CO129-206 - Public Offices & Others - 1882 — Page 516

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use the drop must be sharp and instantaneous. In this country where time-balls are seldom of a larger diameter than four fest, a gale of wind

often

been known to exert such pressure on the ball during its descent astomake it adhere to the sides of the mast, and to slide down the latter instead of making a free drop.

Tolve on a

.

Staff. The charge of,

charge of the observatory should de Superintendent aided by an Assistant ind a Clerk . The Superintendent should be the head

of his own department and responsible directly to the Executive Government. If objection be raised to the creation of a

a new Government.

Department, the observatory might be attached to the Harbour Master's Establishment, this office being the one most intimately connected with the operations of the observatory. The first alternative " will however in my opinion be found the preferable,

The Superintendent should be a

young gentle undoubted phypical Energy, and of proved ability and acce

uracy

in his work. His Experience. find attainments in the branches.

BILL.

man

o

of

astronomy meteorology and terrestrial magnetion, should be personally known to the Astronomer Royal to

whom, it is recommended, the selection

terms

да сал - didate might be referred . It would be important

that the Superintendent should assist for a at Greenwich and Few Observatories, at the latter more specially during the time that the Hong Kong

of Verification. The transit, clocks, slectric and timeball apparaties should

instruments

are in course of

is 1500 ayear with a

ayear

of

receive his careful inspection before shipment to The Colony. The Salary suggested for the post to a free residence, but the Secretary & Pate

"State will doubtless

doubtless approve of an

an increase salary following any material increase of the scientific duties and responsibilities of the office. The Assistant, as pointed out in the letter of the Kew Commilles, may

be a

noncommissioned ? officer. He should have practical sxperience of the manipulation of the meteorological instry

ments and understand the regulation, of clocks. He should also understand telegraphy and be able to assist the Superintendent in his

the special dus

cial duties of

Calculations. One

the

The

assistant will be to attend to the time ball And see the Entire apparatus is maintained in good working order thy the pay should not be less

5256

The should have

than

Police Barracks in Course

tsatsui Point. ]

ayear and free quarters in the new erection at Isime oerection

There will be no difficulty in obtaining

work

a Corv=

included

petent Chinese click to do the Copying and writin of the observalary, for £125 ayear. Ageneral office dervant and a

night watchman will complete the personnel. These are in the Estimate of yearly Maintenance. The of upkeep and repairs of the buildings, which for the first few years should be almost nothing, will be defrayed by the ordinary Public Works Vole Sntitled" "Repairs to Buildings",

Cost-

mcluded

an.

nually voted in the Colonial Estimates for the upkeep of all Government.

in the buildings" island and Howtoon.