146 



REPORT ON THE STATE CABINET. 



the telegraph line there could be made direct use of for the transmission 

 of time signals. 



The method pursued differed from that described in former reports 

 only in that the time was determined by altitudes of the sun, taken with 

 a sextant ; the transit instrument remaining necessarily at the observa- 

 toiy for occasional checks of the rate of the clock, which Professor 

 0. Root had the kindness to make during my absence. 



Leaving Clinton on the 28th of August, and arrived at the station 

 in the evening of the following day, I was favored by the weather in 

 getting corresponding altitudes forenoon and afternoon of the next day. 

 The telegraph line had been placed at our disposal by the superintendent, 

 J. D. Reid, Esq., with the same hberality experienced before, and to the 

 zeal and promptness of Mr. N. Huckee, of the Bufialo office, as to the 

 immediate attendance of Mr. Archibald, we owe the unretarded accom- 

 plishment of the transmission of signals on the same evening of August 

 30. On the subsequent days the altitudes for time were repeated, in 

 order to make sure of the chronometer rate, and, besides, two sets of 

 circummeridian altitudes were taken for latitude, one of the sun and one 

 of the polar star. The position of the observing station relative to the 

 boundary line was determined by a small survey, made with the use of 

 a three inch compass. The distances from the two nearest monuments 

 were ascertained by direct measurement along the boundary. In this, 

 as in the other work, I enjoyed the company of Mr. Elihu Root, as 

 assistant. The sketches annexed to this report will furnish, I hope, a 

 clear idea of the positions. 



1. Determination of Longitude. 



Before starting, I made the following set of transits at the Hamilton 

 College Observatory : 



1865. 



Axis. 



Star. 



No. of 

 wires. 



Transit by 

 ctironometer. 



Level. 



August 26 



August 26 .... 

 August 26 .... 

 August 26 



W 

 E 

 E 

 E 



a. Ursse minor s. p. . . 

 a Ursse minor s.p. . . 

 a Virginis 



2 



3 



9 



11 



H. M. s. 



13 11 49.82 

 13 11 53.37 



13 18 50.59 



14 10 15.14 



H. M. s. 



at 13 8 + 0.034 

 at 13 13-0.003 

 at 14 15 + 0.041 



a Bootis 







Comparison : S"" 25°" 22= .5 clock = IS"" 46" 52'.75 chronometer. 



The instrumental errors resulting herefrom, viz: k = + 0^.574, and 

 c — — 0^.056, have been substituted in the following transits of Arcturus 

 observed chronographically by Professor Root: 



