from entering our cañon from the north directly from the Joaquin. On Saturday noon all the extra workmen but one were sent back to San José. He was kept to cut chapparal and to watch the fire at night. We were aided by our neighbors Messrs. WANDELL, LUNDY and KINCAID with their workmen on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday morning an inspection by myself showed an increase of fire in the Joaquin cañon and a danger that the fire would work into Cañon Negro round the Isabel Cañon and the west ridge of Galileo. Accordingly I asked Mr. WANDELL to aid our own workmen, and all were set to work on Sunday noon. On Monday morning about 11 o'clock the fire was so severe that all the astronomers again turned out and after a most laborious and exciting day succeeded in restricting the fire to the cañon north of Galileo (the cañon of Joaquin Spring). Assistance was again sent for and seven men arrived from Mr. KINCAID's, and during the night seven or eight more men from BERNAL'S, and by Tuesday morning the fire was confined between the Isabel Creek on the north and spaces which had been burned over. Long trails were cut and back-fires set whenever necessary and at the present writing (July 29) it appears that the fire is entirely isolated. If it should enter the cañon just north of the Observatory (Cañon Negro) there is no way to stop it until it reaches the road to the Springs just below the wooden cottages. Accordingly this road is now being widened by felling the chapparal so as to protect the dwellings, the stables and our stock of hay and fuel. The experience has been a novel one to all of us. Some idea of the force of the fire may be had by recalling the fact that all the chapparal on a steep hillside was completely burned up in 12 minutes; the area burned over being at least 240,000 square feet. At one time the astronomers were obliged to defend a crest something like a half a mile long, and to prevent the flames from crossing it while the fire was burning fiercely along the whole line. The flames rose 30, 40 or even 50 feet in the air, making a terrific heat, which had to be faced. If the fire is not stopped on the farther side of such a crest but is allowed to cross the ridge, the hither slope is sure to be fired by the pine cones which, once lighted, cannot be put out and which roll down the hither slope igniting everything they touch. Every leaf and tree is like tinder in the midst of our long summer and burns freely. No water was available for extinguishing this fire and dirt had to be shovelled on to the flames instead. The water in the reservoirs is necessary to our daily life; and moreover it had to be carefully saved in case of possible danger to the Observatory itself. It would not be proper for me to close this account without a formal recognition of the really splendid service rendered to the Observatory by our astronomers and men. Every one on the Reservation was employed. Even the children made long trips carrying water and provisions; and the ladies with the servants saw to it that food was provided for those who were fighting the fire. I beg leave to call your attention to the fact that experiences of this kind are not included in the lives of the members of the Faculties of the Universities of California. It is said that there were seven Professors of Sanskrit in the armies before Metz. I do not know how much they contributed to its fall, but I am sure that our astronomical corps has saved a vast deal of property to the University-including our pumping engine, all the buildings at the foot of the Observatory hill and many hundred acres of timbered land. I am, dear Sir, Very respectfully and truly yours, EDWARD S. HOLDEN. SCIENTIFIC VISITORS TO THE LICK OBSERVATORY. We have lately had the pleasure of receiving at Mt. Hamilton Dr. DAVID STARR JORDAN, President of the Stanford University, in company with Professor GEORGE CHRYSTAL, F. R. S., who was making a flying visit to California. Professor MICHELSON, of Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, is making a prolonged stay at the Observatory in order to try the experiments which are described in his paper in the present number of the Publications. E. S. H. ATMOSPHERIC ABSORPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RAYS. In an investigation for determining the law of the atmospheric absorption of the photographic rays of light I have deduced the following empirical formula for expressing the brightness of a star at any zenith-distance in terms of the brightness which the