Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13
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ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.I
SYRACUSE. July 12.-William Malcolm
died at his residence in this city to-day, and
scientific secret of inestimable value is
lost to the world, unless from the inklings
Of the principles involved, which have come
to the knowledge of the diseoverer's inti-
mates at odd times, can be develop ed into
the methods which have given him distin O.
tlon in every part of the globe where astron-
omy and microscopy are practiced.
Mr.. Malcolm was the only son of William
Malcolm, one of the earliest pioneers of this
city, and was born in Sullivan, Madison
county, on October 13. 1928. He was in
tended by his father to be member of one
of the scholarly professions, but, though
given the advantages of an education at
schools and seminaries he showed no in
cl1natlon to make choice in that direction.
He devoted himself instead to the study of
mechanics, and being left early in life with
ample means to indulge this fancy, pursued
his own predictions to the last without
thought Of turning his talents into money.
A LOVER OF GUNS.
Years ago he went into the manufacture
OF firearms, and ne was one of the crack
shots In the State. He lost an eye in the
hunting field while testing the shooting
qualities OF fowling piece which Governor
Seymour had given to his private secretary.
From that time Mr.. Maleom's health be-
gan to decline.
Before this misfortune befel him he had
already achieved wonders in the perfection
of the lens. The study of optics was an ac-
cidental chance, made originally for diver
sion, but pursued later for the difficulties it
involved. On the top floor of his block
downtown, where he could get a
large field for testing his lenses. For years
a barn situated about four miles distant
beyond the State Idiot Asylum, was the
target at which he leveled his instrument.
WONDERFUL POWER OF HIS LENSES.
This power of magni6cation was so strong
that he could by their use trace the grain in
the knots in the barn door. But this was
not the quality for which he strove. His
ambition was to make a lens that would not
require adjustment for varying distance, buI
like the human eye and with equal facility
would sweep any field at one focus.
Opticians and astronomers told Mr.. NAL
colin that he was in search of an ignis
fatuus. But by dint of long application
and untold study he finally caught the
chimera. In other words, he
produced in telescope all
the constituents OF natural vision
and thereby astonished the scientific world
This he accomplished by using a combina-
tion of several lenses adjusted to each other
on plan known only to himself, and dia.
phragming them down SO that all
the divergent rays were excluded,
leaving only the center ones
as In the human eye. His telescope thus
discerns with equal accuracy an object 20
feet or miles away without alteration OF the
focus.
IN DEMAND THE WORLD OVER.
The lenses of the Malcolm make are de-
signed both for observatory and gunnery
use. Since their wonderful qualities were
proved they have been In demand by sfder-
cal Institutions everywhere, some OF the
orders the discoverer has filled coming from
the remotest countries. The Lick ObserVa-
tory in California and Royal Observatory in
Greenwich are supplied with Malcolm lenses
Several Governments, including our own
and those of Russia, England and Italy,
have successfully employed these telescopes
in their ordnance. Nevertheless Mr.. NAL
colin did not profit by his discovery as he
could have done had the business end OF 1t
been properly managed.
Mr.. Malcolm is survived by his wife, who
was Miss Frances Cone, of Gouverneur, and
to whom he was married June 30, 1845.
His living children are Mrs. Edward T.
Foord and Mrs. j. Frank Williams, of this
city. Mrs. Charlotte B. Dillaye, of Phila-
delphia, is surviving sister.