The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-16
CHICAGO's BIG TELESCOPE.
The Plans Adopted d for Erecting the Dea'
born Observatory at Evanston.

The flanS AOOpCo u IoT CIcSt1uS sho Do]A'
born Observatory at Evanston.
(From the Chicago Herald.)
A Joint committee representing the
Chicago Astronomical Society and the
Northwestern University was busy at
Evanston all Saturday after1oon exami-
ming plans and proposed locations on
which to erect the Dearborn Observatory,
in which is to be placed the big telescope
formerly located at the Chicago Univer-
sity. The society was represented by
DR.. b. A. johnson, Professor Mixed, j.
Young Scammon. Professor Hough, Pro
fessor Colbert being absent, while the
committee for the university was Presi-
dent Cummings. J. B, Hobbs. Orring-
ton Lunt, Professor r. D. Sheppard and
DR.. Bonbright. After examing the
different sites the committee agreed to
ocate the observatory at point on the
bluffs about four hundred feet north OF
the Swedish Seminary, and about mid
way between Chicago avenue and the
lake. The observatory will be about two
hundred and fifty feet from the beach,
experiments made by Professor Hough
having demonstrated that the waves
make no impression at that distance, even
in the severest storms. The plans sub
mitted by Cobb & Frost were adopted
as a whole, the details of the construct
ion being left to a committee consisting
of President Cummings, j. B. Hobbs, j.
Y. Scammon and Professor Elias Colbert.
Mr.. Hobbs has donated the sum OF
S25, 900, and at least that amount will be
spent on the observatory building. The
only matter of detail left undecided was
as to whether Warner & Swazey dome,
costing $500, or Breeder dome, at
81, 500, should be erected.
The former dome weighs $4,000
pounds, and is guaranteed to move under
a pressure OF only 35 pounds. The plan
as adopted provide for building 79x65
feet, facing to the west. The dome room
is 81 feet in diameter on the inside. In
the center of this is the central pier on
which the telescope is placed, with a
diameter of Is feet at the base and 10
feet at the top, and entirely disconnected
from the exterior walls and the floors.
The pier will be 30 feet above the grade,
as compared with 66 feet in the old struc-
ture. The observer will be placed 27
feet above the ground, and the top of
the dome will be sbout 45 feet, the tele-
scope rising IA feet 10 inches above the
floor. The old capstones will be used
in the new observatory. The meridian
circle room will have southern expo
sure, IS is necessary, and its inside
dimensions will be 25x3S feet. Here
will be placed the instruments for furnish
ing true time to the city. Professor
Hough is now doing this work by tele,
graph from Temporary building on the
campus. There will also be library
2Sx3O feet inside and room of similar
dimensions over it, in addition to five
large working rooms. It will take at
least six months after the contracts are
let to finish the dome, which will be OF
iron and steel, but the work will be
pushed forward as rapidly as possible.
The telescope is one of the largest In the
world, and by the end Of November Chi
cago will have an observatory worthy OF
the big refractor. The name Of Dear
born Observatory will be retained.