New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-14
TIE NEW NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
PROFESSOR TODD DISCUSSES THE PROPOSAL TO
HAVE NEW GREAT ECU AToRIAL'
TO Excel, ALL OTHERS.

PROFESSOR TODD DISCUSSES THE PROPOSAL TO
HAVE NEW GREAT EQUATORIAL"
TO EXCEL ALL OTHERS.
Professor David p. Todd, the astronomer OF Am
hers and director OF the observatory connected with
that college, is much Interested along with other men
OF science, in the final completion OF the new Naval
Observatory at Washington and It's use by the naval
astronomers. A reporter asked him at
Long Branch Hotel what he thought OF the susges-
ton made In certain naval quarters that Congress
should be asked to provide for equatorial instru
ment which should exceed all others In power for the
OF the new institution. lie replied readily:
The Washington refractor Is quite up to the mark
as the Government telescopes OF the world go. 1t
has glass twenty six inches In diameter and is now
being remounted with all the recent inventions In the
shape OF mechanical accessories. The largest Gov
eminent telescope Is OWNED by Russia, the objective
OF which Is thirty inches In diameter made by our
own Clark and mounted by Repsold Of Hamburg,
the most celebrated instrument maker OF the word-oi
mechanical parts Of telescopes and mean he does not
| believe make glasses. Austria has 27inch re-
tractor at Vienna. England is now getting 2s-inch
at Greenwich, and there is one Of about this size Mt
Paris
Regarding the purchase OF a bigger telescope for
the Government astronomers, think there Is not AT
the Naval Observatory q who would wish to have
n larger one. In fact for the kind OF work that
Government observaOres are expected to no. the 70
inch Is fully large enough. II Is mostly routine work,
and the atmosphere at Washington Is rarely steady
enough to permit the of the full powtr Of such
telescope mean OF magnifyng powers Of 1,5Oo to
1900. For instance, Mars, during the present
month, doubt II they have been able to use powers
exceeding 400 to GOO.
"Of course the Professor continued, "the LICK
telescope a glass 1t is SO inches I'm diam
eter. and collects nearly twice as much light as the
Naval Observatory glass: but It's great advantage Is
atm r,hn
where II can do It's work. There Is very little boiling
or nickering OF a stars image, as seen on Mount
Hamilton, and OF the air Is somewhat more
transparent because OF the elevation OF the mountain
1900 fec-and 1t is almost coudless there for about
seven months Of the year.
"Ihe grand thing TO do 10 help astronomy by
wny Of a big telescope IS not 10 put it In the pos
session OF Government astronomers who rarely have
the interest not to say enthusiasm necessary to It's
most efficient use but 10 give the telescope to some
collegiate institute in need Of II, and where the as
ronomers would keep IL at.work 1t should be set
up n high mountain in a>dry climate. and means
provided for maintaining astronomer there. Har-
ward has been the first TO branch out In this drec
ton. II has 13-inch instrument 5000 feet high
In Peru, and It's work on Mars, this opposition may,
perhaps prove equal to that done with all the other
telescopes OF tho world except the Lick OF course.
with 3Oinch the same mountain, or even higher.
II would have been possible 70 do vastly more.
But somebody Will have to put up the money for
the great big telescope very soon. or there may be
no TO make it. The senior Clark Is dead, his
elder Is dead. and the younger Is fftyve 10 sixty
years old n he could get the necessary glass discs
he would take a contract to make four foot or five
foot telescope In two or three years, probably for
1926, 900 to 100000 OF course, we have good Opt
clans left II he dies but they have not yet had
chance TO prove their success in building big tele
scope. rs he has"
Professor Todd has been taking for several years
past special interest I'm celestial photography. In
the late Government expedition TO the West coast OF
Africa which under lis charge he had an ar
rangement OF his own invention. which enabled him
10 work about thirty cameras simultaneously and
automatically from a central point OF operation II
was never before attempted. lie will not have II
patented, bat rs IN the case OF his ball mountings
FOR great telescopes, which In use In the mount
ings NJ the Lick instrument, and Of number OF
Others nc will dedicate the Invention 10 the public
and 10 science. The Professor thinks the sensitive
plate will yet perform great service to the science
OF the celestial bodies.