﻿Hiiberi 
  Anson 
  Newton. 
  375 
  

  

  photographic 
  plate, 
  with 
  letters 
  received 
  from 
  various 
  observers, 
  

   were 
  placed 
  in 
  Professor 
  Newton's 
  hands, 
  and 
  were 
  discussed 
  

   in 
  the 
  paper 
  mentioned. 
  The 
  advantages 
  of 
  photographic 
  

   observations 
  were 
  so 
  conspicuous 
  that 
  Professor 
  Newton 
  was 
  

   anxious 
  that 
  the 
  Observatory 
  should 
  employ 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  

   securing 
  the 
  tracks 
  of 
  meteors. 
  With 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  an 
  appropri- 
  

   ation 
  granted 
  by 
  the 
  National 
  Academy 
  from 
  the 
  income 
  of 
  

   the 
  J. 
  Lawrence 
  Smith 
  fund, 
  a 
  battery 
  of 
  cameras 
  was 
  mounted 
  

   on 
  an 
  equatorial 
  axis. 
  By 
  this 
  means, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  meteor- 
  

   tracks 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  of 
  the 
  August 
  meteors, 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  

   case, 
  through 
  a 
  simultaneous 
  observation 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Lewis 
  in 
  

   Ansonia, 
  Professor 
  Newton 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  calculate 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  

   the 
  meteor 
  in 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  with 
  a 
  probable 
  error 
  which 
  he 
  

   estimated 
  at 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  mile. 
  The 
  results 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  

   expected 
  at 
  the 
  now 
  near 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  Leonids 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  

   especial 
  interest, 
  but 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  for 
  others 
  to 
  utilize 
  them. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Newton 
  was 
  much 
  interested 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  

   meteorites, 
  and 
  the 
  fine 
  collection 
  of 
  stones 
  and 
  irons 
  in 
  the 
  

   Peabody 
  Museum 
  of 
  Yale 
  University 
  owes 
  much 
  to 
  his 
  efforts 
  

   in 
  this 
  direction. 
  

  

  Professor 
  Newton 
  was 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  Metro- 
  

   logical 
  Society 
  from 
  the 
  tirst, 
  and 
  was 
  conspicuously 
  active 
  in 
  

   the 
  agitation 
  which 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  enactment 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  of 
  

   1866, 
  legalizing 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  metric 
  system. 
  He 
  prepared 
  

   the 
  table 
  of 
  the 
  metric 
  equivalents 
  of 
  the 
  customary 
  units 
  

   of 
  weights 
  and 
  measures 
  which 
  was 
  incorporated 
  in 
  the 
  act, 
  

   and 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  the 
  fundamental 
  units 
  were 
  

   defined. 
  But 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  stop 
  here. 
  Appreciating 
  the 
  weak- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  legislative 
  enactment 
  compared 
  with 
  popular 
  sentiment, 
  

   and 
  feeling 
  that 
  the 
  real 
  battle 
  was 
  to 
  be 
  won 
  in 
  familiarizing 
  

   the 
  people 
  with 
  the 
  metric 
  system, 
  he 
  took 
  pains 
  to 
  interest 
  the 
  

   makers 
  of 
  scales 
  and 
  rulers 
  and 
  other 
  devices 
  for 
  measurement 
  

   in 
  adopting 
  the 
  units 
  and 
  graduations 
  of 
  the 
  metric 
  system, 
  

   and 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  proper 
  tables 
  introduced 
  into 
  school 
  arith- 
  

   metics. 
  

  

  He 
  was 
  also 
  an 
  active 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  Academy 
  

   of 
  Arts 
  and 
  Sciences, 
  serving 
  several 
  years 
  both 
  as 
  secretary 
  and 
  

   president, 
  — 
  also 
  as 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  council. 
  He 
  was 
  associate 
  

   editor 
  of 
  this 
  Journal 
  from 
  186i, 
  having 
  especial 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   department 
  of 
  astronomy. 
  His 
  notes 
  on 
  observations 
  of 
  mete- 
  

   ors 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  meteoric 
  science, 
  often 
  very 
  brief, 
  

   sometimes 
  more 
  extended, 
  but 
  always 
  well 
  considered, 
  were 
  

   especially 
  valuable. 
  

  

  In 
  spite 
  of 
  his 
  studious 
  tastes 
  and 
  love 
  of 
  a 
  quiet 
  life, 
  he 
  did 
  

   not 
  shirk 
  the 
  duties 
  of 
  citizenship, 
  serving 
  a 
  term 
  as 
  alderman 
  

   in 
  the 
  city 
  conncil, 
  being 
  elected, 
  we 
  may 
  observe, 
  in 
  a 
  ward 
  

   of 
  politics 
  strongly 
  opposed 
  to 
  his 
  own. 
  

  

  Am. 
  Jour. 
  Sci.— 
  Fourth 
  Series, 
  Yol. 
  Ill, 
  No. 
  17.— 
  Mat, 
  1897. 
  

   26 
  

  

  