January 16, 1885. 



SCIENCE, 



57 



stopping the pumps, it was found that the amount of 

 oil used was a little over a hundred and nineteen gal- 

 lons. 



Three hours after the close of the trial, the Boulogne 

 steamer passed broad strips of comparatively smooth 

 water, on which the oil still lay. 



After this experiment, two of Mr. Gordon's inven- 

 tions were tried. One of these consists of a shell 

 fired from a mortar, and so arranged that it bursts on 

 striking the water, and frees its contents of oil. The 

 shell is specially constructed, and has an ingenious 

 device for insuring its explosion, which is effected by 

 a fuze and gunpowder. This recommends itself as a 

 practical means to render less dangerous the com- 

 munication between ships by boats during heavy 

 weather. In case of shipwreck, also, the approach of 

 lifeboats could be greatly facilitated. 



The second invention is an arrangement to make a 

 lane of oil from the shore to a stranded ship. To 

 effect this, an iron cylinder is fired from a mortar in 

 the direction of the ship. The cylinder, which serves 

 as an anchor, draws after it a leather hose fastened to 

 it by a line. Oil is then pumped through the hose, 

 and, being spread towards the shore by the wind, 

 forms a quiet surface for the rescuing boat. 



Various ingenious contrivances have been invented 

 for applying the oil to the water; but the simplest and 

 readiest, at the same time most effective, appliance is 

 a canvas bag, either rather loosely sewed together, or 

 pierced with small holes to allow the oil to escape. 

 This has been the method adopted in the most suc- 

 cessful cases reported from ships at sea, and has been 

 found effectual in some of the lifeboats. It has the 

 great advantage of being self-acting, insuring a regu- 

 lar stream of oil, and being easily renewed when 

 exhausted. 



In a vessel or boat running before a sea, one should 

 be hung over each bow, which gives the oil time to 

 spread before reaching far astern. In a ship, when 

 hove to, one or more bags have sometimes been hung 

 over the weather side, and sometimes been put over- 

 board to windward, attached to light lines. This is 

 the best plan, because, not drifting so fast as the ship, 

 the bag will be carried to windward, and fulfil the 

 condition of applying the oil to the water at some 

 distance from the ship, in the direction from which 

 the waves are advancing. 



An open boat, unable to run before the sea, will 

 always endeavor to put out some form of sea-anchor, 

 with a rope attached to it : the bag of oil should be 

 attached to this, and, failing every thing else, a boat's 

 mast or a sail loosed is very effective. 



When the boat is anchored, the bag could be at- 

 tached by a light line to the anchor as a buoy. This 

 appliance, in addition to being efficient, has the great 

 merits of handiness and simplicity. Two such bags, 

 holding about a gallon of oil each, with the line 

 attached, might be kept full, and packed in a small 

 cylinder similar to a paint-pot or a preserved-meat 

 tin, and would form neither an expensive nor cum- 

 bersome article of equipment in a boat. 



In the absence of these or similar contrivances, the 

 oil could be poured from a bottle or can ; but this 



would require a man's attention when one could be 

 ill spared possibly, and might not insure so constant 

 or regular a supply, which is of importance. This 

 would not be applicable to a boat at anchor. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF 

 THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 



The report of Commodore S. R. Franklin, who 

 succeeded Admiral Shufeldt as superintendent of the 

 observatory on Feb. 21, gives, under date of Oct. 29, 

 1884, a summary of the work accomplished during 

 the year. In organization a slight change has taken 

 place by the appointment (by the superintendent) of 

 a board consisting of the superintendent, the senior 

 professor of mathematics, and the senior line-officer, 

 to determine the scope and character of the work to 

 be done. The board may be convened at the request 

 of any member, and a weekly report is submitted to 

 the superintendent every Monday by each officer in 

 charge of an instrument. 



The twenty-six inch equatorial, in charge of Pro- 

 fessor Hall, has been employed mainly in observa- 

 tions of the satellites of Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, 

 and Mars, and of double stars, with a few observa- 

 tions for stellar parallax. In the case of Uranus, the 

 observations were confined mostly to the outer satel- 

 lites; and it is proposed now to discontinue them, 

 since the favorable time for determining the position 

 of the orbit planes of these satellites has passed. 

 The reductions are all well advanced. 



The transit circle has been under the charge of 

 Prof. J. R. Eastman, and has been employed in ob- 

 servations of the sun, moon, planets, comets, and 

 a catalogue of miscellaneous stars, as in previous 

 years. The nine-inch equatorial, in charge of Com- 

 mander Sampson, has been used in observing comets, 

 minor planets, and occultations. The series of obser- 

 vations with the prime vertical instrument was prac- 

 tically finished in May, 1884. The reductions are 

 being carried on by Ensign Taylor. The meridian 

 transit instrument has been used primarily to de- 

 termine clock corrections, in connection with the 

 daily time-service. Observations for the right ascen- 

 sions of the sun, moon, and major planets, have also 

 been made. 



The time-service has been considerably extended. 

 In addition to the lines already existing, the Balti- 

 more and Ohio telegraph company looped two of its 

 main circuits into the observatory, and the signal- 

 service looped one. In March last a proposition was 

 submitted to the heads of the several departments 

 in Washington, to place in the more important offices 

 of the government, including the executive mansion 

 and the capitol, a clock that should be regulated 

 and controlled every day from the observatory, which 

 establishment should be responsible for the determi- 

 nation and transmission of correct time. This plan 

 met with general approval ; and an insulated circuit 

 was established connecting the various offices, some 

 twenty in number, with the observatory. In each 



