of Washington.)

Day.

Feb.
Eve.

March. I April.
Eve.

May.

Morn.

Morn.

H.M. S. |

H.M.S. | H.M.S.

H.M. S.

9:21:51

4:06:48

19.

4:02:52

3:47:10

3:43:14

Jan.
Eve.
H.M.S.
5:13:40 3:11:47 1:21:41 11:19:48
1:18:14 11:16:21
5:09:44 3:07:51 1:17:45 11:16:52 9:17:55
1:14:18 11:12:25
5:05:48 3:03:55 1:13:49 11:12:56 9:13:59 7:12:06 5:14:08
1:10:22 11:08:29
5:01:52 2:59:59 1:09:53 11:08:00 9:09:03 7:08:10 5:10:12
1:06:26 11:04:33
4:57:56 2:56:03 1:05:58 11:04:05 9:06:07 7:04:14 5:06:17 3:04:23 1:02:30 11:00:37
4:54:00 2:52:07 1:02:02 11:00:09 9:02:11 7:00:18 5:02:21 3:00:27 0:58:34 10:56:41
4:50:04 2:48:11 0:58:06 10:56:13 8:58:15 6:56:22 4:58:25 2:56:31
4:46:08 2:44:15 0:54:10 10:52:17 8:54:19 6:52:26 4:54:29 2:52:35 0:50:42 10:48:49
4:42:12 2:40:19 0:50:14 10:48:21 8:50:23 6:48:30 4:50:33 2:48:40 0:46:46 10:44:53
4:38:16 2:36:24 0:46:18 10:44:25 8:46:28 6:44:35 4:46:37 2:44:44 0:42:51 10:40:58
4:34:20 2:32:28 0:42:22 10:40:29 8:42:32 6:40:39 4:42:41 2:41:48 0:39:55 10:37:02
4:30:24 2:28:32 0:38:26 10:36:33 8:38:36 6:36:43 4:38:45 2:37:52 0:35:59 10:33:06
4:26:28 2:24:36 0:34:30 10:32:37 8:34:40 6:32:47 4:34:49 2:33:56 0:31:03 10:29:10
4:22:32 2:20:40 0:30:34 10:28:42 8:30:44 6:28:51 4:30:53 2:29:00 0:27:07 10:25:14
4:18:36 2:16:44 0:26:39 10:24:46 8:26:48 6:24:55 4:26:58 2:25:04 0:23:11 10:21:18
4:14:40 2:13:48 0:22:43 10:21:50 8:22:52 6:20:59 4:23:02 2:21:08 0:19:15 10:17:22
4:10:44 2:09:52 0:18:46 10:17:54 8:18:56 6:17:03 4:19:06 2:17:12 0:15:18 10:13:26
2:05:56 0:14:50 10:13:58 8:15:01 6:13:07 4:15:10 2:13:16 0:11:23 10:09:30
2:01:00 0:10:54 10:09:02 8:11:05 6:09:11 4:11:14 2:09:20 0:07:27 10:05:34
3:58:58 1:57:04 0:06:59 10:05:06 8:07:09 6:05:15 4:07:18 2:05:25 0:03:32 10:01:39
3:55:01 1:53:08 0:03:03 10:01:10 8:03:13 6:01:19 4:03:22 2:01:29 Eve.
3:51:06 1:49:12 11:59:07 9:57:14 7:59:17 5:57:23 3:59:26 1:57:33 11:51:39
1:45:16 11:55:11 9:53:18 7:55:21 5:53:27 3:55:30 1:53:37 11:47:43
1:41:20 11:51:15 9:49:22 7:51:25 5:49:31 3:51:34 1:49:41 11:43:47
1:37:25 11:47:20 9:45:26 7:47:29 5:45:36 3:47:38 1:45:45 11:39:56
11:43:24 9:41:30 7:43:33 5:41:40 3:43:42 1:42:49 11:36:00
11:39:28 9:37:34 7:39:37 5:37:44 3:39:46 1:38:53 11:32:04
11:35:32 9:33:38 7:35:41 5:33:48 3:35:50 1:34:57 11:28:08
11:31:36 9:29:42 7:31:45 5:29:52 3:31:54 1:30:02 11:24:12
11:27:40 9:25:47 7:27:50 5:25:56 3:27:59 1:26:06 11:20:17
7:23:54
3:24:03 1:22:10

TABLE I.

