Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-03
THE GREAr TEL ESCOPE,
Arrangement for shipping the
$4,000 Lenses.
From the BoStor Trdascript.

FROM CI6 OoSG"Fl IfG16cfHpf.
The two great lenses for the Lick tele-
scope, on which the Messrs. Clark of
Cambridge have been so long at work.
are now practically completed, and will
soon be sent to their destination. The
plan adopted for shipping the double
lens, worked out by Capt. Frazer, Is as
follows: The two glasses will first be
wrapped separately in fifteen or twenty
thicknesses OF cloth drawn very tight.
The cloth will Ue cotton, and In order TO
make it soft ana perfectly free from grit
it will be washed many times and thor
oughy beaten. Next to the cloth will
come thick layer OF cotton batting and
then a layer Of paper. A box made
of wood and linen with felt
will contain the glasses when so
prepared, the felt lining of the box com
ing next to the paper. The lenses with
their covering will be packed tightly in
this box. The shape of this box will con-
form to the shape of the lenses. The felt
will be attached with glue, so that no
nails will be anywhere near the glass.
Outside of this wooden box and inclOsng
| it Will be a strong steel box about the
| shape of a cube. The wooden box Will be
tightly packed into the steel box with
cured hair. 10 inclose this steel box will
be still another steel box or chest, and the
| inner steel box will be kept from touch
ing it by large number of spiral springs
covering the whole interior of the outer
steel chest. This outer chest will be
packed with asbestos, to render
lU fre-prool, and both of the
steel boxes will be made alright
and waterproof. The outer chest Will
be suspended by pivots in a strong
wooden frame, and contrivance has been
| fcr
around every day during its progress 10
| California. This is TO prevent any mole
cular disarrangement in the glass and
avoid the danger OF polarization, 1t beng
! feared that the Earring OF the train viii
| disturb the present arrangement OF the
molecules unless the position OF the glass
! is daily changed and all lines of disturb
ance thus broken up. The glass Will be
insured for its iull value-or rather its
| cost-S5I, 900, and all the precautions
mentioned are taken to prevent any acct
dent to it. 1t would probably be lnpossi-
Bile to replace 1t, as Fell, who cast IL, and
| the elder Clark, who ground 1t, are Ooth
! old men. The glass will be shipped by
! express.
There is something almost romantic in
! the design ana construction OF the mon
ster Lick telescope. Being The greatest
work of the kind ever undertaken; pre-
|
been encountered; inviting and suffering
! drawbacks and Disasters that seemed 10 be
sufficient to stagger the most PERSISTENT
and paInstakinC skill; watched rom day
to day by a whole world OF anxious OBJ
servers; lowered over and caress q by the
/ united wisdom OF Ct sration-the lens
/ has come into the word with It's great cy.
clop, al eye ready to pierce the mysteries
! of the heavens. Capt. Thomas Fraser,
| ~ In n -
| nisnes some hitherto unpublished and
! highly Interesting information concern
| inv rhe grinding OF the crown-glass lens,
| and the plan adopted for transporting II
! from Cambrdgeport, Mass, to san
! lose. On the subject of tue grinding, be
saws that the closest measurement at
command was the ll0,OOOth part OF an
inch; but IN grinding the great lens u was
dIscovered that even this lDliniteslmal
fraction was too large. A still finer meas.
urement was required in reducing the
leus in mum berless places 10 thickness
Itself uneunal) that would exactly con-
csntrate parallel rays OF light filing
circle three feet In diameter TO a point
little larger than pin. In order 10 reduce
tbe fine measurement already at command
the following ingenious ARRANGEMENT WAS
employed by Alyan Clark & Sons, makers
of the lens: A gas jet was placed before
n mirror, WnlCH eeub .nO 10Y
through a telescope TO the great lens, thus
ma0nIiying the rays. The magnihed
iight, passing through the great leus, was
stiU further Immensely magnined, ana
after having passed through TINS lens.
Il was observed through second teie-
scope and thus iurtner magnitied. In tnls
way the least failure OF the great lens 10
concentrate perfectly was detected, ana
there was also determined the amount "
giass In il. at any given point, that had to
Hn ground off in order to secure perfect
focus. Thus a measurement OF the 2'OOo'.
0OOth part OF an inch was secui ed. IL
took very little grinding to remove 80
small thickness Of glass from given
point, gentle rubbing with the thumb
being sufficient, as the glass Is softer thah
common window glass.
See beautiful advertising cartoon on
,k.r. ,,nva nowt WfdnaedQy.