The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-08-18
TRIP TO MOUNT HAMIL-
TON.


the Pittsburg Dispatch-publishes
the letter of a tourist, giving sketch
of visit to Mount Hamilton and the
Lick Telescope, which contains some
statements of general interest:
In the valley of Santa Clara lies the
town of San Jose. Its altitude is only
eighty feet above sea level, and the near
est large body of water, the southern
arm of the Bay of San Francisco, is ten
miles due north. Its population is some
%, 900.
From the broad veranda of the Hotel
Vendome ones gaze is attracted by a
high mountain, apparently six or eight
miles distant, with white mass on the
summit. The ever-present liveryman
explains that the hill is Mount Hamilton
and the white object the dome of the
celebrated Lick Observatory. He in
cidentallv remarks that he runs "tally-
ho'' coach up there every day; the round
trip is $3.50, and it is twenty-eight miles
by the road from the hotel to the obser-
vatory. You are inclined to disbelieve
the last statement, and, to know the
IIulIl, QeClQC " lllO Jul
After eating an early breakfast next
morning the start is made. a dense fog
envelopes the mountains. Heavy coats
are in demand, for the air is quite cold.
While ascending the foothills the fog
settles from the peaks to the valley "a
popularity of the country, and soon
Mount Hamilton looms up in all its
magnitude. Passing through fertile
farm lands and peach orchards, we reach
the Hallway House," where we are
glad to get down from our high perch
beside the driver and stretch our limbs
while fresh horses are being hitched up.
Many are the anxious inquiries put to
the stolid individual who holds the crib
bons" as to when we get lunch; they
are met always by the same laconic reply,
"You get your grub at Smiths Creek"
We are all as patient as possible,
and in about an hour are rewarded by
the sight of sign assuring US that
"Smith's Creek Hotel is the only one
on the mountain, lunch 50c." There is
an excuse for dining-room attached to
the sign, and in it we endeavor to make
ourselves believe we are enjoying the
lunch served us, but it is endeavor
wasted. though the mountain air is
wonderful appetizer.
But time is up, and now for long
pull up steep grades. The driver has
become laxative and shows US the town
below, Just visible through the fast-dis-
appearing fog. He then points out a
long, blue, irregular line above the
horizon, and calculates: "D'ye see
them mountains? Well, them's the
Sierras, one hundred and sixty miles
awayl"
Rather hard to believe, but a fact.
Winding, climbing, now almost over
some precipice, then with jerk that
causes us to cling 10 the hand-rails, up,
up we go until some man who prides
himself on his pedestrianism says he
will take ''short cut right over the hill,
see?" He is persuaded to remain on the
coach, however, when the driver tells
him that before he could walk to the
top the rest of the party would be in town
eating their supper. About O'Clock we
draw rein in front of the main building
of the observatory and are escorted
through marble-foored halls to the
tomb OF James Lick, the founder of the
institution. He lies beneath the stone
face Of the great telescope. Now we are
exposed to perfect volley of measure
ments and weights. The object-glass of
the telescope is three feet in diameter;
the outside length of barrel is fifty-six
feet; it has vertical and horizontal
movement-in fact, can be adjusted to
any position; there is also an ingenious
device run by massive clock-work that
swings the barrel in direct opposition to
the movement of the earth, so that
when star is sighted it can be kept in
the middle of the object-glass; the
dome, which is composed of steel plates
and weighs many tons, revolves on
numerous wheels so finely arranged that
a child can easily turn it.
We are next taken to the room where,
among other astronomical instruments,
is kept the smaller telescope, having an
object glass foot in diameter, through
which we find that the star "Capella"
appears as large as Venus" l was
fortunate in meeting Professor Barnard,
a man who has probably discovered
more comets than any other astronomer
now living. Under his guidance we
were shown many very interesting pho
tographs of the heavens, and had the
system of sidereal " time explained.
There is only one clock in the entire OBJ
servatory run on ordinary time. Mount
ing to the roof we had given US such
information as the elevation above sea
level (4443 feet) and many other figures
of similar nature
The cost of erecting and furnishing the
observatory was between 100000 and
$500, 900; 100000 was given by Mr..
Lick for the purpose. 1t is now under
the management of Professor Edward S.
Holden.