, 1877-02-03
OUR wAsnlmcTom LETTER.


.ry-The "Greentoich," of the United
States Beginning of an interesting sketch
ETC., etc.
WARRINGTON, D. c., Jan. II, 1877.
The recent discovery of an exploded"
planet in the constellation of the S,odn
has set the astronomers to thinking::and
speculating upon the possibly of a sim
liar catastrophe happening to our own
mother earth. From the published re-
ports, it appears that most of the emil
nent astronomers of the present day
both in this country and in Europe
opine that we are in no immediate dan
ger, and that if such calamity should
happen, it will probably be some 8.00O.-
600 years before it occurs; and great
many others { among the eminent
astronomer and scientist, Professor
Parkhurst.) think that the peculiar con-
dition OF affairs now Witnessed in that
remote star are the same as those to
which our own planet was subjected
while in gaseous state, and before it
assumed its solid form. Be this as it
may, the fact remains that phenomena
of an extraordinary nature have recent-
ly been observed in the celestial spheres
which are now the subject of diligsnt
inquiry and examination in almost every
astronomical observatory in the world.
Not that these phenomena are of a re-
cent occurrence, for it probably took
the light some thousands of years to
travel from that distant planet to the
earth; but it is not until now that lin
that particular irstance) they have been
observed and studied, ard nowhere with
greater interest than at the United States
Naval Observatory here in Washington.
That observatory being the orly ma
tional' Institution of the kind in the
United States, it is not to be wondered
at that its officers take special interes,
in tie matter, and are anxious to con-
tribute their quota to science.
1t was this reflection which caused
your correspondent to make trip out
to the Naval Observatory on "Camp
Hill," despite the rain and slush. The
day was anything but favorable; dark,
dreary and dismal; and even at night
the heavens were clouded, so that there
was not the remotest chance of getting
glimpse at the coveted star. How
ever, seeing that none of the usually
enterprising correspondents (not even
those Of the New York Herald, World
Tribune or Sum located at the National
Capital, had thought it worth theil
while to visit the observatory and inter
view its officers with the view of ascer-
tanning their opinion on this subject,
your correspondent made it point to
do SO, and. taking a carriage, (the OBJ
servatory cannot be approached by any
of the lines of street cars) was deposited
safe and sound in the mud before its
gates yesterday about noon.
Before arriving. it had been my pur.
pose to simply ask some questions in
regard to the phenomena in the "Swan'
constellation; but finding so much Of
interest to be seen there, which, as
afterwards learned, had never appear
ed in print" before, concluded to
make more thorough investigation,
for, curious to say. while almost every
possible subject, from the Capitol down
to thu dog pond, in the Ntions Ca pi-
tal has been written up" at some time
or other, the observatory seems to re-
main an exception: which is probably
owing to the fact that it is SO disagree
able and difficult of access, especially
in winter. Or is it possible that our
correspondents are unaware of its exist
ence ? Whatever may be the cause of
this .unjustiiable neglect, I shall, SO far
as stands in my power, make amends
tor the slight thus thrown (involun-
tarily. doubtless,) upon great national
institution in which every American
ought to take a pride, and will endeav-
or, in the course of two or three let
ters, to furnish some account of the
growth, purpose and operation of this
most interesting institution.
To "begin with the beginning" then.
the so-called Naval Observatory is To-
Gated on an eminence in the southwest
part of Washington, known as Camp
Hill" This name was attributed to the
hill in question from the fact that it was
occupied by the American army as a
camping ground in the years 1913 and
1914. Referring to some old files OF the
National LntelHgencer, 1 find that on Au-
gust %, 1914. a brigade of militia, in
cluding Stull's and Peters rifemen.
and battalion of. troops from Alexan-
dria, having camped on the hill on the
evening of August %, advanced the fol-
lowing morning on Bladensburg. for
the defence of Washington against the
threatened attacks of General Ross and
Admiral Cockburn. It is, however,
probable that the site was known as
Camp Hill before this because its high