Of private history: "From Jan. 15th to 24th I was at Playford.—On Mar. 4th I went to Dover to try time-signals.—From June 24th to Aug. 6th I was at Little Braithwaite near Keswick, where I had hired a house, and made expeditions with members of my family in all directions. On July 28th I went, with my son Wilfrid, by Workington and Maryport to Rose Castle, the residence of Bishop Percy (the Bishop of Carlisle), and on to Carlisle and Newcastle, looking at various works, mines, &c.—On Dec. 24th I went to Playford."
1854
The chronograph Barrel-Apparatus for the American method of transits had been practically brought into use: "I have only to add that this apparatus is now generally efficient. It is troublesome in use; consuming much time in the galvanic preparations, the preparation of the paper, and the translation of the puncture-indications into figures. But among the observers who use it there is but one opinion on its astronomical merits—that, in freedom from personal equation and in general accuracy, it is very far superior to the observations by eye and ear."—The printing and publication of the Observations, which was always regarded by Airy as a matter of the first importance, had fallen into arrear: "I stated in my last Report that the printing of the Observations for 1852 was scarcely commenced at the time of the last meeting of the Visitors. For a long time the printing went on so slowly that I almost despaired of ever again seeing the Observations in a creditable state. After a most harassing correspondence, the printers were at length persuaded to move more actively, … but the volume is still very much behind its usual time of publication."—"The Deal Time-Ball has now been erected by Messrs Maudslays and Field, and is an admirable specimen of the workmanship of those celebrated engineers. The galvanic connection with the Royal Observatory (through the telegraph wires of the South Eastern Railway) is perfect. The automatic changes of wire-communications are so arranged that, when the Ball at Deal has dropped to its lowest point, it sends a message to Greenwich to acquaint me, not with the time of the beginning of its fall (which cannot be in error) but with the fact that it has really fallen. The Ball has several times been dropped experimentally with perfect success; and some small official and subsidiary arrangements alone are wanting for bringing it into constant use."—The operations for the galvanic determination of the longitude of Brussels are described, with the following conclusion: "Thus, about 3000 effective signals were made, but only 1000 of these were admissible for the fundamental objects of the operation. The result, I need scarcely remark, claims a degree of accuracy to which no preceding determination of longitude could ever pretend. I apprehend that the probable error in the difference of time corresponds to not more than one or two yards upon the Earth's surface.—A careful scheme had been arranged for the determination of the longitude of Lerwick, but 'unfortunately, the demand for chronometers caused by our large naval armament has been so considerable that I cannot reckon on having at my disposal a sufficient number to carry on this operation successfully; and I have, therefore, unwillingly deferred it to a more peaceful time.'—The covering stone of Halley's Tomb in Lee Churchyard was much shattered, and I applied to the Admiralty for funds for its complete restoration: these were granted on Feb. 3rd.—In this year, under my cognizance, £100 was added to the Hansen grant.—I had much correspondence and work in connection with the printing of Maclear's work at the Cape of Good Hope. In June, all accounts, &c. about the Transit Circle were closed at the Admiralty, and the instrument was completely mounted at the Cape.—Dr Scoresby (who in his own way was very imperious) had attacked my methods of correcting the compass in iron ships: I replied in a letter to the Athenaeum on Oct. 17th.—I made enquiries about operations for determining the longitude of Vienna, but was utterly repelled by the foreign telegraph offices.—In the Royal Astronomical Society; I prepared the Address on presenting the Medal to Rümker.—In Melbourne University: The first letter received was from the Chancellor of the University dated Jan. 26th, requesting that Sir John Herschel, Prof. Malden, Mr Lowe (subsequently Chancellor of the Exchequer), and I would select professors. We had a great deal of correspondence, meetings, examination of testimonials, &c., and on August 14th we agreed on Wilson, Rowe, McCoy, and Hearn.—On Feb. 17th I received the Prussian Order of Merit.—I had correspondence with the Treasury on the scale to be adopted for the Maps of the British Survey. I proposed 1/3000, and for some purposes 1/600.—I printed a Paper on the Deluge, in which I shewed (I believe to certainty) that the Deluge of Genesis was merely a Destructive Flood of the Nile.—Being well acquainted with the mountains of Cumberland, I had remarked that a 'man' or cairn of stones erected by the Ordnance Surveyors on the Great Gable had covered up a curious natural stone trough, known as one of the remarkable singularities of the country. This year, without giving any notice to the Ordnance Surveyors, I sent two wallers from Borrowdale to the mountain top, to remove the 'man' about 10 feet and expose the trough. Sir Henry James afterwards approved of my act, and refunded the expense.—I investigated the optical condition of an eye with conical cornea.
"The Harton Colliery Experiment: I had long wished to repeat the experiment which I had attempted unsuccessfully in 1826 and 1828, of determining by pendulum-vibrations the measure of gravity at the bottom of a mine. Residing near Keswick this summer, and having the matter in my mind, I availed myself of an introduction from Dr Leitch to some gentlemen at South Shields, for inspection of the Harton Colliery. I judged that it would answer pretty well. I find that on Aug. 11th I wrote to Mr Anderson (lessee of the mine), and on the same day to the Admiralty requesting authority to employ a Greenwich Assistant, and requesting £100 for part payment of expenses. On August 16th the Admiralty assent. There were many preparations to be made, both personal and instrumental. My party consisted of Dunkin (Superintendant), Ellis, Criswick, Simmons, Pogson, and Rümker: I did not myself attend the detail of observations. The observations began on Oct. 2nd and ended on Oct. 21st: supplementary observations were subsequently made at Greenwich for examining the coefficient of temperature-correction. On Oct. 24th I gave a Lecture at South Shields on the whole operation. In 'Punch' of Nov. 18th there was an excellent semi-comic account of the experiment, which as I afterwards found was written by Mr Percival Leigh."
Of private history: "On Jan. 18th I returned from Playford. From
Mar. 10th to 13th I was at Deal, and visited Sir John Herschel at
Hawkhurst.—From June 28th to Aug. 7th I was staying with my family at
The Grange, in Borrowdale near Keswick: and also made an expedition to
Penrith, Carlisle, Newcastle, Jarrow, &c.; and descended the Harton
Pit.—In September and also in October I was at South Shields on the
Harton Experiments.—From Dec. 14th to 18th I was at Cambridge, and on
the 26th I went to Playford."
The following letter, written in answer to a lady who had asked him to procure permission from Lord Rosse for her to observe with his telescope, is characteristic:
ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH. 1854, September 20.
DEAR MADAM,
The state of things with regard to Lord Rosse's Telescope is this. If a night is fine, it is wanted for his use or for the use of professional astronomers. If it is not fine, it is of no use to anybody. Now considering this, and considering that the appropriation of the telescope on a fine night to any body but a technical astronomer is a misapplication of an enormous capital of money and intellect which is invested in this unique instrument—it is against my conscience to ask Lord Rosse to place it at the service of any person except an experienced astronomer. No introduction, I believe, is necessary for seeing it in the day-time. The instrument stands unenclosed in the Castle Demesne, to which strangers are admitted without question, I believe……………
Faithfully yours,
G.B. AIRY.