Annual Repo)t of the Council. xlix 



ingenious, those of more general interest being tlie Penny-in- 

 the-Slot gas meter, the Push Tap for water, important improve- 

 ments in pneumatic tools, Rotary and Discount gas meters, gas 

 lamps, colour photography, etc., and at the time of his death 

 he was engaged in perfecting a new cinematograph screen. 



He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and 

 Vice-Piesident of the Manchester i\stronomical Society. In- 

 terested in all branches of physics and astronomy, he kept in 

 touch with the leading workers in different countries. He 

 accompanied the solar eclipse expeditions to Algiers and Burgos, 

 important results being obtained by his special instruments. 

 He was the possessor of several fine telescopes, the best of 

 which will probably be offered to some educational authority 

 in the neighbourhood. Perhaps his best contribution to the 

 scientific world was the "Thorp Transparent Replica Diffraction 

 Grating," referred to above, these replicas enabling many insti- 

 tutions and private persons to procure gratings of high resolving 

 power at a trivial cost, though the original gratings could rarely 

 be obtained, even by those who could afford to defray the cost 

 of their purchase. With characteristic generosity he did not 

 patent his method of production, but published it to the world 

 and supplied hundreds at nominal prices. Invaluable for solar, 

 stellar and chemical work, it may be mentioned that the grating 

 is a thin film of celluloid material having upon its surface 

 parallel lines 14,500 to the inch (in the replicas of Rowland's 

 gratings). He was the recipient of several gold and other 

 medals, and received awards at the Franco-British and St. Louis 

 I'^xhibitions. 



His generosity and kindness of heart, as well as his versa- 

 tility, were well known to all members of the Society, and his 

 loss will be keenly felt, particularly by regular attenders at the 

 Society's meetings. His name will go down to posterity as no 

 unworthy member of that fine school of non-professional scien- 

 tific investigatois, with Dalton at its head, of whom Manchester 

 may be justly proud, and through whom this Society has gained 

 renown throughout the world. W, H. T. 



