Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-02-03

"A oiSahttc lma&e Oh tne Sun-Spi.
ders' Webs for Telescopes-Sup-
plying Nation With Time.
OVERNMENT star gazers, SAYS
T. Washington letter to the Bos-
Nj ton Transcript, have been hav-
ing a great time moving into
the new National Observatory, which is
the most beautiful building for astro-
nomical purposes in the world, situated
on the heights overlooking Washington
from the northwest. Naturally, the
transfer from one place to another of in
strunents so delicate that finger must
not ordinarily be allowed to touch them,
lest their adjustment be spoiled, is at
tended with no small difficulty. But
the article which required the greatest
care in its removal was the object lens
OF the famous Equatorial telescope.
Until the lenses for the Lick Observatory
in California were made, this was the
largest one in America, being 26d inches
in diameter. 1t cost $50, 200. This
precious thing was wrapped in the soft
est of old linen sheets, packed in box
between mattresses, and conveyed in
sprng wagon at funeral pace over four
miles of road uphill and down, reaching
its destination safely. The new obser-
vatory will have eight telescopes, two of
which the public will be permitted to
use for amusement, one of these having
five inch and the other 81 inch glass.
The exhibit of the Naval Observatory
at the Worlds Fair will include five
inch telescope, through which visitors to
the exposition will be allowed to gaze at
whatever is most interesting in the
heavens both by night and by day. 1t is
also intended to show picture of the
sun on large scale, pencil of rays be-
ing thrown through lens by mirror
forty feet into dark room. In this
camera obscura huge image of the orb
OF day will appear on screen, showing
the tremendous flames which leap 1000
miles above its surface, and also the so.
called "spots," which are fiery chasms
capable of swallowing up hundreds of
such planets as the earth at gulp. At
noon each day the astronomers in Wash
ington will drop time ball FIVE feet in
diameter on top of the main building at
the fair.
The astronomers of the Naval OBJ
servatory have looked all over the world
for spiders webs. Such gossamer fla
ments spun by industrious arachnids are
utilized in telescopes for cross-lines ex-
tended at right angles with each other
across the field of view, so as to divide
the latter into mathematical spaces.
Threads OF cobweb are employed for the
purpose because they are wonderfully
strong for their exceeding fineness. and
also for the reason that they arc not
affected by moisture or temperature,
neither expanding nor contracting under
any conditions. Specimens were OBJ.
tanned from China, because it was i'm
agined that the largo spiders of that
country would perhaps produce parti.
cularly excellent quality of web. How
ever, it was found that the best web is
spun by spiders of the United States,
such as are plentiful in the neighbor-
hood of Washington. Accordingly, cx-
petitions are made early in June each
year, to get from the fences and harms
hereabout the cocoons of the big "turtle.
back" spiders. Each coc BON is composed
OF single silken filament wound round
and round, though there are apt to be some
breaks in it where Mistress Spider left
otf work for time. Attempts have
been made to use the cocoons of spiders
like those OF silkworms, and exquisite
fabrics have been manufactured from
them. Unfortunately it was found i'm
possible to make the industry CONNER
cial success, owing to the combative in.
clination OF these creatures. When kept
together they will always gobble each
other up in short time, the final result
being single very large and fat spider
and one cocoon.
The five-foot time ball to be dropped
at the Worlds Fair will be made of can
vas on steel frame. 1t will be wound
up each day to the height from which it
is to fall, and it will be set and electri.
cally connected in such a manner that
the breaking of the circuit at IL noon
will release it. The touch of button
at Washington will instantaneously
transmit notice of the hour over $50, 900
miles of wire. Wneh the button speaks
the whole country will listen, and the
hand of 10000 eecric clocks all over
the United States will point to the cor
rect minute and second.