The New York herald., 1879-02-24
THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
Efforts to Secure a New Site for an
Important Institution.
BURIED IN A SWAMP.
Sanitary, Scientific and Economic Ad-
vantages Of Change.
BURIED IN A SWAMP.
AN INTERESTING HISTORY.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

fear that the much needed change OF its location
will not be effected this year. The best future sue
cess of the institution is universally conceded to be
dependent change. 1t is looked for with much
interest by astronomers at home and abroad. The
best astronomical work no longer be done under
tho malarious influences affecting every one of
its ofhcors and employees.
HISTORY THE OBSERVATORY.
The Observatory has . curious history. It may be
said to have been honorably smuggled into "lseser-
walton No ~ for Congress by the bill of 1912 Gre
sted there only depot of charts and Instruments
BY one of the strangest political freaks and contra
dictons in the very session, when they refused
Mr. Adams bill for observatory, they passed
without discussion this bill for q depot upon re.
port from Mr.. Mallory which recommended astro-
nomicai. magnetic and meteorological observations.
Secretary Hcnshaw. then. to his honor be It stated
informed them at their next session that lit
proper to remark that the building had been adapted
in form and structure for astronomical observa-
tory" So the recommendations Of Lambert of Vir.
einia of 1910; the special report Of Secretary Mon
roe in 1912; the bill introduced into the House by
Dr. Mitchell and Mr.. Calhoun. in 1915, and the well
known recommendations of President Adams, in
1925. with his eloquent appeal. renewed in 1885,
suited in the Of thirty years. in the creation
Of "The Depot"
Astronomical observations begun in it in 1874
and the charts and instruments were also furnished
from it until the organization of the photographic
Office in 1865. Since that date the work of the
Observatory has been chiefly astronomical the care
of the chronometers and the communication of time
to the city, and of late to other cites continuing to
be part also Of its duties.
II is claimed as tho child of the navy for Secretary
Branch and Commodore John Rodgers and Commo-
tore Morris. of the Board Of Navy Commissioners
urged Its establishment far back 1880, for the
objects "of uniting enterprise and efforts with
those of other enlightened countries in advancing
generally the service Of astronomy, amending the
theories of the heavenly phenomena and furnishing
annually to navel and commercial interests
correct ephemeris. upon the accuracy of which de-
pend so much the safety OF our commerce and the
lives Of our seamen."
Then again, the first practical work Of astronom-
ca character begun in Washington was the erection
by the late Admiral (then Lieutenant Goldsborough.
Wilkes removed this embryo depot to site 1000
feet north of the Capitol and there Gliss in his little
wooden building ten feet by six made such valuable
observations and aferward interested Preston by
| his paper Eucke's comet, that Preston pushed
through the Souate the almost hopeless bill for the
new depot Since the erection Of the Observatory by
Glliss in 1884, the supcrintendents, Maury Gillss,
line as oficers specially qualified and Of late years
those OF high rank; and the astronomers and those
charged with the care of the chronometers &C.. have
| been also commissioned officers of the navy In
1slS the name or 1.-The United States Naval Observe
tory was substituted for "National by order of the
always been under the control of the Navy Depart
ment and conducted by its officers, its reputa-
| ton being the property Of the navy.
THE PRESENT AND BUILDINGS.
The law of 1912 authorizing the President to locate
tho depot on any public ground not otherwise np-
propriated Tyler placed it on Reservation No. "A
commissioners Of 1896 as the site OF his favorto
National University in place of their proposed fort
| nd q interest.
for Braddock. In 1855, on his way to Fort Duquesne.
| dria to join him. landed ut the rock which is
still fdentifed within this reservation In 1914
| regiments of militia were camped here before going
mako safe their retreat while leaving the public
buildings to the flames and Madison to his horseback
flight But the historic OF this reservation. long ago
| merged within the scientific and astronomical. may
now we'll enough disappear in the utitarian and
sanitsrian necessities OF the capital. On the site
named which contains about seventeen Of land,
Lieuenan Gliss in 1874. erected. with the limited
appropriation Of that year. the main building Of tho
now known as '.the smaller equatorial" To this
| building additions have been made in different
| years. as required by the expansion of astronom
icai work ard so far us permitted by appropriations
granted by Congress. To-day the visitor to the OBJ
servstory enters within series OF buildings in
sadly dilapdatcd state. II should not be forgotten
| that the circumstances just named under which the
extensions have been made have prevented that unity
perence in the construction of observatoros which
essential to tho highest and which havo
present 6uper1n-
tendcnt and professors in their plans for now
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TOWARD A REMOVAL.
Two years ago Admiral Rodgers, on taking charge
OF tho Observatory reported to the Secretary of tho
Navy that the mslarious influences surrounding it
| were notorious and that from May TO about the
middle of October the officers whose services were
necessarily in the Observatory Mt night, paid the
penalty i'm impaired health and diminished efficiency
The logs which arise from the river. driven by the
| prevailing winds. float above the instruments and
] lessen their uscfulncss."
IT.. 10 1f H<SH
Survey which has been already named in which they
also recommend the removal of the observatory "to
| Americans tske just pride could he developed ON
scale which ~ merits and importance demand" and
ent building from its very dilapidstcd condition
might be avoided by removal to less Objectionable
place.
at rest f ever existed, by the certificates unhesi
tstingy offered from the Naval Surgeons Clyiner.
| Maxwell and Wales and tho city physicians, Tyler,
Ha,tncr and Garnett. who had attended at different
periods the officials of the Observatory in their sick
| nessce. Clymer certified that Glss' sudden death
was largely due to the malaria. Garnctt made the
certificate to the death of Assistant Astrono-
Ferguson and Hngner ms to the loss Of Admiral
Davis II is enough, surely 10 add to these sad
the name of Professor Hubbard one of the brightest
astronomers ever at the Observatory; of Professor
Pendioton. dying AZ suddenly Gilliss and OF As
sistAnt Springer. robust man until he took up his
\ quarters near the Observatory. Not an oiicer or
notinced 20 bo malaria Of some form.
In reference 70 tho better development Of the OBJ
servatory in q new location Professor Newcomb says
that tho present building s entirely inadequate to
| the wants Of a national establishment and its
architecture Is such that 10 cannot bc properly
largcd He calls attention TO the fact that the great Rus
stan Observatory at PuIkova costs s44o0OO and that
| the Austrian government is now erecting a new OBJ
| scrvatory on as largo scale, while the recent i'm
provcments in the art OF observatory construction
would enable us TO build an establishment as efficient
| as either OF these at q much less cost.
| REPORT or THE COMMISSION.
| The prompt action Of the superintendent In COM
municating the facts just named to the honorable
Secretary Of tho Navy responded TO by tho rec
ommcndation in his report OF 1877 for removal OF
| the Observatory, and Congress- by the act of juno
90 1873, appointed an able commission, composed Of
| Admiral Apimcn, General Barnard and Mr. Leonard
whitney, 10 select site possessing the advantages
of hcsthfulncss. clearncss Of atmosphere and con-
| vcnicnce Of access from Washington. Their report.
given In full in tho late report of the Secretary OF tho
| Navy, makes choice Of site on the heights above
Georgetown. In accordance with this. Senator ser-
gents bill. from the Naval Committee approprintcs
$4,000 for the purchase of grounds, and $lt0,0OO
: ! far n c1rnaf Qlascrxatarr