THE RECORD REIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10429, 29 April 1897, Page 5

THE RECORD REIGN.

ITS COMMEMORATION.

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS.

The quostion of how inoeb fittingly to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign still occupies attention, and shortly the citizens of Auckland will have to deoide upon the form the commemoration shall take. A public meeting has beon called, and the matter has boen or is to be diecussed by Masonic bodies and Friendly Societies.. The former, it is thought, will probably content themselves with sending, as « body, a cablegram of congratulation, leaving ib to individual brethren to follow their personal bent, The Friendly Socloties, ib U considered probable, will agree upon some joint action.

THE PROPOSED OBSERVATORY. In reference to tbo proposal that a soientific observatory ehould be erected, a Herald representative law Professor Seagar.

"Aii astronomical observatory," eaid the professor "is out of the question for the people of Auckland. It would be altogether too expensive. Bub a meteorological observatory, such as Mr. Cheesoman spoke of in an intemow recently would not cost a very ereat deal, In other places, even at To Aroha, they have the arrangement Mr. Ulieoseman proposee. and if Tβ Aroha oan nfford it luroly Auckland should be nehamod of not possessing equal scientific) advantages. But I may tell you I disagree with the whole system adopted for meteorological observatories."

" Do you mean all observatories ?" " Yee. The arrangement now is to have a box, eaoh aide of which is something like n Venetian blind, so that the eun cannotgot in, but the air oan play freely through it. That is all right) eo far as it goes. It prevents the raye of the eun reaching the thermometer, but, m the same time the sun warms the box, and the thermometer receives certain radiation effects from the box. And here the instruments, being placed on the roof, there in the further radiation from the roof. With heat radiated from the roof and the bnx the thermometer must be more or lees inflnenoed."

" You say you would like to see tho present system abolished 1" " Yee, universally, because present readings are not true shade reading), and the thermometer should give the aotual temperature of the air unmixed with any radia. tion effects. While the box, or louvre soreen, is exposed you must have these effects) the bat gets heated, and of course warms the thermometer above what it would be were it efficiently protefited from the rays of the eun." " What would you suggeib?" "If any alteration were made ib would have to be universal, for if you made arrangements (or true shade readings in one placo and nob in others there would be faults. Of course you mueb remember thab allowances are now made for radiation effects by those in charge of observatories, but that makee the temperature approximate and nob aotual. To overcome the difficulty I see I would suggest that one of these screens be enclosed in a second, the instruments being pkcod in the inner one. That would practically eliminate altogether the disadvantages I see at present and giro a true ahntle reading." " But you think as far an Auckland is concerned there is much to be desired!"

"1 certainly do. Auckland should most decidedly have an observatory equal to any instead of being behind. You must remember the readings have all to be trans* mitted to Greenwich, so they are most important. I thoroughly a?ree with Mr. Cheeseman's suggestion, but I think the experiment of two screens might be carried out too. Then the two readings could be taken and the difference ascertained. This would at once show whether the necessity eliste for a change or not." " I* the difference great do you think J" " Yes, my thermometer 1 have watched very carefully with the object of ascertaining) Exposed in an open room, near the window, but us absolutely free from rodiation effect* as one can possibly (jot, it has, at its highest reading, been 10 degrees less than the highest at the university. This, t think, is entirely accounted for by radiation effects. What we want ix a temperature of atmosphere unmixed with radiation effeots."

" In any case you agree with the idea of an observatory?" " I do certainly," said the professor ill conclusion. " The initial expense would be comparatively email, and once the expense had been incurred there would be practically nothing afterwards."