Chicago Academy Of Sciences At Ann Arbor--Visit To The Observatory And Return Home

OnThursday nfternoon the Academy v'.sited the Observatory of the State Unirersit y. Aa all could not be aoi-.ouiinoduted in tho building at thu same timo, tho company nai divided into two partió, one visiting it at '1 o'clock and theothor at 3 o'clook P. I. Tho Observatory is in charge of Prf. J!ninnow,ono of tho cioet distinguislittd obiLTvurs and BStronoiners in thu iwiwtrv, who rcceived us and exptuined the ii!e of the different instrumenta, giving .■ prat'cul leetiiro ou rhat might have buen soon in tho beavea, had it been ele:ir. For tho Obaisrvatory, the StnteUnivei-Hitv M ndebted to the liberality of th citir.ons ol Detroit, who raisd tho monev liWf itsoonsruoiioM by subscrip tio;i. " [A ood üXmnple fur Gbicago ] The eite of tlio building is on the banku ol the Hurón Itivor, ünd abo;it hall a milo Dortheaat of thu Uaivrsily ground, on n hill whioh oon.ni ind.s a jjerfec'Jy freo hori.on. The groi.ndi embrac.o nearly tour acres. Tho übssrvatory oonsiatd of B mai building with a dome nnd wings on tho aatund west sido ün entornií tlie main building we found ouraeiven in u spacicus huil, i the centre of which i.s the largo, solij and perfcctly insulatod brick piur, wtiich (upportrt the BtoDe {lillar on wbioh tlw toleicope is mouatèd. Surrouuding thid pior aro ten eoininw, which support tho otiter walla of tho dome. In ona cornur of tha hall i-i the .-tuircaso which löddi into the doine, and thrrtugb doora in tho oaít and wosi h ill, the two wings aie enterod, one of which aro oc0 ;pid by tho Mmd'un Circle, while tho other isiifod us a Htudy ai.d libraiy. The domo revolves on onnaon b;dls, and cun bu removed wiih graat ease by the ohsurver from the íSserving chuir, which is pkioed on a railrond ana moves witti the domo Tim .-hutter moves on small rollers :ind cm bo rulled over the utayB of tho dome Th M elidían Circl waa made by Mosöi-8. Pistor tiixJ Martin, of Bvflin, nd ia one of the finest in the country It was prasented tb tho Observatory by Honry N Walker, Kq., oí Detroit, and whoso name is on t uilvor plateon one of the mas.iive pioiv which support the initrument. All honor to him. The Ttílescope has a length of eight feet and a daar aperturo of six Fronch inchen. The circles are three feet in diameter; they are divided from two to two minutos, while by tno aid of the micrometern in the microsoope, and thoy can be read to tho 1 -lOth of a Fceond. At night the (iivigion of the cirelo ia illurainnted wiih Htationary lainps. North and outh of tho Telonoopo of the Meridian Circle aro the Oollimators, used for the adjustment of the circle, nnd tho instrumentii employod for as certaining tho horizontal poiut, or, in other word, for aiming or taking sight. Tiio Cirelo and tho two Cullitnatora cost 3,500 The large Telesoope mnuntoJ in the dom, ware rnado by Henry Fitz, of New York, and cost $0,750." It ha a olear apoituru of twelve and a half inche aad a length of seventeen and a half feet. The objoct glas is excellent ttrtd does groat honor to Mr. Fitz. The .■nounting was mado under Mr. Fitz's direotiona by Mr. l'helps. It is furnishud with an Hour and Declinaron circle, the ono raadingto secondsof time, tho othcr to ton seconds ol are. By these me;:iB t!io distancu f ay ljeot fiom the celestial uquator, eithr northward or southward, can ba ascertained with rnuch uocuracy and minuteness. Those, however, are meroly used for netting the instrument. ThoTelescnpe ia muved by ciook-work, and íh the litiest ever rmnufactured in thia countrv, and in power and size iö only ux okUad by two in the world. The übaarvatory itlso possessi's fine coinet-soeker of four inches aper ture, made by Mr, Fitz. Whvle wrivg ■' above, we vera re. u.iuded of nn mgöUioQs coiitrivar.ee for recording the direction and QtöTwitV of tlio wind, to whicli tho attention oi thei Aondemy was called, by Prof. Liipliam on Wednosday. while on our viy to Ani Arbor, tho iaventiun of a gentleman of that city. There is aho a Chorograp'i, by whioh the obeervationa mido witii the . Meriilan Circle, as well as those with thci IleíiaoWr, can be recorded Thia instrument is n the west end of the buildiiiL', and by mean ot i communilïaiion with the observur, ho records his ; obsorvations, whioh, in order to be dono . ■ coireutly, recjulres graat dulicacy ff touch. It iva? mude by Richard F. Bond, of Bínton, The oost of' the whole Übsorvatory was $22 000. lleio the different parties were ongied from twotofoiirP M. in aakmg que dors, rce'iiving expían: tinn, witnessing the manner f using the n■trutnentii nnd hopiog thecloud. whioh j hiing ow them would be removed, and give them tho much desired gümpso of tho heuven through the teleseopes. 