The Portland daily press., 1886-09-21
THE LICK TELESCOPE
The Best Observatory In the World on
Mount Hamilton, California.
Prof. Edward S. Holden.


Mount Hamilton, California.
Prof Edward S. Holden.
The observatory for which Mr. James Lick
gave 100000 in 1875 is now nearly complet-
ed, and another year will bring it to its final
state. Sometime during 1887 the Lick trus-
tees expect to transfer to the Regents of the
University of California the reservation of
1000 acres with the small village which has
grown up upon it since the beginning of the
undertaking. The little white houses and
workshops which have been used for the ac-
commodation of the employees are nestled to-
gether on q narrow saddle just below the
Observatory Peak proper. They have grown
by process of accretion from the original
one-room cabin which was put up in 1879. At
that time the observatory itself was a small
dome some ten feet in diameter, perched in
securely on a narrow ridge between two
sharp points of rock at the summit. This
little dome covered six-inch equatorial
belonging to Mr.. Burnham, the distin-
guished observer of double Stars. Mr..
Burnham was invited by the Lick trustees
to bring his telescope from Chicago and to
| observe double stars for several months at
Mount Hamilton, in order to prove the SUI
| periority of this elevated mountain peak for
astronomical purposes over less elevated po-
| sitions in the interior Experience showed
| in the most satisfactory manner that the site
| chosen for the Lick Observatory was most
| fortunate one. Not only are three-fourths of
| the year uninterruptedly clear; but the
| SteadinesS of vision, the absence of twink
| ing of the stars allows the most delicate and
most precise observations to be made in far
greater number than at any other observa-
tory site in the United States or in the
world.
The observatory and astronomical science
owe much to the President Of the Lick trus-
tees-Capt. r. s. Floyd-for his direction of
| this immense undertaking. Capt Floyd,
| whose education at the United States Naval
| Academy and subsequent service on the
| Confederate cruiser Florida familiariZed him
( with the nautical side of astronomy, was for
| tunately so situated that he could give his
whole time to the complicated duties OF the
| After Mr. Burnham's examination had
shown that Mount Hamilton was eminently
fitted to be the site of an observatory of the
to Mr.. Lick's bequest. ''the most powerful
telescope in the world" work was begun in
real earnest and has been continued in the
same earnestness up to today.
Seven years ago there was only a trail over
the mountain, which was unvisited except
by hunters. Now there are strong, low
buildings all around full of beautiful instru-
| ments which represent the very finest and
| most delicate mechanical conceptions. And
| all these have been brought from various
| parts of the world and have met and fitted
| together with perfect precision. The clocks
| from Amsterdam and London are side by
side with meridian instruments from Ham
| burg and Washington.
| One thing is especially interesting in this.
| The object glass of each of the telescopes
| that part which is peculiarly the result of
| the highest degree OF mechanical and artistic
| skill-is from the shop of Alvin Clark in
| Cambridgeport, Mass. 1t is from the Clarks
that the large object glasses come which are
| mounted In the great telescopes OF Chicago
| eighteen inches; Princeton twenty-three
inches; Washington twenty-six inches);
six inch collective Of the Lick Observatory
| will also be made by the same skillful hands.
This objective will have an important adj
vantage over the Others, apart from the two
capital advantages of its elevated situation
and its superior size. Like them it will
have two lenses, crown and flint, which
will together bring the rays by which we see
to focus, so that as seeing telescope it is
their superior. But it will also have third
| Crown lens which can be placed in front of
| land close against the other two, SO that the
three will bring the rays by which we photo
graph to single focus. Thus the great
telescope can at will be turned into great
camera, and the painful micrometric meas
tive positions of stars and planets can in
many cases be replaced by photographs
which give permanent and automatic records
of these positions.
There Is no question but that the large
telescope with its two detectives in its abso-
| lutely perfect site is the most important as
Economical instrument in the world. Mr..
Lick's desire has been fulfilled so far, and
more than fulfilled. But an instrument is
nothing but splendid monument-to more
than one man-without intelligent use. We
do not intend to point at this telescope and
say it is the largest in the world, but it will
be our effort to make it the most useful.
Mr.. Lick's bequest for the observatory was
$780, of which some $1,000 will remain
after the observatory is completed. The
income from this sum must support the OBJ
whole plan Of the observatory has been
made with direct reference to keeping its
running expenses low, it is clear that
the company of astronomers will have to be
kept small-far too small to utilize the in
struments to the full. 1t would require a
staff of at least ten astronomers to return the
full results from the beautiful outfit, and at
present not more than three can be employed.
The work of these must be concentrated on
the large equatorial, and even then their en-
ergies will not be sufficient to utilize every
moment. We do not mean to jealousy guard
the immense scientific opportunity for our
selves, for California, or even for the United
States. The real gift of Mr.. Lick was to the
at the disposition of the world by inviting
its most distinguished astronomers to visit
us, one at a. time; and to give to them the
use Of the instrument during certain specific
hours Of the twenty-four.
The instruments are all necessary and
they are all mounted in the most perfect
manner. This is especially true of the great
equatorial. The objective itselfis unequalled.
will add $4,000 to this. The mounting which
is to carry the tube Of nearly sixty feet in
length has been studied in every detail by the |
contractors, Messrs. Warner u Swasey of |
Cleveland. believe this mounting, which |
they are to make and deliver for $4,000, will |
be at least equal to the best European mount |
ings 1t costs S15, 900 less and is to be de- |
livered in one-thrd of the time The dome |
of seventy feet interior diameter will be built |
by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, |
ally better than any now made. The compu-
tations for the dome were made by Professor |
Bull, of Madison, Wis, and many important |
addition. have been made by. the contractors |
and by Mr.. Fraser. The chief novelty will |
be the adoption of Mr.. Grubb's ingenious |
plan for placing the observer in proper po- |
sition with reference to his telescope. We |
have to recollect that the eye-picce of the |
base of the dome when the telescope is point
ed to the zenith, or it may be thirty-fve feet
in the horizontal position. The ordinary OBJ
serving chair, which is convenient enough !
when 1t Is not more imam sixteen 1eeG nlgil,
becomes cumbrouS and inconvenient af-
fair when it is extended to thirty-hve feet.
Mr.. Grub proposed to remedy this by rails
ing the whole floor of the dome like an ele,,
vator to the proper height. The details of
this proposal were not worked out by Mr..
Grub. but by Mr.. Dickie, the superinten-
dent OF the Union Iron Works, and Captain
Floyd, the president of the Lick trustees.
They have completely solved the problem.
The whole floor will be raised vertically
i. of aix nd nna ho1 Nv |
hydraulic rams, and the ascent is made in
four minutes with perfectly parallel mo-
ton.
The Lick trustees have engaged Mr.. James
E. Keller, for long time assistant to Pro-
fessor Langley, as astronomer; and have in
vited Professor Comstock, formerly of the
Washburn Observatory and now professor of
astronomy at the Ohio State University, to
the new meridian circle. In
few days the observatory will begin giving
Ii alc thu ,athnln S1stpna of the