ir, 
Dec. 12, 1872] 
NATURE 
107 
THE SHERMAN ASTRONOMICAL EX- 
PEDITION 
BY the courtesy of Prof. Peirce, Superintendent of the 
U.S. Coast Survey, I am permitted to lay before 
the readers of NATURE, at the request of its editor, a 
brief account of the operations and results of the party 
The expedition was organised under the auspices of the 
Coast Survey; the observations, other than those for 
determining the mere geographical and topographical 
constants of the station, being provided for from a special 
appropriation of 200,000dols. granted by Congress, at 
the request of the Superintendent, and placed at his dis- 
posal for the purpose of securing a series of astronomical 
which was stationed during the months of June, July, and | and meteorological observations at som elevated point 
August last at Sherman, the summit of the Union Pacific | on or near the Pacific Railway. 
Railway. 
The party was under the charge of General R. D. 
Fic. 1. 
Cutts, one of the most experienced officers of the Survey, 
and consisted of himself, Assistant Mosman, and Aid | grapher, a mechanician, and a couple of servants. 
Colonna, with myself, my colleague Prof. C. F. Emerson, 
a young friend, Mr. C. K. Wead; we had also a photo- 
A de- 
tail of about a dozen of the most intelligent soldiers from 
who was kind enough to act as my personal assistant,and | Fort D. A. Russell at Cheyenne served as an escort, and 
Fic. 2.—Spectrum of a Solar Spot, 
were fnvaluable in keeping up the hourly series of meteo- | 
The station was established in June, but it was not until 
rological observations, and in many other ways, as well | July that I was able to join the party with Prof. Emerson 
as in protecting us from any undesirable attentions of our 
red brethren ; not that the protection was ever actually 
needed, for we hardly saw half a dozen Indians during 
and Mr. Wead. Our instrument had been forwarded by 
express, and was already on the ground. It was the 
Dartmouth Colleze equatorial, having an aperture of 
the whole summer, except as passengers upon the rail- | 9,4;in., with a focal length of 12ft., provided with clock- 
Way trains, 
| work and all the usual accessories, and fitted with an 