MEAN TIME OF SIDEREAL NOON, OR MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF THE VERNAL EQUINOX AT WASHINGTON, D. C.,

FOR 1898.

(For other places, add 9.83 seconds for each hour of longitude east of Washington, and subtract the same for each hour west

TABLE II.

TIMES OF UPPER MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF POLARIS, OR NORTH STAR, 1898.

Surveyors and civil engineers may obtain the variation of the magnetic needle for any place in the United States by directing
their compass to the North Star (Polaris) when it is upon the meridian, as given in the table below, for the upper culmination;
or 11 hours 58 minutes 2 seconds, before or after, when the star is on the lower meridian. Exact local time is used in the table, and the
timepiece used must be correct, and the bearing of the star taken promptly on time, and that bearing will be the true variation of
the needle. An error ofy a few seconds in the timepiece will vitiate the bearing found; therefore, it will be much better to
take the bearing when the star is furthest east or west, at its greatest elongation, as observations made upon it then are not affected

NAME OF STAR.

A TABLE OF ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN BRIGHT STARS.

To ascertain when any Star or Constellation found in the following Table will be on the upper meridian, add the numbers opposite in the left-hand column of figures to the time of "Sidereal Noon" found in these pages. For the rising of a Star, subtract the number opposite in the right-hand column of figures from its meridian passage. For the setting of a Star, add the same number to its meridian passage. Those marked (....) revolve in a circle of perpetual apparition, and do not rise or set north of the latitude of New York (40° 42′ 40′′). for which latitude the semidiurnal arcs are calculated. The civil day begins at midnight, and consequently 24 hours after midnight, or 12 hours from noon, is morning of the succeeding day; and more than 24 hours from noon, is evening of the next day. This table is arranged in the order of culmination. Stars having an asterisk (*) in the last column are seen only in Florida and Texas, when passing the meridian.

RISING, SETTING AND MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF PLANETS, 1898.

Meridian.

New-York.

Orleans.

New-York.

21 0:40

111:17 6:15) 11 11:32 6:29 21,11:47 6:39 1 Eve. Sets. 11 0:12 Eve. 21 0:21 5:55 1 | 0:27 6:10 0:34 6:29 6:46 1 0:46 7:05 11 0:54 7:24 21 1:02 7:43 1:13 8:03

H.M. (H.M. H.M.H.M. H.M.H.M. H.M.H.M.H. M. H.M. H.M. H. M. 6:13 6:44 5:52 12:00 0:03 9:39 4:27 4:52

6:06) 6:37

8:51

8:38

9:10

9:28

9:35

1 2:43 7:47 11 2:39 7:35 21 2:30 7:22 1 2:11 7:00 5:30 10:40 10:13:10:50) 111 1:39 6:29 5:52 5:05 10:16 9:30 10:19 November.. 121 0:50 5:451 5:11 4:37 9:50 9:24 9:27 4:10 4:22 1 Mor. Ris's! Ris's 4:04 9:17 8:51 9:15 3:39 3:51 0:09 Mor. Mor. 11 10:48 Mor. Mor. | 3:27 8:40 8:141 8:431 3:09 3:22 Mor. 6:27 6:53 21 10:011 4:421 4:21 2:45 7:56 7:29 8:10 2:38 2:52 11:04 5:561 6:22 31 9:301 4:09) 3:49 1:52 7:01 6:34 7:34 2:03 2:18 10:26 5:19 5:46

