, that of obtaining the local time and latitudes by means of a theodo- lite, Ths being savisfactory everything was put in order, and the looked-!or day founda the party m per.ect readiness for careful and successiu! ob- servations of the transit secured and many imperfections in the chemicals THR TRANSIT DAY AT HAND. For six days the weather bad been delightful and the morning broke clear and cold, The chemicais were tested for a last time and found in excetlent condition, Everything gave promise of success when, between seven and eight o'clock, the air grew warmer and the sky hazy. A stiff breeze set in from the southeast and gave certain prom- ise of an approaching storm. Notwithstanding their fears, however, the astronomers and photo- grapbers took their positiens and prepared to do their best, Professor Hall was at tae large equa. torial co take time with Mr. Gardner as assistan:, Proiessor Wheeler commanded the smali equatu- Trial to observe the first and second contacts, The photographers were at their instruments, Mr. Gardner was instructed to leave the equatorial as soon as the first and second contacca were ge- cared and go to the heliostat, bis place at the telescope to be supplica by Lientenant Morong, of the Kearsarge,, Wao was pressed in ior the oo casion. SUCCESSFUL IN THE MOMENTOUS OBSERVATIONS. In observing the @rst und second contacts Pro- fessors Hall and Wheeler were entirely successful. ‘The tmage of the sun was very steady. Tne vibra- tion experienced on cold days was absent, the haze and warmth conducing to steady the image. The photographers, however, were making bad work of theirpart of the programme. They had prepared for a clear day and arranged to take a picture every two minutes. They were, therefore, 1m BO Condition to cope with the exigencies of the situation, With a plain giass lens it was found Impossible to secure sufficient ligut to photograph the contac‘s, It was discovered, when too late, that a silvered mirror was essential. Although Professors Hall and Wheeler could see the san and Venus distinctly through their telescopes, the pho- tographers failed to obtain a single periect view of the contacts or one that could be made avail- able in any way, It was not until Professor Hall entered the room and made several hasty changes that the apparatus w.s rendered ser- viceabie, The plates had been prepared lor a clear day, and, having failed at first exposure, Were permitted to remain unused in the instru. ment, AS aconsequence some delay was caused in preparing new plates; but when they were done the work progressed without difMiculty. While Venus was upon the sun’s disk thirteen ex- cellent photographs (sown in diagram 2) were obtained, MEASUREMENTS OF CUSPS IMPRACTICABLE. Professor Hall found it impossible to measure cusps accurately on account Of the scarcity of light, and as the day progressed and the atmos- phere became denser tue difficulty increased, Twenty-eight minutes after the first contact Professors Hall and Wheeler made satisfactory | observations of the second contact. ‘Then the sky became clearer, and a large number of photo- «raphs, thirteen being (a3 remarked above) ‘us perfect as could be wished, were taken. At the time of the third contact the sky grew quite hazy, and the time was observed with some uncertainty. The clouts gathered rapidly, and tne jourth contact was lost entirely. SPECULATION AS TO THE RSSULTS. Notwithstanding the bad weather Professor Hall feeis that the results are important and the observations @ success, Much depends upon a solution of the problem whether photograpns can te measured with the requisite accuracy. When 1b 18 remembered that the negatives must be brought many thousands of mules, through varied temperatures, to Washington and here suvjected to measurements which must not vary from abso- lute accuracy one ten-thousandth of an inch, some idea of the delicacy of the undertaking can be obtained. Should the colloilion film sarink but in the least degree, the entire work 1s lost. Inal tests hitherto made the pictures have failed to give satisfactory results, but with the improved apparatus used om this occasion Professor Hall hopes that all defects have been rem- edied and that the photographs — will be found accurate. AS not less than two-thirds of the amount of money { used by the American expeditions was devoted to the photographic metnod, It will be seen that it is | very desirable that Professor Hali’s expectations | should be verified. If they are, the advantage to | be derived by the cause of science from the dis- covery is inestimable, INGENUITY OF AMERICAN CHEMISTS, The Professor 18 satisfled that the American apparatus for photographing is much superior to that used by European expeditions, The Europeans mount their mstruments equatorially, thus obtaiming more light, but what we lose in light 1s more than compensaced by the exactness with which we get positions, Tne forty-foot nori- zontal telescope used by the Americans can be set with theoretical exactness, An image of the piumb line is photographed upon each plate, By means of this and the distance between the centres of the two obects, which can be meas- ured, the position of Venus on the eun’s disk may be fully devermimed, A HASTY HOME RUN. Professor Hali’s party left Viadivostock on the 12th of December, lest the winter