New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-28
LIFE ar rHs LICK OBSERVATORY.
From The Boston Journal.

From The Boston Journal
g ss have ben written on s' usan me
GsoSveHes the Instruments capable Of making End md
are making, tiatI think sort Of description OF .
s q sss % n q
allowing description Is taken from an .ddress Sy inc
Holden before the Astronomical society of the Pacific.
II those who visit Mount Hamilton In .sssr o.
nSss dssnsul tSsn to pan and execute inys'tea
tons with the instruments et hand. snUas .. V inv
: :nncuDssSS" as~itis: that attend attempt 2
nvs Il such elevation As soon . w ,VnnIa csi,
s,e sS' .x ssss ox ss Se
about The astronomers dwellings, more than ten ieet
T Ss . Gs f blows M the ras Of
hour Many Of the stronger m ssS' an Sonr
hsv" never vet BEEN measured instrument can
6e that win stand the test although s Mst Sr"f
carefully fured before each storm and held In position
BY iron braces nearly two inches IN os%esr once
With s9s SS'SSs ad
bSsaTd was blowing, which could not be laced; On
e sixth ds 81 our ns ,rtare sf1s the ssme night
bringing the mall and thirty pounds on mnchneed ie
&sS taken something ike eight nine hours Of very
and Whatever was necessary for warmth and comfort
indoors How different however, is the account Pro
Tnere IS ons to be had than
twenty six miles away, and It Is necessary to trans ms
70 room Tor our parcels and Very frequently has no
passengers for the observatory and stops at the loot
men NC over the road fourteen or fifteen miles smith
wagon, o e'' asooant Of snow and all our supplies
have been brought In the mailbag on horseback Ma o
Sreus Sss and i'd had 10 be done without During the IL
days from November Is to March the stage came SIn
eulties in this matter can be met by Kind Of fore
handedness bnt when we come to the strictly scentc
ample Of ecored wanted e moderate s
S %Ses Of n" e se the Tas is
much IS square mmesr Of ,Ss sss west ef oS of
replaced nearer than Pttsburg. If II is sent away
we Ssl It's eee for or 81 81 he
Of the mountain from February l6 to March . from
Fuel Seems TO- be no Exception 10 other articles in
regard to the difficulty of getting up the mountain,
reservation and hence it must be found where best 1t
and its delivery FASTENED as utn as Possible:
for the observatory and for the various households was
h had D DS ss SM
ing February The procTastnation of our immediate
nclglbors has ceased to be ANNOYING 1t Is majestic
reckoned with like the memorable forces Of heat
magnetism and eravation ,e.o ,o- .,o ,,oL ,r,,s.
tees were Obliged to collect wood along the stage roM
aud it was delivered in small parcels Ike EXPRESS pack
warm. and the water frozc on the very dining tables:
The Photographic lens or the great telescope was
washed by Mr. Clark in wafer so cold that II fr0Ze
where II not Immediately under his hands and
this because In the observatory could be heated
above the freezing point
The difficulty aside from the scanty supply OF fuel
tests with the chimneys which were not properly con-
Etlced for the peculiar currents on the mountain top
The wind blows up the deep canonS on either side and
sweeps almost vertically down the fues. In conso-
Gucncc the flames driven three feet ont into
the room In vain every kind Of chimney top has ben
tried Nothing can remedy the difficulty but to rebuild
the chin,neys.
When summer comes there is constant cOmmunica-
ton between the observatory and the outside world,
and the troubles OF winter disappear. new difficulty.
however, arises 10 tax the patience OF the astrOn
oncrs 10 the utmosthe water supply gives out. Two
reservoirs neichborng peaks fed from springs by
means OF the windmill and steam engine. a third
lust below the summit acts reserve in the summer
druuths and IS filed with rain water The frequent
slight earthquakes that in California seriously
injure the walls that daily inspection has to be
made and the slightest leak stOnped at once.
AL these difficulties. of course call for extra work
duty that has been assigned them must be done every
day Each piece OF extra work is written on card
and assigned to some person. When the WORK IS
accomplished the card Is returned During the last
wear 600 OF these cards were made out, Including
about 5000 to 1000 items, or corresponding to 5000
hours Of extra labor Tho sccrctarys letter press copy
Ing hook for The period contains 81 900 pages OF
letters, which equivalent to 500 working days
Also during tho last $50 checks have been issued
These figures give some idea OF the life at the LICK
Observatory But mist not forget that the instru
rpcns are In whenever 1t is possible: as the largo
number Of observations in every periodical proves