6:31:11:36|11:07

6:13 11:20 10:52 Mor. | Mor. Mor. 6:46 5:54 11:02 10:34 11:24

6:45 11:13
6:58/11:06
7:06 10:59 5:57 6:27
Sets. 10:52 5:48 6:16
Eve. 10:45 5:36 6:02 3:13 9:23 9:26
5:42 10:38 5:25 5:48 2:31 8:40 8:43 6:36 1:26 1:51
6:01 10:32 5:15 5:36 1:57
8:03
8:05 6:06 0:56 1:21
6:26 10:23 4:59 5:17 1:13 7:20 7:22
6:49 10:14 4:44 4:59 0:30 6:36 6:37
7:14 10:03) 4:261 4:37 Eve. Sets. Sets.
7:39 9:53 4:09 4:17 10:57 Mor. Mor.
8:03 9:42 3:51 3:55 10:10 4:16 4:17
8:28 9:30 3:31 3:31 9:27 3:33 3:34 2:02 8:55 9:20
9:20] 3:14] 3:11 8:46 2:52 2:53 1:20 8:12 8:37
9:08 2:55 2:49 8:05 2:12 2:14 0:38 7:30 7:55
8:56] 2:26|2:26| 7:22 1:29| 1:30|Eve. [Sets. Sets.
8:53 2:27 2:14 6:43 0:49 0:50 11:04 Mor. Mor.
8:33 2:01 1:45 6:06 0:12 0:13 10.22 3:38 3:14
9:35 8:22] 1:44 1:25 5:31 Eve. Eve. 9:40 3:01 2:37
9:26 8:12| 1:29
1:07 4:55 10:55 10:55 8:59 2:16 1:52
9:15 8:01 1:13 0:49 4:21 10:19 10:18 8:18 1:35 1:11
8:59 7:49
0:57 0:31 3:43 9:40 9:39 7:34 0:51 0:27
8:43 7:38 0:43 0:14] 3:00] 9:05 9:03 6:54 0:11| Eve.
0:29 Eve. 2:37 8:31 8:28 6:15 Eve.[11:04
0:15 11:45 2:02 7:54 7:50 5:33 10:46 10:22
0:02 11:32
1:30 7:21 7:16 4:56 10:08 9:44
6:45 Eve. 11:17 0:58 6:461 6:40 4:19 9:31 9:06
0:27 Ris's Ris's 3:43 8:55 8:30
3:07 8:18 7:53
2:31 7:42 7:17
1:53 7:04 6:39

5:41 5:56

PLANETS BRIGHTEST Mercury, February 4 and September 24. rising shortly before the Sun; also April 7 and December 1, setting soon after the Sun.

Venus, October 27.

Saturn, May 30.

Uranus, May 22.

Neptune, December 15.

AZIMUTH TABLE OF POLARIS. OR NORTH STAR, 1898. The azimuths in the annexed table, applied properly to the magnetic bearing of Pollaris at the time of ite greatest elongation east or west, will give the true variation of the magnetic needle from a true north direction, and will be of great use to all surveyors and engineers. When the elongation is east the azimuth will be east and vice versa. At the present time the line of "No Variation" of the needle runs southeasterly from near Toledo, Ohio, to a point on the Atlantic coast about fifty miles | Bouthwest of Cape Fear, N. C. East of that line the north end of the needle points 'west of a true north, and west of that line east of the true north. The country may therefore be divided into eastern and western magnetic regions. In the "Eastern Region" the bearing of Polaris at its western elongation, if eastward, added to the lazimuth, gives the desired variation west; but if westward, the bearing taken from the azimuth gives the variation west. The bearing of Polaris at its eastern elongation will be eastward, and the azimuth subtracted therefrom gives the variation west. In the "Western Region" the bearing of Polaris at its eastern elongation, if westward, added to the azimuth, gives the variation east; but if eastward, the bearing taken from the azimuth gives the variation east. The bearing of Polaris at its westJern elongation will be westward, and diminished by the azimuth gives the variation east. The azimuths in the table, given for two degree zones, are practically sufficient for all the United States except Alaska. For intermediate latitudes, and dates, the azimuths may be found by proportion sufficiently correct, or exactly by the formula. log-sine azimuth equal log-sine Polar Distance of Polaris, minus log-cosine latitude. The surveyor or engineer is on the line of "No Variation" when the bearing of Polaris at greatest elongation is the same as the azimuth.

Month.

January..

Polar Azimuth of Polaris at its Greatest Elongation East or West.
Dis-
For Latitudes and Dates given below.

35° | 37° | 39 | 41° | 43°

45°

tance of 29° | 31° 1 33°
Polaris. North. North. | North. | North. | North. | North. North. [North. North.

11 13 43 1 24 171 26 11 27 54 1 29 59 1 32 19 1 34 511 37 401 40 491 44 16

January. 111

January.. 1211

February. 11

February. 11:

February. 211

March...

211

August.

11

8

August. 211

6

30 1 43 57