204 



NA TV RE 



[December 29, 1892 



College on the other, cannot fail to exert a most important 

 influence on the future development of trade and manu- 

 factures in Lancashire. What Manchester is doing in 

 this magnificent way, other towns, notably Birmingham, 

 Salford, Stockport, Oldham, Bolton, and others, are also 

 doing, it is true on a smaller scale, but still in a manner 

 sufficient for their needs. How long will it be before 

 London moves ? H. E. RoscoE. 



THE MONT BLANC OBSER VA TOR Y} 



THE project of establishing a meteorological and 

 astronomical observatory on the summit of Mont 

 Blanc has, under the care of M. J. Janssen, of the Meudon 

 Observatory, made considerable progress during this 

 year's summer months. It has been decided to use the 

 snow itself as a foundation on which to rest the building. 

 That this can be done with security was shown by some 

 experiments carried out at Meudon last winter. A minia- 

 ture mountain was made of snow pressed to the same 

 density as that which is found on Mont Blanc at a depth 

 of one or two metres below the surface. This being 



made level at the top, discs of lead 35 cm. in diameter, and 

 weighing each about 30 kgr., were placed on the snow, 

 one upon the other. After twelve of these had been piled 

 up, with an aggregate weight of 360 kgr., they were re- 

 moved and the depth of the impression measured. It was 

 not more then 7 or 8 mm. Thus a structure measuring 

 10 m. by 5 m. might safely weigh 187,000 kgr. without 

 sinking into the snow more than a few centimetres. 



The summit of Mont Blanc is formed by a very narrow 

 edge of rock loom, long, running from west to east, and 

 covered by snow which is thicker on the French than on 

 the Italian side. The level of this snow has not shown 



I Janssen, Comptes rendtis, November 2S. 

 NO. 1209, VOL. 47] 



any important oscillations throughout a number of years. 

 To obviate the disturbing effects of the storms which fre- 

 quently rage round the summit, the building is constructed . 

 in the shape of a truncated pyramid, the lower floor being 

 sunk into the snow. The rectangular base measures 10 m. 

 by 5 m. The upper floor, which will be devoted to the 

 observations, is covered with a flat roof, towards which 

 ascent is made by a spiral staircase leading from the 

 basement upwards through the whole building, and above 

 the flat roof to a small platform destined for meteorologi- 

 cal observations. 



The whole observatory has double walls to protect the 

 observers against the cold. The windows and doors are 

 also double, and provided on the outside with shutters 

 closing hermetically. The floor is made of double planks, 

 and furnished with trap-doors giving access to the snow 

 supporting the observatory, and to the screw-jacks placed 

 in position for adjusting the level of the building in 

 case the snow should yield. The building will be pro- 

 vided with heating apparatus and all the furniture neces- 

 sary to make habitation at such an altitude possible. 



Up to the present the observatory has been transported 

 in parts to Chamounix. On the Grands-Mulets a cottage 

 has been erected for the use of the workmen and for 

 storing the things destined for the observatory. 



On the Grand Rocher Rouge another cottage has 

 been built, only 300 m. below the summit, in which the 

 workers and observers can, if necessary, take refuge. 

 Three-quarters of the materials for the observatory have 

 been transported to the Grands-Mulets (3000 m.) and 

 the rest to the Rocher Rouge (4500 m.). 



Next year the erection on the summit will be carried 

 out. An astronomical dome, which is to complete the 

 observatory, will also be taken in hand. The work done 

 up to now has been carried out under great difficulties, 

 owing to the fact that everything had to be carried by 

 hand. But no accident has, so far, marred the success. 



Dr. Capus, who accompanied M. Bonvalot in his well- 

 known expedition to the Pamir, has promised his assist- 

 ance for certain observations. But the observatory will 

 be international, and open to all observers who wish to 

 work there. E. E. F. d'A. 



i M. PA S TE UR'S SE VENTIE TH BIR THDA Y. 



"PRENCHMEN maybe cordially congratulated on the 

 -*• enthusiasm with which the seventieth birthday of 

 M. Pasteur was celebrated on Tuesday. It afforded a 

 most striking illustration of the way in which they appre- 

 ciate the services rendered by men of science. But the 

 celebration was not, of course, one in which only the 

 ; countrymen of M. Pasteur were interested ; representa- 

 ! tives of science from many different parts of the world 

 : were present to do honour to the illustrious investigator. 

 I The ceremony took place in the great amphitheatre of 

 the Sorbonne, which was crowded by a brilliant assembly 

 I including many of the foremost men of the day, not 

 : merely in science butin politics and literature. M. Carnot 

 I was present, and among those who supported him was 

 ! M. Dupuy, the Minister of Public Instruction. M. Pasteur 

 ! entered the amphitheatre leaning upon the arm of his 

 son and upon that of the President of the Republic. 

 All who were present rose to their feet and greeted the 

 i hero of the day with loud cheers. M. Pasteur, who was 

 I much affected by this reception, took his place beside his 

 i colleagues of the Institute and a row of Ambassadors and 

 j Ministers. 



I The proceedings were opened by M. Bertrand, per- 

 petual secretary of the Academy of Science, who acted 

 as chairman. At his request an address was delivered by 

 the Minister of Public Instruction, who spoke eloquently 

 of the great qualities displayed by M. Pasteur during his 

 splendid career, and of the benefits conferred on man- 



