The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-13
WITH THE STAR-GAZERS.
Life at the Great Lick Observatory In Winter

Time.
The following description Of personal life of
the observers at the famous Lick Observatory
in California is taken from an address hy the
director Of the observatory. Professor Edward
= Holden. before the Astronomical Society OF
the Pacific.
To those who visit Mount Hamilton in sum-
mer. saws Professor Holden, nothing can
seem easier or more delightful than TO plan
and execute investigations with the Instru-
rnents at hand. \ short visit there, however.
would at once show the almost insurmount-
able difficulties that attend an attempt to I'VE
M such an elevation.
As soon rs the winter sets IN. storms
that here in New York We would call cyclsne-
sweep over the mountain. and drut the suo"
above the astronomers dwellings more imam
ten feet deep. Three or four times during
each of the winter months the wind blows AT
the rate of more than sixty miles an hour.
MANY Of the stronger gusts, when must
sxceed seventv-five or eighty miles an hout'
have never vet been measured. Tor no iisti IT,
ment can be found that will STAND tlS te1t'
Although the Windmill which supplies me 1o-
servntory with water il carefully furied De
fore each storm and held in position by iron
braces. nearly two inches in diameter, once q
wear il is torn from its mounting ana tie
stroyed. 80
During five DAYS Of February. 1890. abssoo-
lutelv no communication with the outside
world was possible. The snow tell IN ehof-
NOUS quantities. and a fierce blizzard was
blowing. which could not be faced. On the
si.th dnv Of our Imprisonment three men
started together for Smith Greek ana re,
Turned the same night. bringing the mail amt
thirty pounds Of much-needed PROVISIONS:
after tourney Of fourteen miles, winch mad
taken something like eight or nine hours Oh
hard work.
There is nothing 10 be- had nearer than san
Jose twentv-six miles away and Il Is neces-
sarv 10 transport everything by stage. Ere
duently the stage has no room Tor our parcels
and very frequently has no passengers Tor the
observatory. and stops at the toot Oh lhS
mountain In such a case we must sehu
our men over the road fourteen or hiteeh
miles 20 Smith Creek Very often the road mas
been impossible T. wagons con account %.
snow. and all our supplies have been oroug u
m the mail bag on horseback. Whatever was
too large or too heavy for the bag was not
brought and had 20 bee done without.
During the ll2 days, from November 18TH
"a March sth. the stage came to the ooseiNa-
tory only thirtv-siX times. The dlihcultlts IN
This matter can be met los kind OF lore
handedness" but when we come To the strict
Is scientific side Of our difficulties. they are
more serious. For example, u bit Of colored
Glass Is wanted 10 moderate the brightness of
Mars, so that the satellites can he seen
Where is il 10 bee found: There ID not SO
much as a square millimeter ot such glass
west Of the Allegheny mountains.
One Of the prisms of our spectroscope IS
stained and yellow. Ii cannot bee replaced
nearer than Pittsburg II 1t Is sent away we
lose its use for month or more. The mega
tives of the solar eclipse Of December 2lst re-
NAMED al the foot Of the mountain from Feb
ruray 10th TO March 5th from lack OF some
way To bring them up.
Fuel seems 10 be no exception 10 other artl-
cles in regard 10 the difficulty Of getting 1t up
the mountain. II is the present policy not 70
cut any wood ON the reservation. and hence It
must be found where best it may and its
delivery FASTENED as much rs possible. Dur
ing the winter Of lsss and 1889 the
only wood available for tho 0bserya-
tory and for the various households was
from my private stores, which had been or
Il red ia May. but which We're not all delivered
until the following February.
The procrastination Of our immediate neigh
bOrs has ceased 10 be annoying. II IS males-
colossal great feature OF nature.
II must be reckoned with like the lneNOrlble
forces Of heat, magnetism and grayitatlon.