Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-10-14

Jupiter ~ fackuEs Amon&h -
les, the prime mover Of our expedi'
iion.
Aptsal despatched 10 Admiral 70
gers. brought kind and genial re-
uosse from one Of his naval lieuienantA
granting ne two permits one Tor slst
+ s;eht oT .he fwenly-seventh, and anotS.
er for the ihirlielh, % that We could
divide our party for The two nights. u
course, your humble correspondent was
present On both occasions.
we started with great deal Of mer-
rirnent and chstseT, and hailed The iiFsi
pasring street car thai would take u
near the Observatory.
After leaving the cars, we bad to
stumble up dark street leading 70
Hill. on the summit Of which II i situa-
ted .
There il nothing commanding or ct
tractive about The building, but u in
nresses one with sense OF its utility.
I've were mol awed into beating re-
treat. but valianfly scrambled MP the
hill. passed through The sree-shaded av-
enue and trooped into the ball, taking
possession Of Il and the side-rooms.
No lieutenant was to be seen--not
even watchman guarded the apparent
Nv deserted rooms. There were signs
Of life, and yet suspension OF anima-
ton. We wondered live would end
some sleeping astronomer whose sem
SEES had been spelled By fatigue; bal
met with no such spectacle, though we
passed ON 20 the library. which Is wels
worthy Oh study. continuing sixteen
thousand volumes on astronomy and
some oi them are very rare. Here we
disposed ourselves comfortably Ill .
watchman did come, and told Us that,
though the evening was very unlavora-
BILE, We might possibly have . view OF
the august wanGerer which had moved
us 10 that spot. So we followed nlmbly
IN The stairs to the dome, Entering
through q trap-door in the floor, we
stood beneath the telescope. THIS
was not the great equatorial, but one
used for visitors who have no passes
from congressman. Underneath an
ether dome, which we could see by
looking down from our loftier height,
rested our mammoth refractor---the
largest IN NE world of its kind-there
being two inches difference In aperture
in favor of the great equatorial as COM
pared with the Craig telescope on
Wandsworth Common in England. But
our smaller instrument was already
poised towards Jupiter, seeking TO pierce
The haze. Alas the clouds dritted
higher and higher. and fieecy, prosck-
ing cat stall curled over his disc--a veil,
:ransparent--yet battling. We stepped
from the dome 10 a platform surround
Ing il, and saw us in a panorama,
spread before US our sleeping CITY,
What a view! with here tower--a
spire.--dome-and there the waters
OF the Polomac-over ell floating the
strange light veil OF night. We saw
the streets and evenues, guarded by
tall, spectral houses: but through The
gloom twinkled and glowed mundane
Street lamps whose brilliancy seemedto
breathe o voiceless reproach tothe faded
beauties OF the sky, five could only d.
vest our minds from the connection OF
gass.
1t made me think Of the feast of
Candles ut Sais, hundreds of years be.
tore our time, when every house and
tree elittered with its own and reflected
light. Those solemn, old Egyptians
knew how 10 do things in grand style;
but 7 thanked God, suppose in Phari-
saicaI terms, that was q unit of our
Yankee nation, and much preferred gag
ing from my lieshly body at our insignif-
cant display, to even being one OF Bel
zonies' celebrated. mummies, who per-
haps had had the exquisite delight OF
witnessing some of those gorgeous
feasis in honor Of Meth. Raising our
ewes To the sky, we saw that there was
no help Tor Us; those battling masses DIVA
por were irresistible, no observations
could be made that night. Slowly and
sadly we wendell GU. way homeward.
Shortly eiter we entered The street
car, a gentleman walked briskly in and
seated himself by man, who had not
before attracted our attention, but no
sooner was the officer seated than be
turned 10 him eagerly and began--''I
say, are you captaini" the gentleman
looked surprised but said, mo, very
goodnasuredly. "Arn't you major 7"
ssNo," with a shake OF the head. "A
generals" s'I'm colonel" 81 thought
20, old fellow, I'm o general myself.
maybe you have heard Of me-" All
the passengers in the car BY this tune
wese smiling and wondering at the OIL
eer's goodnature. sNoi" in great aston
ishment. "Vell, you must have known
some Of my friends--I say-dld you
know general Hookeri' shake Of the
head. "General Meade ~ sGeneral-
General Sherman I" "Ycs know him
we'll" "Y-e-e-s, DO You know--suow
General Grant great friend Of mine,
used 10 70 10 school with him." No
reply, and how long the gentleman en-
dured this annoyance DO not know,
for We changed cars and len The pleas
Ing duo.
Our second visit 10 the Observatory
was more successful. Saturn, with his
wonderful rings aud four Of bis moons.
swept across our telescope field. As
we gaxed with wonderIngawe ID mighty
worlds rolling through abysmal depths.
We almost iancied We could hear the
wonderous. Ginning music Of the
spheresl Saturn i In perihelion in
1885. Astronomical epochs, determ-
ined By The conjunction opposition, and
penheIia Of stars. are periods In which
unusual phenomena occur and many
-~..aa ..s~~u..a - - that 9hn lend nf all