Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-10-14
LORD RoSsE's TELESCOPE.
visit to an Instrument Which Once Aston
ished the World.

1 WISH 10 an AnhtrumcHS "hich C"'S <ASsch-
ished the World.
One OF the monster telescopes now
in use is ut Bjrr castle the seat OF the
earl of Rose at Farsonstown, Ireland,
says the New York sun. One reaches
it by changing from the main line
down from Dublin at Baliybrophy
junction. The town ITSELF taking its
title from the family name OF the
earls of Rose parsons is not re-
markable beyond being good type
OF the conventional Irish hamlet but
the castle is surrounded by some of
the prettiest scenery which one would
wish to view. Woods. meadows
sparkling streams and fruitful fields
in the midst OF which are walks
drives and romantic bridle- paths adj
llbitum-all on the Rose domain.
The castle grounds proper are pro-
tected by tho medieval moat remind
ing one of the times in which it did
good service. 1t is dry now. present
ing the appearance of messy vale
twenty-five feet W dc and fifteen feet
deep, but the earl told the writer that
1t could to-day be flooded by aehin-
cry in forty minutes. The old draw
bridge is still in use. but always let
down
Passing over this, one proceeds
through the massive arch. where once
the iron portcullis guarded the gate
way. inside the solid wall of stone.
which is the second defense. and by
well-kept winding driveway to the
broad lawn Immediately IN front OF
the casue-a noble pile of buildings,
with turrets. buttresses etc. II COM
bination OF feudal and modern arch
itecture To the right OF the castle
as one approaches is the famous OBJ.
servatory and the still more famous
Rose telescope. The instrument was
constructed under the personal super
vision OF the father OF the present
earl. the machinery for the grinding
and polishing OF the immense
parabOlic mirror being his personal
work, and the controlling of it in
operation his personal duty. This
mirror is six feet in diameter. a
wonderful triumph of skilful work
manship. 1t is the largest of Its
kind in the world the famous Lick
telescope being refracting and not
a rejecting telescope. The instru-
ment is more than fifty feet long. the
immense tube rivaling the turrets OF
the castle when pointed to the zenith.
When the telescope is horizontal two
persons can walk upright directly
into il. 1t was done more than once
by the earl and the writer during his
stay at the castle. And the earl said
that once, just 10 make the trial. II
party OF four luuched very comfort
ably in the very middle of it
The setting and manipulation OF
such an instrument would be rightly
judged to be n most dif.cult task. aud
yet so deity was 1t ad busted between
the massive walls OF stone like a
cannon on gun carriage-that it can
be easily raised and lowered through
n complete quadrant TO reach either
zenith or horizon by the pressure OF
one hand. This was also the outcome
Of the mechanical ability OF the late
earl.
Through this telescope. the most
important observations are taken.
while with a smaller one near it night
ly observations are also made. 1t
was the larger however which so
astonish.d the world years ago by the
wonderful revelations which it made
OF the hidden mysteries OF unknown
space.
The present earl OF Rose is an ex-
celent amateur photographer as well
as a devoted student of the heavens