Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1881-04-12
The Virginia Observatory.
THE MONEY RAISED FOR THE M'CoRMIcK
TELESCOPE BUMDNG-REJoIcING
AA OVER THE EVENT.

A dispatch from the University Of
Va, dated April 2, says:
"The Mccormick telescope. Vanderbilt
observatory and the endowment of the
chair Of astronomy have been secured
beyond doubt. The announcement
was received here with great JOY and en-
thusiasm. A large number of The stu
dents went to Col. Yenable's house and
congratulated him on the success Of his
efforts. The Colonel thanked them most
cordially FOR the great interest they had
always manifested in this enterprise and
for offering to contribute from their
pockets, money toward securing it. His
statement that the necessary amount had
been Iaised elected great applause"
Prof. Smith, proctor of Virginia, gave
the following description Of the McCor-
mick telescope, which Is a gift TO the
university ffom Mr.. Lcander McCor-
mick, OF Chicago, but native of Rock
inghan Co., Va:
"The Mccormick telescope has an OBJ
.ject glass reported to be twenty-siX and
quarter inches in clear diameter, and
thirty-thrce feet in local length. This
object glass alone, made by Mess. Akin
Clarke d Sons, Of Cambridge, Mass, out
Of material procured from Mess. Chance
Bro. * Co., Of Birmingham, Is under
stood to Inyc been VALUED Nt $4,000.
The masnifying power Of this telescope.
like ihat of all telescopes, will depend
upon and vary with lha particular eye
glass' used with the great objective
OF these eyeglasses or cye-picces the
telescope will be furnished with con-
siderable number. The great telescope
completed in 1873 by the same celcbrat-
ed makers, Clark q Sons, for the United
States government, Dust before they be-
gan the construction Of the Mccormick
Instrument possesses nineteen cyc-pieC-
es, giving magnilyng powers ranging
from 100 to 1892 diamoter. These eye
pieces are Of comparatively slight eX-
pense, and may be multiplied at pleas
urc. The highest magnifying power
which can be usefuly employed is prob
ably not more than 1900 diamcters, and
this Is available only for certain classes
of observations and under highly favor
able atmospheric conditions. If the
great telescope were directed upon the
moon, with nlagjfying power Of $500
diamcters, 1t would be equivalent, so far
as mere enlargement is concerned, to
bring that luminary within nincty-siX
miles Of us.
"rhe space-penetrating power of the
Mccormick telescope, If estimated by
the ordinary rule, is 1871. That is to say
the faintest star visible to the naked eye
would still be visible if the star were re-
moved to l3l times It's present distance.
According to the received computation,
light would require more than eighteen
thousand years TO come 10 us from the
faintest star visible through the McCor-
mick telescope. ItwOuld, however, re-
veal nebulH which are far more distant
than such star. II is the largest re-
fracting telescope now completed in the
world. The only two others which are
near its size are the 25-inch reiractors
made for the private conservatory Of Mr..
Newell, of Gatcshead, England, by Mess.
Cook g. Sonsof New York, (Which Ia be-
lieved to be in other respects inferior to
the Mccormick instrumcnt,) and the
the splendid 2G-inch rcirNctor already
mentioned AS having been made in 1873
by Messrs. Clark & Sons for the United
States government This Instrument Is
now mounted at the naval observatory at
Washington"