Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-01
INTO THE BEYOND.
Celestial Mysteries May Be
Revealed.
The Great Telescope For Cal
ifOrnia.
Wonderful Astronomical Discoveries
Expected From Its Use.
The Glass Being Made For the Wilson'S
Peak Observatory the Largest
In the World.
From Cablegram to the New York Herald.

ion, probably the greatest living as
tsonomer, contributes the following in
relation to the lens just completed for
the great telescope to be erected on
Mount Wilson in California: The pro-
gress of astronomy depends on two
things-instruments and the men who
use them. Galileo created astronomic
observation by constructing his tele-
scope, which he pointed toward the
heavens, and by letting the world know
what he had discovered through it..
But for Galileo and his investigating
and inquiring independent mind, the
telescope. invented before his time,
would have done nothing toward the
progress of science. But, ON the other
hand, without that invention Galileo
would have discovered nothing of the
mountains in the moon or the phases or
spots on the sun, the stars in the milky
way, nor any other of the great discov
cries for which the world is indebted to
him; in one word he would not have
transformed the science of astronomy.
According to the value OF the man, so is
the value of the instrument.
But if men capable of using instru-
ments are necessary, instruments are al
Schroeder, Frankhofer, Lassel, Dawes,
Lord Ross, Warren, De la Rue, secchi,
Darlington, Huggins, Hall, Burnham,
larsen, Schiaparelli and Pickering only
made their brilliant discoveries because
they had at their disposal instruments
of greater perfection than those used by
their predecessors.
We are Just now traversing a great
epoch in the history of science. After
remaining stationary during more than
half a century the science and art
of optics is at present making
great and majestic strides for
ward. Three great telescopes
have recently been successfully con-
structed, the like of which would have
seemed a fantastic dream to our pre-
decessors. All three Of them were con-
structed in 1886. The observatory at
Nice has an opening of "A centimeters
and length OF Is meters. The second
at the observatory of Pultowa, i'll Russia
has the same diameter, but somewhat
smaller opening, which, by reason of
the character of the mounting, only
measures seventy centimeters in little
shorter focal distance and length OF
fifteen meters. The third, at the obser-
yatory ON Mount Hamilton, CAL, has
for its objective lens with an opening
of ninety-seven centimeters and focal
distance and length OF fifteen meters.
These magnificent instruments, from
the very fact of their successful construc-
ton, have proved that it requires bold
: ness in order to succeed, and have de-
monstrated that we should not be salts
fed with them that it is possible to go
even farther. 1t is natural ambition
that we should wish astronomy to pene-
trate farther and farther into the depths
of the infinite, and above all else to de-
termine the nature of other worlds-to
lift up the corner of the veil that hides
from us the immense mystery of crea-
tion.
1t is hardly four years since the in
struments which we have spoken OF
were complete, and already opticians
three of these; lenses which have a
diameter of more than a meter. The
lens of the telescope in the observatory
at Mount Hamilton measures thirtysix
inches or ninety-one centimeters OF
free aperture. is of forty inches
in diameter. This objective lens is be-
ing made for the University of Southern
California, and for the observatory ON
Mont Wilson, not far from Los Angeles,
where Mr.. Pickering has recently OBJ
tanned some excellent photos of the
moon, Saturn and the planet Mars.
On one of these latter heavy fall of
snow is preceived, which in twenty
four hours covered on the planet of
Mars an extent of surface as vast as the
area of the United States.
1t is easy to understand that men of
intelligence and feeling should take a
deep interest in such progress as this.
We have right to be patient and feel
kindly toward astronomers who are in
the position of Moses when he was in
sight of the promised land. For exam
pie, we have Mars before our eyes. All
the observations made thus far lead us
to think that this planet must be inhab-
tied as is our own, and perhaps even
better inhabited.
We see in it continents, sea coasts,
capes, bays, rivers, waters, SHOWS and
clouds. We witness all the effects pro-
duced by the seasons. We see distinct
ly rectiineal lines, extending from sea
to sea and putting them in communica-
tion which seem to be canals. 1t has
ever been thought that brilliant points,
geometrically arranged, have been OBJ
served. which may be intended as sig
nails from that planet to ours.
How then is it possible not to wish to
complete the conquest and attain at last
to solution of the enigma? Now that
an objective lens of forty inches is at
last successfully completed new and
gigantic stride forward can be made. 1t
is nothing more than question OF
money now to construct great tele-
scope. With an equatorial telescope
with diameter of one meter and fifty
centimeters and length of twenty-five
meters, mounted in cupola larger than
the dome of the Paris Pantheon and
magnifying four or even five thousand
fold-to what unexpected discoveries
would this supreme effort lead.
This is a question which it is i'm
possible to answer, but we have right
to dwell on the word unexpected 1t
must not be forgotten that it was when
searching for colors OF the solar spectrum
that Franhhofer discovered spectral ana
lysis, and that it was while seeking the
parallax of the stars that Sir William
Herschel discovered orbits of double
stars, and it was when seeking for Asia
that Christopher Columbus, discovered
America.
In any event such a telescope will
enable us to see for the first time stars
of the seventeenth magnitude, which
must be scattered over the depth of
heaven in carpet of 818,000,00 stars,