New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-15
THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
A PLEA FOR MORE SYSTEMATIC sClENlflo
WORK.
EMINENT SCIENTISTS PETITION CoN@Khss ~
PUT PRACTICAL ASTRONOMER NJ 4"N
HEAD OF TIE INSTITUTION

PUT PRACTICAL ASTRONOMER Al The
HEAD OF TIE IysTITUTIoN'
Washington. Jan. IA memorial was presenter
I'm the senate 70 day by Senator MoFiih WIN
Will command the interest OF scle"u'H ~
especially OF astronomers, Throughout "' -.
try. Its puIport is to urge the an .,
OF a practical astronomer II take charE" W ~ ,,
Naval Observatory, 10 direct ITS operations VI" a.,
lines The building, for this establishment say u'e
.i,to,o,s .. arc now being completed on scale ana
At an expense which, we believe, have never oesu
eouallcd in the case Of any National hsutl"on u0
voted TO celestial research. The masl'"uc VI t'o
appropristions made by four successive 'ohs' So "
This purpose clearly expresses the popular wiz .'"
the Astronomical Observatory OF the Naloh shou" W
second 10 none in the value ana lhVeIcSt VI ~
We therefore respectfully set forth the ia't ,'d'
,,dins and instrument, are not the clIef conditions
NJ success 4 wellc0nsdercd plan Of work. pursued
with zeal under competent scientific dreco"' IN do'
utely essential. \ body OF the apleat asa ~
thrown together without adequate guidance. without
any problem 10 solve and without coh'er'e' pau
81 work can no more achieve success tran an army
can march and fight without general MI oNF
shows that the success or failure OF Scleh'io q,
busincss institution depends upon It's directing "odu'
nv ihe labors of many generations OF hNes"s"o''
astronomy has become sc'ehce VI s" 49,,
that those only who make its CULTIVATION uo p''', t.
LusinesS Of their lives can keep pace win luH P"-
and decide how the energies 81 " '"'P' " A.,
bonId be directed The proper administration Of 'ne
ei'sor.,o, now being completed therefore requires
that s direction be placed in the hands OF prao.&
astronomer and We respectfully AK Tor suoh rs''
ton as will secure this END. -.
rhIs memorial 1, signed by the following persons
r A. Gould. Editor of The Astronomer 1ourn'
r,mhrdre Mass; c. A. Young, director liaS,can
aD,''o, princeton. " J.: Edward Pickering.
aioc,or Harvard College Observatory, 'anpr"se'
Mas. Edward :. Holden. director, LICK oo'er."'''
California. H. A. Newton secretary boaru VI MAJ"
ayers Of the Observatory. Yale tmverS'N' 'o'"''
ornond stone director 1eandcr Mccorinioh op'' "
torv University Of Virginia Truman Henry '"'
director Williams College observatory Nili'am,''~,'
,Ias.. Mary w whitney, director NasSar 'Vhpso w
orvotorv PouChkecpsic y. y; j. G. Porter ul'p'','
cincinnati Observatory Cincinnati, ONO; 'Ame' i'
Ecs,er director Allegheny Observatory N"oe'''
Penn: George c. cOmstock, director "' 49,,
sorvatory Madison. Wis.: g. ". Hough uie',o'' D
horn Observatory. Northwestern 'h'.ei''',,
George NJ scarle director. Observatory OF inc '"n"u
,.i.i,r washington d. C.. John X. Rces' DIRECTOR
,,.r,.,+,r, NJ Columbia College New-l"rk Wy
II : Pitchett director, Observatory oI "",e
Iniversity It. Louis. Mo-; HERBERT a. INV ~,
Chamberlain observatory. University I'll D." raj
W l. E1hin, astronomer, Observatory VI -
.rsitv New.Iaven. Conn; F. i. LeaN'nN''",
'. u,.orvatorv az the College. Havcrford' PENN
,,,s,o,r 1,n,on director Lahd Observatory I'o'i
ao,ce y / Lewis swift, director. warner 'oSo1''
tory. Rochester, y. y; David r. Iood uro''''
horst COLLEGE Observatory, Amherst ,.ai
Do,little director sayre Observatory H'"'-
Ir.i,v south bethlehem, Penn, and s"'c'H o~"'
prominent astronomers. , ...,o,,,r.
These slgncrs are oil practical WORKING "''I""oI
-, o. omn,ov NJ the Government. Among the 'l-"a
,prcs are those Of welkno~n astronomer '"'I
IN the two chief obscrvatorles oil lie O'l''
othervse the list Of sienerS l. compose" "a ,,o.
d,rct their own labors in Astronomical re''A''' GU
.ft. .f.- trt A
As dire tors owncro Of ""fAhs oo''
a similar independent capacity ,uo
r,,ang the salary of Ito superintendent ana oi H"o
rc.s ~ ,he Navy m the service oi tie oD'erNA''S
an. Government has devoted an aNcEise ~ ~
s4l 900 annually 10 the current iha'"''N'-''
naval Observatory during the past TWEEN" "'' -!
Including the salaries of line officers ui' "i'''' "
aa. q, suellcd to nearly sJ6,ooo About t"e"F
"so - corcross appropriated go 900 Tor sIcAi
.,.rno and it, accessories. More tian s"opu"o '''
.r,ly beeu appropriated for tho construction % ~"
new observatory 1T,
n hohalt NJ the change proposed by th" m'moH'i'''7
{, i, urged tnat The chief energies 81 the N"N'' '.
tory have been devotod 10 astTunoul'~ "''''" '
one can easily verify tJ, statement H 'oi''en'o -
.nv one Of the annual volume published b. INC W
arro,orv Congress has provided generously Tor
,reattiops 70 observe eclipse % The ruh anu
,ronsts OF Venus. The hbeIaliiy 81 our GOV
eminent in this respect has probably Dec t'''e' -
that Of any other. The great twenty ~ M"
of line Naval Observation J, "i ~ o",,n IT, 81
,er nthrrysse than N pure a>tpAoHicAl ic.'ti'l j. q
u'on,mcut In coinmcm0 HtOu Il TIE ihtcieN' VIM @
c0yrrnInsu, ms taken in astronomy. No h'' ~, a.
as,o rnuIr lie imagined than that oI the eAltul
Tor A.. new Naval Observatory If II = ,Ol'' ,', ~
a. no uurposc of rating ChronOmrieI' am ,''u.,
INITIAL Instruments The constructions ana 81 -
are cvidcntly designed for soient.hc r,, al
tactical and the larger part Of 1t thc)icH 81 DIt .
P",. rosi ,rIIrh rrluIrc, the service. OF shll4eh
W to produce the Intended result
The astronomers Of the country III th'ir p'ullnn
Gov ,eforrn in the organization oi III" NaNh ''eN",
,orv do not ask for change In rcsp"'t L" ne hu :"
,,chr,c,i work I'm astronomy shonld be manager Nv
.etroaoner. whether that work be Tor phcN N ,,
,,,r ,Iee-5-as the greater part OF the dstIpho.lhl
'rr which has been done at the Naval observatory
isor whether It be for the equally sc'Tnunc ",'rh
- oforiing means for Getting tables III phcu'',
NO hv noyigators The work Of making ASTRONOMERS
observations to facilitate the operations 9t
survevs and earth -urcment demands p"l'''ln"l
j-, fr ouite the same reason observations
~ tcc.coplc stars and planets require H.