should set in and render it Impossible to get the steamer out of the harbor. They put to Nagasaki, and there the party broke up. Messrs, Wheeler and Clarke are on th¢ir journey home by way of Europe; Messrs, | Rockwell and Lacey will propably take up their | residence as teachers tn Japan; and Messrs, Gard- nerand Tappan come upon the next steamer. Professor Hail left Yokohama on the 9th of Janu- ary, Sailing im the Altina, @ German steamer, chartered to supply the place of the tll-tated Japan, Throughout the expedition the party en- Joyed excelient health and received the kindest treatment from all with whom they came in contact. THE FOREIGN EXPEDITIONS IN ASIA—EASTERN AS+ TRONOMERS SUCCESSFUL ALONG THE LINE. Of the toreign expeditions in the vicinity of Viacivostock, Professor Hali brings reports as | follows — At Viadivostock the Russian party under Lieu- tenant Onazawitcn ovserved the first, second and third contacis; took no photographs, but made excellent measurements of cusps with @ Siar micrometer, The Russian party under Dr. Glasenapp wers stationed near Lake Hanka, and obtained partial ouservations With a heifometer. At Port Nabodka, sixty miles nortneast of Viadivostock, Lieutenant Shubm was stationed, and he had made no report, At Possiett, Struve and Hasselberg observed the first and second contacts and took photographs, The party at Nertschinsk, on the mountains, used a hellometed, had a fue day and were en. | urely successiul, \ At Hakouaat the weather was fair\and three contacts were observed. The Dutch party at Cheefoo, under Dr. Vaien- Uner, made complete hellomeiric and photo- graphic ooservations, At nearly all of the stations on the coast the weather Was partially cloudy. EXPLANATION OF THE DIAGRAMS, ee | Mr oC. He The first of the accompanying engravings shows | i two pictures of the sun (figures J and 2), Figure | 3 —— 2 Of this @iagram exhibits the great luminary, with the track of the planet, as it was seen by Professor Hali and by all the astro: omers located on the northern hemisphere of the earth, The three spots on the track represent Veous in three of the most important stages of ber transit. The first contact took place at the mortheast edge of the sun's rim, when doth bodies seemed to gently coilide, The instant of time at which this appa- Tent Collision took piace is of Momentous Impor- tance, It was recorded by Professor Hali’s party. As the planet advanced tn its westward course it soon encroached on the sun’s face until the left band portions of both bodies barely coucned at part- tng, Which was the moment of secoud contact, and ‘Was also signalled by the Americans. After more than four hours the northwestern edges of both Planets seemed to touch eacn other, This was the tuird contact, the precise momeat of whtch was Dot ascertained (thougn it may yet be determined dy calculation). The ‘ourth contact was not seen by Professor Hail owing to the cleud driits that swept ailoutofview. Figure 1 adjotming, in diagram One, portrays the suu’s image as it was formed by the objective or Jens in the photographic camera. ‘The upper edge of the sun appears at the bottom in this figure, and tke right portion of the sun’s Tim 1s now at the left, since odjects are always reversed by a photographic lens. In con- Sequence of this reversal the planet in all the succeeding engravings appears at the tower re- gion of the sun, With a Motion frem right to left, the very contrary to its actual movement and ap- pearance ag seen from nortkerm amd equatoriat climes, On the right extreme of the passage line, three minute oircles depict the pianet’s appear- ance at three different periods subsequent to tno observation of the first contacts, Further on when the transit {8 balf accompiusned, six more spots show Venus in six new positions, ana tow- ard the declining period of the puenomenon four tiny specks indicate a corresponding number of Pictures taken by tne photographers at that time. ECONOMICAL DEVICES OF THE SCIENTISTS. As it would be highly inconvenient and unneces- sary to photograph the entire image Of the sun, as in figure 1 of the first diagram, tie astronomers adopted the plan of taking pictures of only thas Portion of the luminary whereat Veaus a) peared. Hence the photographs taken by Protessor Hali’s party are all of segments of the aun. The sixteen Tepresentations in the second diagram illustrate this with perfect accuracy. The segments therein portrayed are exact fac simlies 0} tuose taken by the Americans in Siberia. THE SEGMENT IMAGES, ‘The first three of those cuts represent the sun as it appeared to Professor Hall at the times of the first and second contacts. In fiyure 1 is shown a slight indentation upon the right Limb of the sun, the first indication of the approaching transit, Venus graduatly advanced until finaly the only connection between the limbs 0: the sun ana the planet was a slight ligament shown in igure 2 This ligament soon broke and Venus was entering upon the sun’s disk. (Fig. 2.) The remaining cuts are tull-sized segments of 13 of the photographs takea. Great acvantage will result from the fact that three of these were ob- tained near the beginning, six near the middle and four toward the close of transit, The vertical line geen in the figures irom 7 to 12 represents the pro- Jecuon of the plumb-line which was suspended