The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-30
STARRY HEAVENS.
Camille Flammarion ON the Pro-
gress OF Astronomy.
is THE PLANET MARS INHABITEDs
10 succeed One Must be Bold, has Been the
Lesson Taught by Science-The
Great Telescopes.
Especial to TBr MISUNDERSTANDING pisnatob ,

Especial to TBE Observation-Disclosures DISPATCH
PARIS, Aug. 29.-[By cable to the New
York Herald. Camille Flammarion. the
astronomer, has written a long letter to the
Herald. In which ne says: 1.-The progress of
astronomy depends on two things, the in
struments and the men who use them. But
Tor Calico and his investigating. inouirino
and independent mind, the telescope in
vented before his time would have done
nothing towards the progress of the sci
ence, but on the other hand without that
invention Calico would not have discov
ered either the mountains in the moon nor
It's phases, nor the spots on the sun. nor
the stars in the milky way nor any other
of the great discoveries for which the
world is indebted to him. In one word. he
would not have transformed the science of
astronomy.
we are Just now traversing a great
epoch In the history of the science After
REMAINING statlOnary.duringm more than half
century, the science and art of optics are
az present making great and majestic
strldes forward. Three great telescopes
nave recently been successfully con
structed, the like OF which would have
seemed fantastic dream to our predeces-
sors. All three of them were constructed
IN 1856 The one at the observatory at Nice
mas free opening of "a centimetres and a
length OF Is metres. The second. at the
observatory of Boulkona, Russia, has the
same diameter, but somewhat smaller
opening, which by reason of the character
OF the mounting, only measures 20 cent?
metres, is a little shorter in focal distance
and In length 10 metres. The third at the
observatory OF Mount Hamilton, Califor-
Fowl &c oh
opening OF 81 centimetres and focal dis
lance and length of 10 metres. These mag
nlhcent instruments, we see from the very
TACT or their successful construction have
proved that it suffices to be bold in order to
succeed and have demonstrated that we
should not be satisfied with them, that it is
possible to go even further 1t is hardly
four years since the instruments of which
we have spoken were completed, and al
ready opticians are at work on a lens
greater tnan all three of these lenses, which
VIII nave diameter of more than 100
metres. The lens for the observatory of
Mount Hamilton measures So inches or 81
centemetres, of free aperture. Now lens
OF 40 inches or 100 metres diameter is de-
sired and IS being constructed. This OBJ
lecuve lens is composed, as every one
Knows, OF two lenses, one of flint, the other
OF crown glass, juxtaposed, mutually com
pleting each other by their optic properties.
producing as perfect achromatism as is pos
slble This objective lens is being made
for the university Of California, and the
observatory of Mount Wilson, not far
from Los Angeles, where Mr.. Pick
erlng has recently obtained some
excellent photographs of the moon.
Saturn and Mars. On one of these latter
a heavy fall of snow is perceived which in
twenty-four hours covered on the planet of
Mars an extent of surface as vast as the
area of the United States.
ut is easy 10 understand that men of in
telligence and feeling who understand the
true grandeur of humanity should take
deep interest In such progress as this We
nave right to be impatient and feel keenly
Astronomers are in the position of Moses
when ne was within sight of the promised
land. For example, we have Mars before
our eyes. Observations made thus far lead
US to think that this planet must be inhabit-
ed the same as is our own and perhaps even
better inhabited. We see in it continents.
seas, coasts, capes, bays, rivers, waters.
SHOWS and clouds. We witness all the
effects produced by the seasons. We see
distinctly rectllinear lines extending from
seas to seas. and putting them in com
municatlon which seem to be canals 1t
has even been thought that brilliant points.
economically arranged, have been observed
which may be intended as signals from that
planet to ours. Well, now, If that objective
lens OF 40 inches is cast and successfully
completed new and gigantic stride for
ward can be made.
lit is now no longer anything more than
question of money to construct an
equatorial telescope with diameter of 1
metre and 30 centemetres and a length of
% metres manoeuvered in cupola larger
than that of the Paris Pantheon and with
a magnifying power of four or even five
thousand fold Such telescope will en-
able us to see for the first time the seven
teenth magnitude stars which must be
scattered over the depth of heaven in a car
pet of 16,000,0 900 stars while the moon will
be brought, so to speak, within touching
distance