, 1879-08-06
Description Of the Building, and Of 1h
Implements ior the Study Of >.
tho Heavens.
The Great Rcfrncting Telescopc---Vio,7s
Through II of tho Planets Jupi-
ter and Saturn.
A rarro Trausit-Instrumont Soon to Bo
Added to tho Equipment Of the
Institution.
rhs Director Of the Observatory, Frof. lanes G.
Wntsan--.A FrojttL to Gife ttlm In q For
Tears tho Largest Telescope Id
the World.

c,.tta, Correspondence Of The 1rbnns,
M.n1soy. Wis, AUG. 4.-'rhe beautiful City
~ Madison has recently pctuirc1. through tho
Ithcra1,ty of s1.Gov. G. C.. Washhurn, fine
Astrouou,lcAl Observatory; and short ACCOUNT
~ ytsis there may be Of interest to your Fcau'
The institution referred to is a department. OF
4hr 11nIycrsIty Of Wisconsin, and stands IN tlle
orounds Of tho college. Tho ,ocatto" chosen Is
hv for tho bust to 10 found in tho vicinity al
hfai,[sou. Passing up State street from the cn1''
ttol. you arrive Mt tho foot ot 'hc htl1 1lllon
whose sides aro erected tho University baiid-
inps, AZ tho Visitor entersthc wcll'kcpt grounds
1a no,.o, sclcuce Hail at ts right, anA the
Ladies' Hhli At bis Lett hanu' Halfway
IN tho asccus is tho main build
tnr aankcd on other sido by
ihn pormltsorics. Just boyoni1, the summit is
;rcacned md you find yourself on narrow
.nlateau. comm a1,sllng tlnc v'ow OF the sur
rnun,lh,e country. at the end Of tho plateau
mo,. dJatapt from tic University building Is
erected .
~ nrat. ATTRACTIVE edlilce, Of pressed brick md
white etonc;-iu stzs about sovcntY by thirty
fert.
On the lower floor, al the east end Of the
building, ts tho romputtng.r0oM, "a wcll-lightcd
apartmeut designed for tho uso Of Prof. Watson
aud hi. nsa,stapts, for tic purpose of reducing
The observations taken to condition Of useful
noss. 1t would f1lt the nltnls OF your
youug.laly readers, who "tlo not Ike
aritllmotic,n with dIamav, II They could see tho
startling array Of figures tint room Is destined
to contain. Considering to what n vast extent
combinations OF figures add to the happiness
and comfort Of tho rneo, 1t is positive blessing
that t'efe arc men anu "o'"cn ~ " 'os" ,at. "m
own sake.
- Passing from this room VIC ascend by wini-
,,,, a,oIr ~ . litt1c landing from which, through
n's s."a. ~ .''a's ~ na,a. H. nr.ssnnc ~
tWo 9on aoofs, We o"sol 'uc pl'o'a "a
;i. TT 1is y af1Iseotn,M ~ se 'nst,t,,,on 7bo,o
,Yhose tdeas Of a telescope arc based uron spy
w. ,,, n,,t fn,u, cn of tho ,c1,ittc.
g'asscs "Aso ~ md ,,ntInr of
such an Instrument as this. To obtain the
steadinoss necessary for accuracy In measuring
I'm heoven.. the utmost care must bc used In
~ asa'."1, '..,'a.ton ~ evorv ,.r, rrhc rnle Of
INC eonsts9e9oA " o'e'' p"t~ -,
"Judrc, aTcraGo, guess, anu allow 30 ol'o''
used about our public buildings, cennot no
nnnltcd hero; but each part must be as
nan-lr ncsinct as human skill can
rnke H. foE Is m.anueu ~. saua s.,. T.
the 0Teat Architect anu init WORK 's aoso'aso
perfection. Deep into the ground IL sunk the
s,t. on1 nm nors of fin hull,lfnp IN al,owcd to
.. s,.sn - AZ that IN t.,r:utv nav hc nvoilcd.
Thfs pier terminates 10 solid stoio pup. about
fnr {nnt viz inc]ies by Two feet six tnuhcs, ut
hignt III twel,ty. five tcut FROM the groun1. A
circuiar BUILDING, thirty feet In dialnc.er, Gu.
smsrount1s this nnr. md el,pnorts tho movable
.,,no wnc,, cnvcrs ths tnirsrnpr.
Ti,c corstruction Of tho douio Of M pbscrya-
tory ii il ''''' '-''0'' ~ ~
=. , sa,,,,v t,n,,t - w,thatou,, wind !.
muss 10 so!,u,S ph.' ~ ~ sjv IL ,ms"I T., IN
ana nt tnc sae t,c: ~ ns oa, s
aono at sne ha ar ,s rss pr "st ,va ron
upoh tae LOU W uu !" ,'a .i ne" srr',,.,, "n n
trn'. neHH .,a ase .'h,,,n, a' -, I'm d,,ns Ali
tloh IT,, maseas a'tare" ara rs.e. ' as aar-,n1iv
ehelnei at.d tlo gcafnlg oy Wttcn 'nu po"eI
uscs W tut" ts'o aiai, nJtv 10 arp,f"iv reat
suIm .oota III. " h,, .,,Gn,+ rrjoarttn thc M.
ous taa., WV . ~ .,', I,n tI1,h. -, INV ~.
lilly ~ III I uoe's H., a.trnrn,nfnI -.S,crs vim
iavc $oied iii the,r arms md barks nchcJ while
turning slowly badiy.constracted Gomo over
rough castlngs, will appreciate tho advantage
OF this. Tic same caro- and ingenuity llayt
heeu exercised 10 Tho construction y tls shat
arrangement Of pullcys mud wirc-ropcs ullows
tis shutters to bu opened or closed st will, with
but ltttlc tabor.
Securely fastened to tile top of tic central
pier Ia tllo
onp.r nRpna crrna rp1yscopB.
,,,., hy I'm % ~,i1o,x.Ir"wr ] Iru, II a,vo,,
arI,o aoms M.sa !rn,"
santSsnen 's ars now Tneo"nisei ~ ths Yarv hsst
4; ti ,ar Il ,. a.9 9ars oo
r Sn ",,. - t',.r tr 1ui,., anu "avo @ uJuu
0der1 ' ~, rnno,nIcni III r,,,,,",a u - ,hn
.'r..asnt' .fae,tnn ~, ,tair ,sn, sMei'
.int @ sSors ~ aa -a,.a,ns ,,ao ~. euaaam
,mcnt III n aimittn.i by o]l to ba fu,y in tn 1s"i
tilt, s,nars "I ~ ta a. -. .fe,,ann H. ~ s
H. t.taa. ue !. ~ . ,t'.,
,oa. a,, tro,y ~. a fone ia,; reis
.,,tnpsad ~ ~" tmt ,2 IN uhoiirrs
'nountsa , ~ sauo .1 Sntt fo., Ii s,n
,oaI ssie, asrrs H. aviu', IT.. I1.nt
-. ,tn ,ni,t;n 'oiylm,s t in,t rna
n,,,t. = ncayiinr mnrenrancs' lit imnartiu.s nj
most perfrct Rightly to thu tube. Tic Musars
Clarke trst applied ttlis u.uhc Of construction tt
the great Washington telescope; UNI their sllc
cess Ia tlat casc was 10 ereut that they now us'
it II, all their iurgu Instruments.
Tho telpscopo Il provided With Ave cyencccs
-eiying Ercat rpnro OF n.agufiyiilg power
'rhcre il aisn