Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-18
THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
The New Marble Buildings toShelter
Astronomers and Telescopes.
Description of the Structures Now Going
Up on the Site Purchased Near George
town-Naking Provision for a Gen.
tury's Growth-The Old Observatory.

The traveller along High street in Georgetown
looking north ward may. a. this time of the year.
when the trees are bare and the outlook is un-
impeded. obtain glance here and there ds he
passes of a white spot amid the brownish green
of the limbs and trunks of the surrounding
oaks. At first it is but blur, the details being
lost in the distance of about half a mile. A
little closer scrutiny, however, will reveal the
outlines OF beautiful white marble
structure of rather small dimensions but
exquisite proportions. II is unfinished
and the ground round about is
strewn with boxes and barrels and huge blocks
OF white stone. This building is the center of
the new naval observatory and clustered around
several other buildings. its satellites. II is
here that the scientific spirit of the great equa
tOrlal telescope Will have Its home peering out
into the heavenly seas with its great, unwnking
eve searching for new worlds. just now the
building is somewhat deceptive in appearance,
for 1t still lacks the great dome that will pro-
tect the precious instrument from damage by
the elements. 1t Is the dome that gives a
peculiar character to the field of view around
an observatory. peculiar. plethorlc, scientific
completeness that Is totally lacking when the
buildings consist merely OF straight lines and
angles.
THE NEW BUILDINGS.
The new observatory buildings are progress
ing rapidly work done under contract for
the government usually does. For several
years the public round about Washington has
heard and read a great deal about the new
naval observatory and has seen on the maps
of the city an irregular tract of land marked
out Just above Georgetown, nearly adjacent to
the Tenleytown road designated as the site for
the new observatory. As an additional mark
Of identification it may be said that this site
lies directly on the line of the proposed extern
sion of Massachusetts avenue-and thereby
hangs talei
THE MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE EXTENSION
There has been q struggle going on between
the projectors of the extension scheme and the
officers of the observatory ever since the
former began to exist such. and it has not
been settled. Had the avenue been run as 1t
was first planned. before it was diverged at
Rock creek, 1t would have just grazed the OBJ
servatory grounds at the extreme southern
point and this would have been quite salts
factory to the astronomers, but when t was de-
cided to bend the avenue it was found that the
road would come so close to the Instruments,
in passing through the grounds that serious
damage might result to their usefulness. The
desideratum in locating delicate astronomical
instruments Is to remove them as far as pOssl-
BILE from all rumblings or Earrings of the earth
from any cause. and the close proximity OF
frequented road is a constant menace. Various
plans have been offered by the observatory
people. as well as the projectors of the extern
sion such as detours and further reflections,
but nothing definite has been agreed upon be-
sOHu stllul1tiOu luAt the EOdu SHALL not
pass within the limits of a circle drawn with
radius of LOCO feet. with the great equatorial
building as q center.
THE SIZE.
The site chosen for the observatory is a
peculiarly happy one, high and commanding.
with total absence of those annoying sur
roundings of city life that go Ear to driving the
scientist distracted narrow. poplar shaded
lane leads up and down hill from the Tenley-
town road into the grounds, both the up and
the down being very steep. When the brow OF
the hill on which the buildings are clustered
are reached by means of the winding roads, a
fine panorama bursts into view. Away off, over
the tops of the magnificent oaks. appears the
city in sections, marked by the tall, white
peaks of the monument and the Capitol-be-
yOnd the mass of buildings glistens the river
and still beyond everything melts into haze.
This property was formerly known as the Bar
Der estate. y acres in extent. The project for
a new observatory has been agitated for a
couple of decades, but active steps were
taken until Admiral Rodgers, then superin-
ten1ent of the observatory, secured an appro-
priation, about twelve years ago. for the pur-
chase of site. After considerable searching
experimenting and measuring i. was found that
there was no more desirable spot in the imme-
diate vicinity Of the city than tins and so it
bought The price paid was very small and
the owner regretted the sale within ten days.
THE APPROPRIATION.
But even after securing the site nothing was
done for some years. Finally, two years ago,
an appropriation of 100000 was secured from
Congress for the erection of suitable buildings
on the Barber estate, and on the I'd of Oc-
tober. lSSS. contract was entered into be-
tween the government and Mclaughlin & Co.
OF this city to erect nine buildings for consid-
Grafton OF sos, 81. This sum was to be paid
In twenty-fOur equal installments the work
progressed Ten payments have already been
made. The original time stipulation in the
contract was eighteen months. but on account
of some unavoidable delays, for which the gov
eminent was responsible, the time was extended
six months. so that the contractors limit will
not expire until October 2 1890. But the
buildings will not be ready then-by at least
SIX months longer.
THE NINE BUILDINGS.
The nine buildings mentioned are as follows:
Main building. SO75z feet long; great equatorial
building, clock house. two transit circle
houses; two Observers buildings one frame
vertical building and boiler house. The ac-
companying plat shows the distribution and
relative locations of these buildings