'l'hi boon, ho wever, was not vouehsafed unto us, cnutting all to fooi Ihat they had not con or leurned al! thoy wisiied; whioh in our opinión, was an ■ evidenoe of the nteroMt awakened, md prnof posit ve of tho success of the exoureion. A few momonts before we : lelt Uio Olxervatory, a faint prospect ol ts '-clearing tip ' was ii7)ticed in the west, and with ihis hope oi:r obtigtDg i friend, Prof. Brunnow, annemneed that J' the slcy was cear at 7 o'clock, he would be happy to moet uu again, and remain all night, or as long as tiio company desired The for Prof. WinchellVlecture hiiving arrived we left the Observatory, highly intnic;ed and edified, and under great obligationa to i ts Director. The evening ütill eontinucd cloudy, tho excursionicts instend of going to sce the Moon, amused theni.-eives as their inclination dictated. Quite a number attended a Fair hold in Rogers' Hall. for the benefit of the Episcopal Sunday Sohool of that placb, while others were entertained at "My Lord Mayor'a." On Friday morning he grnund was corered with snow, which was made use of by our friendo to sive us some idea of Michigan sleighing, and seeing tho town generally. It is finely situa ted, aud contains rnany handsotne residencos, and judging from what wesaw, it must be a channing spot in Slimmer, Tho Tinion School Building and itsfine grounds, attrac ted much attention, and justly ro, as it is oüeot the chief ornaments of the towo. From what we know snd saw, we hero rheerfully and with truth say that Michigan has reason to be proud of her tchool tisiem, and her State Uiiiversity. Would that some of her eister States would profit by her oxample ? Watch with ajealousnye, poople of Michigan, your State Univer gity be caretul that ita prosoot prosperity, and ita promiso of future greatness is in no way checked. At 11:30 a. m 'he party, with their frienda who had so hospitably entertained tbcm, assembled at the depot, when Prof. Blanay, in behalf of tho Academy, in a neat and appropriate manncr thanked the Committee of Arrungeraents, the President and Faculty of the University, and the citizens of Ann Arbor, for tho manner in whicb they had received and entertaincd us, at the same 'iine asauring them that the lateh atring of tbo Academy would hang far out, should any oí thoui ever corae to Chicago. At 12:10 p. m. we stnrted upon our return home, having quite a nnmber of our entertainers with us. This was an act of oourteaj which the liberality of the Mieh gan Central Kailroad Company placed within our power of performing, as thy wero all pasied to Jaekson and back again o Anu Arbor, thus placing uu in the poïtion of ontertaiuers, which wü all enduaored to perform to the best of our abiliy and with a hearty goud wiü. We oubt whether there ever was a merrier lid more pleasant party packed íq a car. ackíOQ wasannounced entiroly too soon, nd here we were aoon brought to realize int the " liegt of fricndsmuit part." Just s we left Jaekgon threu hearty eheers were given by the Academy, whieh were csponded to in the same marnier by them The snow stitl continuing, wu made the )cst of our position and time in the cara, nd judging from appearauees this feaure of the trip waa s successful as any ther, and to no one individual werá we nore indtbted tlian our friend " Uranch" f the Riehmond Hoi:8P, who was inoesant iu ministering lo our oouifoft and tleaeare. During the afternoon the Academy was callod to order, and on motion, li. M. Dewey, Esq , Prof Blaney and Ooi. títoiie wure appointcd a Committee to raft resolutions cxpresive of the feelugs of thü Aeadwny, to the Michigan Central Railroad, its offieera, to the Comnittee of arrangement of Aun Arbor, to ba President and Fiiculty of the State JniveiHity, and to the citizens of Ann Ar -or, lor their liberality and attention ; and to report at the nest regular moeting of tho Academy. At 12:30 on Saturday morning we arrived at tho Central Depot, all feeling satisfied that this was one of the most ■ueccidful and pleasant excursions tbc Aoadcmy has made.