WINTER SCHOOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2279, 26 August 1908, Page 3

WINTER SCHOOL.

DAY SESSION. The Winter School was continued yesterday, when Mr. Clark gave a lecture on mathematics, dealing with the oblique projection of the cube. At eleven o’clock the teachers journeyed to Waihirore, where out-door nature study was taken under the direction of Inspector Hill, Messrs Hamilton and Darton. EVENING LECTURE. The very fair-audience that attended at His Majesty’s Theatre last evening was rewarded by a treat such as rarely comes the way of those who attend lectures. The Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, principal of Meeanee College, has won a high reputation for himself as a meteorologist, and his observatory at Meeanee is known throughout the Dominion and even as far afield as England and America. Last evening he delivered a splendid lecture on “Meteorological Instruments.” The Rev. 1,. Dawson Thomas presided, and briefly introduced the lecturer, who, he said, really needed no introduction to a Gisborne audience..

The lecturer stated that the previous evening he had shown them there was an interesting page of the great hook of Nature even at the bottom of a dirty pool of water, and that evening he would present to them some of the wonders in tho heavens above. By means of excellent limelight illustrations, the audience was shown the various instruments used in the lecturer’s observatory at Mceiinee. These included the pluviograpli, an ingenious instrument for recording’the amount of rainfall, tho working of which was explained. The various kinds of thermometers annd thermographs, for measuring and recording the ne'at of the atmosphere, were next exhibited, and charts marked by the thermograph thrown on to the screen. After showing his hearers how it was possible to ascertain the amount of moisture in the air by means of the hydrometer, the lecturer next described the working of au alarm thermometer, which signalled the commencement of a frost, and was invaluable to orchardists who had vineyards and fruit to protect. The modern pomologist, the doctor explained, could go to sleep with tho greatest confidence, secure in the knowledge that the alarm would be sounded on the instant commencement of frost, and could then take precautions to protect his fruit, instead of having to sit up all night, sis the caretakers at Friinley arid other large orchards had to do before such a valuable instrument was in their possession. All a gardener had to do on the frost setting in was to light a fire of rubbish or tar, which would cause smoke. This smoke acted the part of clouds, and effectually protected the fruit against the frost, and the fire being once lighted tlie caretaker could retire to rest again without any fear that valuable fruit would be lost by the attack of frost. The origin of the barometer was traced from Newton’s first instrument, through Fahrenheit’s improvements, down to the modern Forten and Kew instruments, with their barographs. The Jordan photographic sunshine recorder and the Robinson anemometer, for measuring the velocity of wind, were explained, and the lecturer then proceeded to tell his audience how they could foretell the weather at different seasons of the year by observing the formation of tlie clouds. Views of the telescope used for photography in the lecturer’s observatory at Meeanee were next exhibited, and a number of splendid astronomical slides were shoavn. Several of these showed clearly groups of spots on the sun as seen in June last, and some faint idea of the size of the sun .was gleaned when the lecturer informed his audience that these spots were 104,000 miles in length and 93 million square miles in area. All excellent illustration of the peculiarly mottled surface of the sun was shown, and it was explained that this was caused by metallic vapor. The lecturer stated that ho had sent some of these photographs of sun spots to Greenwich Observatory, and to Professor Hale, of Mount Wilson Observatory, California, and lie had received acknowledgement that they were some of the best yet obtained. Professor Hale advised tlie lecurer to take up solar observations, as the . sunny atmosphere .and its position of latitude and longitude made New Zealand specially fitted for this class of work. The concluding portion of the lecture was devoted to the .moon, planets, and stars. The views were particularly fine and their beauty frequently called forth spontaneous bursts of applause. A superb photograph of the comet visible in August of last year, taken by Dr. Kennedy at Meeanee, was shown. A gentleman from Australia who had seen it informed the lecturer that the photograph was infinitely superior t 0 any view they had succeeded in obtaining at Sydney Observatory. The-lecturer, Ly-thc-bye-informed his audience that this comet was ia trifling fourteen million miles long. The last slide shown was a magnificent view of the Southern Cross. The lecturer, who was frequently'applauded, was accorded- a vote of thanks on the motion of tlie chairman, and the hearty manner in which it was carried testified to the keen pleasure the lecture had given. After tho .lecture, the Rev. Dr. Kennedy explained tlie working of some of his meteorological instruments to a good number who came forward at the lecturer’s inviTirtion. The session will ho continued today, and this evening Mr. G. Hogben, M.A., Inspector-Goner il of Schools, will deliver a lecture in v His Majesty’s Theatre on “Impressions of Foreign iSchools.” 0