The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-03-12
Two American Telescopes, the Largest
I'm the World.

When Galileo's first telescope was made,
which enlarged en- object less than five
diameters, IL astonished the world. And
when he finally succeeded in making one
that magnified about thirty diameters, 1t
was said that the highest magnifying pow
er had been reached, and plausible reasons
were given TO substantiate the statement.
When, somewhat later. Frauenhofer made
the celebrated Dorpat telescope OF Russia,
with an object glass of ~ inches in al'er-
lure. its enormous power was the cause of
great excitement among astronomers
throughout the world. The famous Chi
cago telescope, with its s4-inch aperture,
made by Clark * Sons. at a cost Of SIS, 900,
has till lately been at the head Of great in
struments of this class. At Gateshead,
near Newcastle, England. Mr.. II. s. New.
all's telescope made by Cooke Il Sons, of
York. with 25-inch aperture, has for sew
eral years stood as the largest in the world,
though Of inferior quality and power. At
present the instrument in the Naval OBJ
servatory at Washington, and now in ac-
tive operation there, gives to the United
States the distinction of baving the largest
and most effective reiracting telescope that
was ever constructed. 4 his, too, was
made by Mcssrs. Clark. who have now
nearly completed another of similar cali
Der, ordered by l.. j. Mccormick. of Chi
cago, of Mccormick reaper fame. This,
it Is understood, will be given TO one of
the Virginia universities.
These twin monsters OF the deep ~
sky. not sea-will, in every important par
ticular, be the counterpart OF each other.
The OILY noticeable differences are: The
Washington instrument has an aperture of
twenty-six inches. while the Mccormick
has mn M hnt
only enough To have ii said that il Is the
largest in the world; the compound OBJ
jective, or object glass. in the latter weighs
10 pounds, while that of the former
weighs $50 pounds. In each. the glass,
with the tube i'm which il is inserted,
weighs about ton, and the whole weight
may be roughly estimated at four or five
tons. Each has focal length of about
thirty-tnree feet. The cost of the Govern
ment telescope was $40, 100 in currency.
That of the Mccormick will be S3s, 900 in
gold. The contract was made for both at
the same ti-re, about four years ago, and
at the same price, gold being estimated as
il then stood. Mr.. Mccormick chose to
pay the amount in gold when his instru-
ment should be completed. The detectives
alone, when completed, are worth $4,000
each, and are capable of magnIfying
DOWtf VI @.NVO tHDukU, OWifB
TO the interference Of the atmosphere, a
power of 800 will seldom re used. but
even this viii increase the surface of the
object viewed to 100000 times its natural
size.
The establishment that gives birth TO
these monster telescopes is situated in
Cambridgeport, Mass, within easy rifle
range from Boston State-house. II is an
unpretendiDg structure of plain brick.
two stories high, about forty feet long by
twenty-five feet wide. with an l. OF the
same width, and twenty feet long, and
small, one-story room, perhaps fifteen by
twenty. All the power used in this facto-
~ is a five-horse power engine. of which
more than three-horse power is seldom
needed. The firm is composed of Mr.
Alvin Clark and his two sons. They en-
ploy about half-dozen hands, and never
have in the busiest times more than ten.
The senior Mr.. Clark is now over seventy
years of age. and did not begin telescope
making till he was over forty years old.
He has acquired his knowledge and skill
without instruction. He has never seen
lens In process of construction In the
hands Of any one out Of his own shop.
Yet here arc made instru nepts which no
other maker in the world has surpassed or
eQualed,