This paper was afterwards finished by Prof. T. H. Safford, then of Harvard, now of Williams College observatory. A biographer says of Mr. Bond: “Science to him was not a pastime but a serious calling, to be pursued with the utmost conscientiousness and singleness of purpose. That he did so much and did it so well, during the few years allotted to him, must have been partly owing to an extreme reluctance to dissipate his powers by beginning new works while the old were still unfinished.” He received the honorary degree of A.M. from Harvard in 1853.
Joseph Winlock was the third director of Harvard College observatory, being appointed in 1866. He was born in Shelby county, Ky., Feb. 6, 1826; he graduated at Shelby College in 1845, and was professor of mathematics and astronomy there until 1852. He was subsequently in the service of the Naval Observatory at Washington, and, still later, instructor in mathematics at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. At different dates, he was superintendent of the work of preparation of the Nautical Almanac. He continued in office as director of the observatory until his decease, June 11, 1875.
His administration appears by the record to have been one of various activity. A large amount of improved apparatus was added to the resources of the observatory, partly by purchase and partly by invention and making on the spot. He kept up the reputation of the observatory, which has never failed from the start, for originality and ingenuity in mechanical devices. It was during his term that the transmission by electricity of the true solar time to railroad centres and business points in all parts of New England became a regular part of the observatory work, and, by the system which he organized, compensation was made by corporations and individuals whose clocks were put into electrical connection with that at the observatory.
A considerable revenue has thus annually been derived. Other electrical apparatus of the observatory was modified and improved. A “switch-board,” the device of his predecessor was much elaborated in its mechanism, whereby the electrical current was made more available and all the principal instruments were connected at will with the chronographs.