Vou.. VEL NOs 44,
NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1897.
Price Tren Cents.
THE YALE OBSERVATORY.
Sketch of Work and Growth— Meteor
Photography.
The work of the Yale Observatory
which has been going on steadily for
the past fifteen years has been a quiet
though nevertheless interesting and
thorough one. New instruments are
being added from year to year, and the
character of the work is constantly
broadening. The object is, primarily,
practical work and original research,
no courses in instruction being given.
Those students. who study astronomy
have the use of a telescope in South
Sheffield Hall. <A brief sketch of the
institution will be of interest.
In the year 1858, Mrs. Cornelia L.
Hillhouse and daughters, Mary and
Isaphene, gave to the Corporation of
Yale College a piece of land situated
on the top of Prospect Hill “subject to
the condition that said land should be
used only for an astronomical obser-
vatory and its appurtenances.” A large
tract of land adjoining this was given
by the late Hon. O. F. Winchester
several years later, and in 1882 the Ob-
servatory was built, in time for the ob-
servation of the transit of Venus. Two
residences for observers were also built
at this time by the Corporation.
By the will of Professor Elias
Loomis, who died in 1889, the observa-
tory receives one-third of the income
and will ultimately receive the entire
income, of a fund established by him
and called the Loomis Fund. The in-
come received is applied to one or more
of the following objects only, namely:
the payment of the salaries of observers
whose time is devoted exclusively to the
making of observations for the promo-
tion of the science of astronomy; the
reduction of astronomical observations
and the defraying of the expense olf
publishing these observations and of
publishing investigations based upon
astronomical observation. The prin-
cipal of the Loomis Fund is over. three
hundred thousand dollars.
THE EQUIPMENTS.
The equipments for the astronomical
work are very complete. In the East
dome is an 8%-inch Equatorial con-
structed by Sir H. Grubb of Dublin,
and in the West dome a six-inch heli-
ometer by Messrs. Repsold of Hamburg.’
Among the other instruments now in
use are, a four-inch transit instrument
and a new instrument of special design
for photographing meteors, constructed
in 1894, by Messrs. Warner and Swasey
of Cleveland, Ohio. This last instru-
ment carries six 6-inch cameras.
In addition to the ordinary astro-
nomical works, the transmitting of ac-
curate time to the railroads and other
parties is carried on at the Observatory
by means of continuous time-signals.
For the proper performance of this ser-
vice the following equipment is in use:
Three standard clocks, a transit in-
strument, chronographs, and the acces-
sories for refined accuracy in the de-
termination and transmission of time.
Of the three standard clocks, two are
run on the 75th Meridian mean time.
and the other on the Siderial time.
_An important feature of the work car-
ried on at the Observatory is the test-
ing of thermometers. For this work
there is fine apparatus for research and
comparison in thermometry, including
a collection of the best thermometers
obtainable of the foreign makers and
observatories which devote special at-
tention to thermometric standards. _
PAST OBSERVATIONS.
Five numbers of the “Transactions of
the Yale Observatory” have appeared.
The first was a “Triangulation of the
Principal Stars in the Group of the
Pleiades,” by Dr. William L. Elkin,
Director of the Observatory.
‘The second number was on _ the
“Orbit of Titan and the Mass of Sa-
turn,” by Professor Asaph Hall, Jr.,
now at Ann Arbor.
of the Stars About the North Pole,”
by Dr. W. L. Elkin, composed the
third work.
The fourth number was on the “Orbit
of Mitchell’s Comet,” by Dr. Marga-
-retta Palmer, who has done much com-
puting for the Observatory.
Number five was a “Triangulation of
the Principal Stars of the Cluster in
Coma Berenices,” by Assistant Astrono-
mer, De. i L. Chase;
Number six, on the “Photographing
of Meteors,” is in the process of publi-
cation.
The original work done at the Ob-
servatory in recent years has been
chiefly parallax and trangulation work
with the heliometer and the photo-
graphing of meteors with the new in-
strument before mentioned.
PHOTOGRAPHING METEORS.
, The Yale Observatory makes it a
particular part of its work to watch
and photograph the flight of meteors.
Of late there have been two showers
of note, one the Leonid shower on
November 13th and following days, and
the other, the Andromedes from No-
vember 23th to the 28th.
A watch was kept at the Observatory
on the night of. Saturday, November
13th, for six hours commencing at
It P.M. by Robert Brown, M. A.,
assisted by Mr. Smith, who exposed
plates in the photographic apparatus.
In all 30 meteors were seen during
these hours, only 5 of which were con-
formable to the Leonid radiant. Oniy
one these fell in the area covered by the
cameras and this was not bright enough
to impress on the plates, which were
much fogged by the moon, then only
four and a half days part full. The
nights of November 14, 15 and 16 were
completely overcast here in New Haven.
