ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY 49 



was elected to the presidency. Professor Gibbs was, however, 

 unable to serve and Professor Marsh was thereupon elected 

 President. 



In a work, entitled " Investigation of the Distance of the 

 Sun,'"' published in 1867, Professor Simon Newcomb called 

 attention to the desirability of further experiments in relation 

 to the velocity of light. 



At the spring session of 1878, he presented a communication 

 explaining the methods employed by the French physicists, 

 Foucault and Fizeau, for measuring the velocity of light, and 

 pointing out the discrepancies in the results obtained by them. 

 He outlined a modification of Foucault's method which he had 

 worked out and another which had been devised by Ensign 

 Albert A. Michelson, U. S. N., and asked the Academy's con- 

 sideration of the question whether the Government should not 

 be asked to provide the means for carrying on experiments in 

 accordance with the improved methods. A resolution was 

 passed at the same session, providing for the appointment of a 

 committee to consider the matter and report to the President and 

 Council who should have power to act. The committee reported 

 favorably on the project, and its report was sent to the Secretary 

 of the Navy, Hon. R. W. Thompson, through whose interest an 

 appropriation of $5000 was made by Congress, to be expended 

 under the direction of the Secretary. Professor Newcomb was 

 appointed by the Secretary of the Navy to conduct the experi- 

 ments, and immediately took steps to procure the necessary appa- 

 ratus. The experiments proved more laborious than had been 

 expected and it was not until November 15, 1881, that Professor 

 Newcomb was able to report definite results. These were not as 

 satisfactory as had been hoped, on account of certain defects in 

 the apparatus used, which were not detected until a late date. 

 At the time of reporting in 1881, the sum of $2,000 was still 

 needed to complete the experiments. 



The defects in the instruments having been remedied the 

 experiments were taken up again July 24, 1882, and continued 

 until September 5, 1882. 



"^ Washington Observations, 1865. Appendix 2. 



