292 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



absolute magnetic observations at Huayao during the total solar 

 eclipse of May 29; he also made observations to determine the differ- 

 ence in longitude between Oroyo, where a good value of longitude had 

 been determined, and Huayao, the site of the observatory. Following 

 action by the special commission, deciding against the route passing 

 near the observatory. Dr. Edmonds entered into arrangements in July 

 and August to secure the necessary site and to begin construction of 

 the buildings according to the same plans as used for the observatory 

 at Watheroo, Western Australia. To eliminate possible artificial local 

 disturbance caused by changing magnetic condition of sun-baked 

 adobe walls, it was decided to construct the buildings throughout of 

 lumber with non-magnetic fastenings and hardware. Mr. F. G. 

 Rosemberg, a native of Lima, Peru, and a graduate of Syracuse Uni- 

 versity at Syracuse, New York, and who had taken part in the original 

 search and survey of a site for the observatory, was appointed assistant 

 observer on March 1 and assigned to Dr. Edmonds. Mr. Albert 

 Smith, of the Department's staff, who has had a large experience in the 

 construction of non-magnetic buildings, sailed from New York on June 

 21, and reported to Dr. Edmonds on July 3. It is hoped that despite 

 the various delays encountered, sufficient progress will have been made 

 before the end of 1919 to insure continuous construction work through- 

 out the rainy season, which begins in December. 



During November and December 1918 the atmospheiic-electric 

 observatory at Washington continued in charge of the section under 

 the direction of Dr. Mauchly. Experimental work on the improve- 

 ments, rearrangements of switchboards and connections, and systemat- 

 ization of operation, looking toward observatory use, were continued. 

 The work was transferred to the Division of Experimental Work on 

 January 1, 1919, under Dr. Mauchly's charge as chief of the section of 

 terrestrial electricity in that division. Prior to the transfer, battery 

 installations to eliminate the experimental nature of some of the 

 apparatus were redesigned and replanned, and conductivity appara- 

 tus No. 5 was remodeled and reinstalled by December 20. 



General instructions for the installation and operation of vario- 

 meters and registering apparatus and for the mounting of quartz fibers 

 and forms for standardization of magnetic work at the observatories 

 were prepared. It was decided, in view of experiments (see annual 

 report for 1918, p. 239), to provide transparent glass plates with suit- 

 able scales engraved on the under sides for the scaling of observatory 

 traces. This method of scaling gives the mean area of the trace for the 

 hour concerned and is superior to the old method of making the scaling 

 of a central ordinate at each hour. 



Additional observatory intercomparisons were obtained during 

 April 1919 by Observer F. Brown under the direction of Dr. Bauer at 

 Kew and Greenwich, and during September 1919 by Observer Sterling 



