CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7928, 11 October 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

WIEEXjESS records. Tho Marconi installation. on' board Messrs Mcllwraith McEachara’a steamer ICaroola has again broken all records in tho receipt of signals from tho Marconi station at Cocos Island. night of September 25th, when a day out of Albany, tho Karoola’s operator received good signals from Cocos Island, but Cocos could not read tho Karoolas reply, 'i'ho communication was reported to tho otiicer on .watch, and, on examination of the. chart, it was found that tho Karoola's distance from Cocos Island was 29M miles. Tho Karoola’e Marconi operator also reports having been in communication and exchanged messages with E.M.S. Macedonia at 1500 miles, tho Osterly 1510 miles, tho Miltiados 1000 miles, and tho Suevic 1000 miles. It will bo remembered that on two previous occasions tho Paroola succeeded in cetablishing communication and exchanging messages with Cocos Island over distances of 2500 miles. , , astronomical observatory. in the course of tho past twelve months strenuous efforts have been made by the council of the astronomical section of the Philosophical Society to secure permission to build an • astronomical, observatory on- a site at Relbumo which was offered when the section .was founded* Unfortunately, a succession of technical difficulties barred; the way. On Monday afternoon, however, a solution, of the problem was arrived at, a letter having been received, from the Minister of Lands (Sir Joseph Ward) granting permission for the section to occupy a quarter of an acre of tho -Garden Battery Reserve at Kelbume. The council of the astronomical section proposes to commence tho erection of the observatory at once. Funds are urgently required for the purpose, and all members of the council are authorised to receive donations towards it. On October 19th Mr J. T, Ward, honorary director, of the Wanganui observatory, is, to deliver a public lecture in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on "Evenings with the Telescope/' A very fine collection, of lantern slides will be usod to illustrate the lecture, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the observatory erection fund. .