near the objective, in order that it migtt be photographed simultaneously with Venus, and the position of the sun and planct relative to the horizon and zenith of Viadivostock thereby deter- mined. The segment photographs are to be scrutinized In the order tn which they are oum- bered, whereupon the position of Venus’ track can readily be perceived and the transit in its various stages thoroughly understood. To an observer at the South Pole of tke earth, viewing the transit without any instruments, Venus would appear crossing the sun precisely as the segment photographs Indicate, because to tim (whose fect Would point almost toward ours) all the transit plenomena would be reversed, as they are tn the photographs. RAPID TRANSIT. ORGANIZATION OF WARD CLUBS—THE DIVERSITY O¥ SENTIMENT. That which now agitates the minds of men who have taken up the matter of providing this city With @ rapid transit raiiway is the question, “In what way can the minds of our legisiators be aflected so that they will pass amendments to the Genera! Railroad law }” As has beea said before in the HERALD the general and immediate answer to this question is to the effecc that Tapid transis clubs, organized «in each ward, would convey to the legislators at Albany the sense that New York needs rapid transit and must have it, else there will be thoughts stored up by the people of the metropolis that will cause trouble in the 1uture to Assembly- men and Senators who now lack foresight and aiscretion. But there is a difficulty connected Wita the orgunization of ward clubs that, tf not overcome, Will prevent them from working ont a good result, They may not agree as to what party ought to be auchorized to build a rapid transit railway. Already there is contention upon this subject. If tnere are two sets of ward cluvs organized, one connected with | the central organization of subscribers to the “deferred capita’ jund, and the ower support. ing the proposition for the city to build the rapid transit railway, there will be @ chance tor vena legislators to Vote against every measure lor rapid transit presented at Albany and ith escape the censure of the combined public. It Is apparent, then, that the adher-nts of the two tdeas must be harmonized, One or the other project must “go to the wall."? 1t does not seem to have struck the minds of the members 0! either sect that they should procure the opinions of eminent legal authorities to make firm or throw down the fonudations of their opin- jons, Each party goes on making its prepara- tons for encounters iu the legislative halis, when they mignt arrange ail their differences of opinion th this city and go to Aibany in solid phalanx, and overbear all opposition there to rapid transit. Roosevelt, Secretary of the “Citizens’ Movement,” has already called upon the holders of subscription lists for reports ot the sums pledged upon those papers, This is a preliminary to the calling together of all sub- scriders to form a central organization. As soon as this body Is organized tue members of it will be requested to form clubs im thetr wards. When tog clubs are Started to advocate the construction of @ railway by the city; and tuere ave said to be movements on loot to organize suca clubs, there wil be danger of a continual clashing between the rival bodies, No illustration is needed to convey to the minds of the people the fact that such an event will retard the accomplisiment of rapid gransit. ‘The Special Committee on Rapid Transit of the Board held an executive meeting yesterday, in order to decide upon the report they are to make to the Board. Without taking any action the committee adjourned, to meet again on Friday. THE LIQUOR DEALERS’ DISPUTE. HEADQUARTERS NEW Yor« Liquor DEALERS’ PROTECTIVE UNION, Masontc Hair, j EAST THIRTEENTH StREBT, Feb. 16, 1875, To THe Eprror or THE HERALD:— Having received a notice purporting to emanate from the New York Liquor Dealers’ Protective Union, that a meeting was tobe held at Putnam Hall on Monday evening, February 15, and think- ing that the same was a duly authorized notice from the Executive Committes of that body, f proceeded thereto and founda mumber of liquor dealers present, As one of the Vice Presidents ot the union, I was, in the absence of the President, Mr. Aaron Herzberg, calied to the chair, when a motion Was made to elect me President of the union, an ponor which | declined om the grounds that there was no vacancy in that position and the motion Was in conflict with tue constitution and bylaws. 1 Wish to state that the meeting was an illegal ove, never having been authorized, that L attended it under a misappretension, that I pro- tested against ail its proceedings, that | do not recognize or countenance its action, and I advise tne liquor dealers of this county to remain stead- last to the unton which has been and ts working 80 energeticaily jor Unelr interests, Respectiully yours, MARK LANIGAN. THE WEATHER YESTERDAY. The following record will show the changes tn the temperature during the past twenty-ionr hours, ta comparison with the corresponding date of last year, recorded at Huduut’s Pharmacy, HewaLo Building, New York :— Avid, 1375, 1874, 1875. -8 2 vee BS 7 2:30 P.M. . 8 6 OP i 1 9PM... be 12 Me. 15 12 PM 3 Average ‘emperavare yesterday 2_ Average temperature for correspoudiug date ASE YCAL ese seen