The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-11-20

I
!. briefly as foilaws: The necessity for the
pes essen OF such = telescope was long
felt by the astronomical authorities at the
capital The Russian, the English, and
| ther governments, had long outstripaed
I"ur own III the extent ana magniRcence Of
thrr instruments. But it was not until
1858 thai Rear Admiral Sands pressed
upon the then Secretary Of tho navy
Wclle the great necessity for a tele.
scope equal t" the scientific wants Of the
time. At the session 81 Congress Of 1879
the lDatter neing put into the bands Of
senator H"m''n waS G n>i1~red by Tho
Committee on Naval Affairs, and, after
some discnsslon;n b,,h pfuses, agreed to-.
Tue price Was i.nlted to $50,ooO, . and
$4,000 Appropriated fdrathe first pay
NETT M. ssrs. Alvin Cla~ke g. Sons ro;
CambrdgePort, Mas, having siVnified
their Willingness 10 execute the con ract
for the SUN Of $40 600 in gold, Commo-
dore Sands recommended thai it be
awarded them. The origin of this firms
g nnrction Wlth telescope building had
It's being in the very simple circumstan nee
~ George Clark, then boy at tho
Phillips Academy, Andoycr, Mass taking
h. me the fragments of . broken bel
| which, with the aid OF his fsther. he
immediately setto work to construct into
telescope From the pair If four inch
discs the interchangeable workers in pre-
cees OF time constructed oae of eighteen
aud half inches in diameter. This Isst
effort was sold t" the Mississippi Univer>
atty in 1868 ard afterwards purchased
by tn. Ch'cag" University. The difficult
art Of making the combination Of crown
and flint glass, aud casting Through discs
Of The necessary purity tor object Qlassss'
being only obtainablo from single firm
in Eugland--Chauce 8 Co, of Brming-
Eham-Mr. Clark crossed the ocean and
made contract with those gentlemen
f>r the glass. More than year elapsed
before the glass was pronounced perfect,
and it was not until December, 1871, that
it reached Cambridge in rough state
Having been subjected 10 the closest form
OF inspe ction by means Of the polariz d
! light and other tests, the glasses were
ground and polished BY series of pro-
cesseS requiring the greatest care and
nicely.
Last October it was pronounced perfect,
AMI the money cl&imed To give soms
idea of the power Of the glass, it is stated
toat through it love letter could be
reai over ayoung lady's shoulder halt
mile away. Although the glass is finished
and ready for use it will takn another
year at least to complete the telescope. A
val iety of intricate and delicate machin.
cry must be erected to regulate the rtcsd'-
ness Of the iestru aent The dome bulls
f IT it's reception is on level with the
ground fl ,or OF tbs main building; the
walls are Of heavy oak, covered with gal
vanIzcd iron, While tho d0ms itself is of
pine, covered in the same way. The
dome aud foundations fer the instrument
c st $4,000, and the prlce of the instru
ment i self will be about $48, 900.
This telescope, the largest refracting
instrument in the weIId, cann It at present
be compared with Lord Ross celebrs ted
instrument, which is reflector. 1t is es-
'imated, However, that for real use it will
he found In every way superior. Very
few citizens will be permitted to gaze
through this precious instrument. 1t will
oc reserved entirely for experts and dis
tinguished astronomers. Tho people
must remain content to know that the
country now possesses telescope of which
it may truly be proud. and which may
prove the means of vast and wonderful
disc overIes in tho future hlstory Of estro
nomical science. Inter Ocean.
1T A IN pv,IITT T3AJSNSTD