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Show 93 LARAMIE. LoDgitude- 105° 35' 33". 60 W. Latitude- 41° 18' 51". 8 ± 0". 08 N. At Laramie, a point in an open lot northeast from and near the railroad depot was selected as the station. It was not a desirable locality, but was about the only alternative by reason of the position of the telegraph wires. There was no possible objection to the position so far as the surface of the land was concerned, for the entire vicinity is but a gently undulating plain; bat the observatory being in the middle of the city, the view both north and south was intercepted at short distances by houses, making it impossible to lay out any extended meridian line. Laramie stands centrally on the great plateau bearing the well-known name u Laramie Plains," and to my notion is the most inviting town on the whole transcontinental route. These plains, though some 7,000 feet above the level of the sea, are well clothed in grass, ( but destitute of other forms of vegetation,) and watered by the Laramie River, which flows with a gentle current northerly through the valley. Mountains are visible to the right and left, and though from 8,000 to 10,000 feet high, appear only as slight ridges and low peaks from this elevated plateau. Meteorological.- Two weeks of December were spent here, and the meteorological conditions experienced found to be very similar to those of the previous month at Fort Steele* The same violent dust and snow- storms prevailed, and though not quite so cold as it had been, it was not possible to run the observatory without a stove. Here, as at Fort Steele, there were times when it required the best exertion of the observers to keep the observatory and all its appliances from being blown away. Observatory.- The observatory consisted of a hospital tent- the same that was used at Cheyenne. The assistants were also the same. The operator was Mr. Williams, of the Western Union line. Instruments.- Precisely the same as were used at Cheyenne and Fort Steele. Connections.- Connection was made with Salt Lake by a loop into the main wire of the Western Union line. Some observations for latitude were made on each of the nights of December 6, 7,8,11,13,15, and 17. On the nights of the 9th, 12th, and 16th, observations for time were made and exchanged with Salt Lake for difference of longitude. Of all the stations occupied by Assistant J. H. Clark this has proven the least satisfactory, by reason of smoke and dust, and the near vicinity of moving trains. Instrumental values.- See report on the Cheyenne station. Table containing the corrections of chronometers and their rates. LARAMIE. Correction of Salt Lake chronometer. 1873. De « e » ber9 1 • December 12 December 16 Local aide-real time. h. 2.2 1.0 1.0 Correction of Adopted chronometer. rata A. TO. ft. - 0 1 34.73 26.41 - 0 1 15.28 A. 0. 115 0.115 0.116 |