star would have, theoretically, at the zenith-distance zero, In which B is the observed brightness corresponding to the zenithdistance z, expressed in degrees, In which B. is the theoretical brightness corresponding to the zenith-distance zero, In which f is a constant whose (mean) value is 0.6. The quantity() is to be considered as an abstract number, the square of which represents the number of degrees of which the trigonometrical tangent is required. The observations were made on Mt. Hamilton by Prof. W. W. CAMPBELL in 1890, and by myself in 1889 and 1890. Those which I made in Cayenne are less reliable owing to the fact that the sky, during our stay of one month, was never wholly free from clouds. These clouds would form and disappear even while the exposures were being made. As it may be some time before the results in detail will be published, I have, at Professor HOLDEN'S request, written this preliminary note. J. M. SCHAEBERLE. MT. HAMILTON, Aug. 24, 1891. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HELD AT THE LICK OBSERVATORY, SEPT. 5TH, 1891. The President took the chair, and a quorum was present. The minutes of the last meeting were approved. The following members were elected. An asterisk is added to the name of life-members duly elected. The membership of the Society is now 420, of whom 45 are life-members. LIST OF MEMBERS ELECTED SEPT. 5TH, 1891. ROBERT STANTON AVERY Mrs. ANNA LATHROP HEWES. Mrs. M. M. JOHNSON . FRANK MCMULLEN Professor MALCOLM MCNEILL Miss PENDLETON. Mrs. WILLIAM GIBBONS PRESTON. Miss M. J. TURNER. Professor J. M. TAYLOR J. M. VAN SLYKE FREDERICK H. WHITWORTH Miss MARY E. WILSON.. 320 A Street, Washington, D. C. 3, Rue Taitbout, Paris, France. 1840 Howard Street, S. F., Cal. 220 Main Street, Davenport, Iowa. 12 W. 33d Street, New York City. 537 Belden Ave., Chicago, Ill. 418 Claremont Ave., Chicago, Ill. 2101 Van Ness Ave., S. F., Cal. 2101 Van Ness Ave., S. F., Cal. 150 Lincoln Ave., Chicago, Ill. Lagrange, Cook Co., Ill. Circleville, Piute Co., Utah. Evanston, Ill. IOS York St., Cincinnati, Ohio. 56 Bedford Street, Boston, Mass. J 328 Boulevard Terrace, Oakland, The Treasurer presented his report which was received and filed. A Committee of two-namely Messrs. BURCKHALTER and CAMPBELL were, on motion, appointed by the President to report on the advisability of making a change in Article VIII of the By-Laws, and to propose such a change should they deem it necessary. Adjourned. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC, HELD IN THE LIBRARY OF THE LICK OBSERVATORY, SEPT. 5TH, 1891, AT 7 P.M. The President occupied the chair, and a quorum was present. The minutes of the last meeting, as printed in the last number of the Publications, were approved. A list of presents received was read by the Secretary, and the thanks of the Society were voted to the givers. The Secretary announced to the Society the names of twenty-five new members duly elected this day. The following papers were presented :— a. Measurement of Jupiter's Satellites by Interference Methods," by Professor MICHELSON, of Clark University, Massachusetts. b. "Enlarged Drawings from the Moon-negatives of the Lick Observatory, by Professor WEINEK, Director of the Observatory of Prague. c. "Catalogue of the Library of the Society," prepared by OTTO VON GELDERN. d. "Observations of Jupiter and of his Satellites with the 36-inch Equatorial of the Lick Observatory (1888–1890)”. e. "The Observatory of the United States Military Academy at West Point," by Lieut. HARLOW, in charge. The President announced the receipt from Chicago of a report from the Committee on the World's Fair appointed at the March meeting informing the Society that they had requested the World's Fair Commissioners to appoint the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. GEORGE E. HALE, to take charge and have supervision of the Astronomical Exhibit of this Society at the Columbian Exposition, and that it was contemplated that the exhibit should consist of astronomical apparatus and instruments, photographs and other exhibits from all parts of the world. The paper (a) was then read to the Society by Professor CAMPBELL and discussed by various members. A print on glass of the planet Jupiter from negatives made with the great telescope on August 19, 1891 (showing four phases of the ingress of Satellite III, the shadow of the satellite on the planet and the red spot, etc., etc.), was shown to the members as well as a paper print of the great forest fire near Mt. Hamilton August 26, 1891. Adjourned. |