Dr. Wendell of Harvard, with nine as-
sistants watching and counting, saw 90
meteors on the first night with a fairly
clear sky. ,
These Leonids, as they are called,
because they seem to radiate from the
constellation Leo, are only the van-
guard of the real display which is due
in 1899. These meteors, though nearly
a half million milles in thickness, form
what is.a comparatively small cluster
traveling around the sun in an elliptical
orbit. As the earth’s orbit intersects
the orbit of the meteors at only one
point, we see the display only when
the great mass is at that point. This
occurs once in every 33 years, and that
event is due in 1899.
A few, however, of the meteorites are
detached from the general body and
can be seen every year around the
maximum epochs at about November
14th, when the earth is where the orbits
meet, and then only after 11 Pp. M. The
general course of the meteorites is east,
and they move at about the rate of 45
miles a second with relation to the
earth.
The Andromede shower, which was
last seen at its height in 1892, did not
prove to be of any great importance.
Watch was kept on November 23, 24
and 27, as these were the best suited
nights. Two meteoric trails were se-
-cured on the photographic plates, which
have developed into very good
tives.
nega-
“A Triangulation —
this year.
GLEE AND BANJO CLUB OFFICERS.
Edward Sawyer, Manager.
G. G. Schreiber, Leader Gleé Club.
S. R. Kennedy, Leader Banjo Club.
UE Rl gee Rc ee ee ee ee
GLEE CLUB TRIP.
The Complete Itinerary—Make-up of
Clubs—Social Functions.
The Christmas trip of the Glee and
Banjo Clubs, of which the opening con-
cert was given in the Academy of Music
at Brooklyn, N. Y., last night, will be
a memorable one, as it will be the
longest trip ever taken. The Clubs
have been practicing faithfully all Fall,
-and an excellent program has been
prepared. The already long list of Yale
songs has received two valuable addi-
tions in “Brave Mother Yale,” by C. E.
Merrill, ’98, and “Bells of Yale,” words
of which are written by T. Mason, ‘99,
and the music by C. E. Ives, ’98. Both
of which will be sung for the first time
Officers of the Clubs are:
G. G. Schreiber, ’98, President of the
Glee Club; S. R. Kennedy, ’98, Presi-
dent of the Banjo Club; E. Sawyer, 98,
Manager; T. S. Maffitt, ’98, Assistant
Manager.
The Clubs are composed of the fol-
lowing men;
-
GLEE CLUB.
First Tenors—D. B. Eddy, ’98; D. H.
Gillespie, 98; G. G. Schreiber, ’98; E.
G. Stalter, L. S.; A. J. Baker, 1900; M.
Douglas, 1900. |
Second Tenors—H. E. Butler, ’98; G.
C. Greenway, ’98 S.; M. B. Yung, ’98
S.; C. F. Parker, ’98; E. T. Noble, ’99;
J. S. Porter, 90.
First Bass—G. Parker, ’98; F. W.
Sheehan, ’98; F. T. vanBeuren,.’98; J.
W. Wadsworth, ’98; H. M. Dewey, 99;
G. W. Simmons, 1900.
Second Bass—H. S. Borden, ’98; J. C.
McLauchlan, ’98; F. A. King, ’99; R. A
McGee, ’99 S.; C. S. Brooks, 1900.
BANJO CLUB.
Banjeurines—L. Mitchell, ’99 S.; =
C. Conway, ’99 S.; E. A. McCullough,
’99 S.; G. S. Chappell, ’99; E. S. Clark,
1900 S.; C. F. Sweet, ’99.
Piccolo Banjo—S. R. Kennedy, ’08.
Banjos—J. C. Greenleaf, ’99 S.; H. B.
Wilcox, ’98. ;
Mandolins—R. P. Loomis, ’99; M. D.
Eames, ’99; F. J. Tytus, ’98 5.
Guitars—W. F. Dominick ’98; C. M.
Fair, ’99; W. B. Ford, L. S.; A. R. Bald-
win, ’98; D. C. Byers, ’98; H. M. Mor-
gan, ‘99. ae
At Pittsburg a joint concert will be
given with the Princeton Glee and
Banjo Clubs. The advance sale of
tickets has been very large and the con-
cert is. already an assured success.
The following program will be rendered
at all the concerts with the exception of
that at Pittsburg. This concert will be
equally divided between the Yale and
Princeton Clubs.
THE COMPLETE ITINERARY.
Below is given the itinerary of the
Christmas trip of the University Glee,
Banjo and Mandolin Clubs:
Wednesday, December 22—The first
concert will be given at Brooklyn,
N. Y., at the Academy of Music. The
address of the clubs there will be Claren-
don Hotel. Dance given by Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas E. Stillman at the Pier-
repont Assembly rooms.
Thursday, December 23—Leave Jer-
sey City via C. R. R. of N. J., at 2.12
P. M.; arrive at Philadelphia at P. & R.
R. R. station, corner Twenty-Fourth and
Chestnut streets, at 4.14 Pp. M. Concert
at Horticultural Hall. Address, care ol
hall. Reception given by Mr. M. H.
Forrest, from 5 to 7 P. M.
Friday, December 24—Leave. Phila-
delphia, via B. & O., 12.30 midnight,
[Continued on 8th page.]
