Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-07
TIHE LICK OBSERVATORY
Mount Hamilton and the Road to Its
Ss.HsDait-Ehe Buildings Rnd the Pre-
sent EQufpuiaens--A Telescope with an
tsycct Glass Of 1hirt y-six Inches 70
be Made,

tEHE0tssQn
SssHsmit-The Buildings hnd the Pre-
sent E4ufpIaens--A Telescope with an
Object GLASS Of 1hirt y-six Inches TO
be Made.
From the New York Post.
In December, 1874, Mr.. James Lick deter.
mined to erect 1.-The most powerful telescope in
the world" somewhere within the boundaries
Of California, his adopted state. Various sites
were proposed and considered. the first being
Observatory Point on Lake Tahoe, which was
soon abandoned on account of the severity OF the
winters at this place and especially on account
OF the great snowfall. Mr.. Lica's original idea
WAS somewhat crude and uniformed, but it took
shape after consultation by letter and otherwise
with various men of science in the east and else
where, and also with gentlemen OF scientific
tastes in California. Monte Diablo 1856 feet
high) Mount Helena (4 ,343 feet high) and other
points were successfully proposed aud, after
examination, rejected. Finally, Mr.. Lick sent
Captain Fraser, his man of business, to examine
Mount Hamilton q. 40 ieet), an easily access-
bic peak s0ne thirteen miles east of San Jose. in
Santa Clara county. The first examination was
made by Captain Fraser, In August, 1875.
In most respects this site was found to be sat
isfactory. but the chief objections to it were inn
pOSant if not vital. The cost OF constructing a
road to the summit would certainly be very
great and the summit itself was sharp point of
very hard trap rock. To make a level space
here for the reception of the necessary buildings
would be serious matter. Finally, no water
was known anywhere near the summit. The
last objection was disposed Of by the discovery
OF two springs, only 1900 feet distant from the
summit aud 800 feet below it. Mr.. Lick then
announced that If Santa Clara county would
build a suitable road connecting San Jose with
the top OF the iaountain he would establish and
suitably endow an observatory on Mount Ham
iiton. After various changes in his plans Mr.
Lick made deed of trust (daEed September 81
1870, which gave very large amount of real
and personal property to five trustees to be by
them expended for various purposes. The OBJ
sefVatofy was provided for as follows: The trus-
tees as we we're authorized to expend the sum of
300 ,OOO for the purchase of the necessary land
and for putting up on that land "a powerful
telescope, superior to aud more powerful than
any telescope ever yet made" with the neces-
sary machinery, etc. land also suitable Oh
servatory connected Herewith" As soon as
these objects are satisfactorily accomplished,
the observatory is to be turned over to the Re-
gents Of the University Of California, to become
department of the University. and any surplus
lett over after paying for the land and Observa-
tory is to be invested in safe bonds. The income
from these bonds is to be devoted to the main
tainance OF the said telescope and of the obser-
Vat0ry connected herewith, and shall be made
useful in promoting science"
grant OF land was obtained from the United
States; the proposition of Mr. Lick to Santa
Clara county was accepted, and the road to the
top OF Mount Hamilton was built during 1876
1t was formally accepted by the trustees in JAN
uary. 1877. 1t is now maintained by Santa Clara
county as county road and it is quite likely
that it will soon be extended by Alameda county
over the range into the San Joaquin valley
Probably no more magnificent mountain road
exists in the United States when one considers
all the circumstances of fine surrounding scenery,
excellent road-bed, and commanding views.
Some idea of the engineering difficulties over
come can be had from the cost Of constructing
this highway twenty-six miles into the heart Of
the mountains. and with rise of 600 feet in
twenty-five miles. Such project would appall
the average county surveyor of New England,
but it was here accomplished at the large cost of
$7S,0O
The maximum grade is feet inches in 100
feet, or about 343 feet in the mile. Most Of the
road, however, is materially less steep than this
The nrst four miles is a fine level avenue, laid
out IN perfectly strai@htlinc in the Santa Clara
valley The ascent of the foothills is then COM
menced, and the road begins a series Of turn
ings and twistings which are of course necessary
to keep the gradient low. Toward the end Of
the route the road winds round and round the
mountain Itself and OverloOks one OF the most
picturesque OF scenes: the valley Of Santa Clara
and the coast range to the west, bit OF the Pa
ciiic to the southwest, the Sierra Neyadas with
countless ranges between, to the southeast the
east While to the north on clear days you plainly
see Mount Shasta coo feetl, 175 miles away
The bay OF San Francisco lies open before YOU
IKE childs dssecting map. and at the end Of
IL iamapa!s, the mountain near the entrance to
the Golden Gate. -----~
Mount Hamilton has, properly speaking, three
submits. The east peak is 4.4I0 feet, the mid
Ole peak is 1850 feet. and the third. the Ohser-
vatory peak Originally 4,2J6 feet). has been cut
down 10 a level surface just large enough to
Dtliy ftfa Jr,il, Il;
nients. The dwelling house and workshops are
On narrow saddle some fifty feet below the
summit. TO gain the level surface some twenty
nine feet of rock has been removed from the
peak; in all about 00o0 tons. A level site is
thus provided and this ia perfectly accessible
from san Jose. With n light wagon one NAV
frot the horses all the way. The springs have
also been connected with 'the hill as it is
called by the inhabitants, by a good road along
which water pipe is laid These springs yield
$50 gallons per day in the dryest time aud in the
wet season as much as 5000 gallons per day.
Thus very serious problem is solved
The decision OF the general plans for the OBJ
seryatory has fallen largely to the president of
the Lick trustees, Captain r. s. Floyd. He has
given to these questions an amount of time
which few persons could possibly bestow on a
matter outside OF ordinary professional life.
Since 1876 he has personally visited most of the
observatories of Europe and America and has
correspondent with astronomers all over the
gether with Professors NewcOmb and Holden
of the Naval Observatory, he prepared series
of drawings from which the observatory was to
be built. and ordered the first of the mstru-
ments. The general plan of the observatory is
to give the place of honor to the large dome
(some Is feet in diameter.) This is to contain
refracting telescope by Alvan Clark & Sons. of
Catnbr.dgeport who have made not only the
largest. but the best telescopes in the world.
Their first telescopes were six inches in
aperture and of exquisite definition With
out losing in precision, they have successive
~ made object glasses OF 81 9]a. IL. 15]S, fSL
rs, and ~ inches. They are now engaged on an
objective of 30 inches for the Russian govern
ment; and will soon commence the Lick tee-
scope of 81 inches aperture, for which they have
served SO magnificent an apprenticeship. This
Is to occupy the whole of the south end of the
plateau of the summit. At the northwest cor
ner stands dome Completed in November
1881 which contains a 12-inch telescope by
Avian Clark, one of his very finest. Connecting
the two domes is to be one-story building, con-
tanning clock room, workshops, a library,
offices, and bedrooms for observers. transit
house OF iron Completed in 18Sl) stands
few feet east of the smaller dome. and lust
south of this is the ph0to-heliograph, with it's
house. few feet east of this the sx-inch me-
ridan circle (by Repsold, of Hamburg) is to