Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-10-08
AMONG STAR GAZERS.
DIscoveRER OF JuPlTER'S FIFTH
SATELLITE VISITS EUROPE.
HIS Experiences at the Various OBSERVE
tories-Amsrfca Ahead In Insiru.
ments-Prsfesser Barnard's Medal.

Professor T.. r. Barnard. of tho Lick
observatory, the famous discoverer OK
the fifth satellite OF Jupiter. arrived here
last night says the San Francisco Chron-
iclc. aud Us at Lick. He brought beau
tiful gold medal with him, the gift OF the
/ French Academy OF Science. the mccall
being the Lelande prize. for the greatest
discovery OF the year in astronomy
IT professor Is looking exceedingly wei
after his long trip, though he was trihe
trav--stained when seen. He speaks
with enthusiasm OF what ne saw, and the
great astronomers he met during his ab-
sence. Among the celebrated astronomers
whom he met in Europe were Camille
ELIMINATION. Professor Schiaparelli and
others. once started, he told story or
absorbing interest.
Professor Barnard left here In Febru-
ATTY last, having been granted a six
months leave OF absence by the Board or
Regents. He spent some time in visit
ing the principal obseryatories of the
East, and then crossed the Atlantic. He
landed at Liverpool on May 18th, and II
was not till June 18th that he stepped
aboard a steamer al Queenstown TO re-
turn. During all this time he was 40
busy as could be. In England he visited
The Greenwich. the Roberts, Captain VIII
liam Nobls. the Cambridge. and RAM
dIu ODetTNdLoTltS. ncn iF Nl'Tfru titt
channel to France. There he visited the
National observatory at Paris. for quite
a while and then rode out on n train 10
Jousseu's, and saw Flammarion. and the
great sky-pIercing apparatus OF his OBJ
servatOry From there he proceeded to
Italy. and saw Schiaparelli and tele-
scopes. 1t took him good while. but he
got through at last. and then crossed 10
Bavaria, and saw the observatory at
M. Nt..ran
and stayed for time at the Royal and
went 10 Germany At Berlin he saw
the Royal and Crania observatories. at
Pottsdam. the Astrophysical observa-
toriy He also visited the Royal observa-
tory. He also visited the Royal Observa-
tory at Kie.. Then he went 10 Belgium
and examined the apparatus OF the Royal
observatory there. In Brussels, he saw
the DR. Terly observatory 1T Lourain.
An this and much more the dlscoyerer
Of the nth satellite of Jupiter narrated
I'm an unassuming way 81 went not only
to see the Instruments but to see the men
who managed them" he said. land gain
whatever i could In the way Of inforna-
ton that would be useful to the Lick OBJ
seryatory. | can't say | found anything
especially better than We have here, eN-
cept at Potsdam, where possibly the
mounting IS somewhat better In giving
speaking two methods OF mounting. the
English and the German. but the Potsdam
method Is combination OF the two, and
permits continuous exposure.
NO COMPARISON.
"A great many points ! noted are OF
popular interest one thing | learned was
that American astronomers aud instru-
ment-makers are fully able 10 take care
of themselves. Some instruments Of our
manufacture are perhaps not so perfect
as they might be-, but In equatorial teie-
scopes foreign makers are not to be com
pared with US. There ~ no comparison
whatever. At Munich in merdlan-circle
instruments they are perhaps slightly
ahead OF us. but II so only in this par
ticular.
Some six months ago a curious story
was published about Flammarion having
one OF his books bound in the skin OF
young lady. | did not believe IT at the
time, thinking 1t purely sensational; but /
visited Flammarion, handled the book-a
late astronomical work-and found the
story true The facts are these: There
was a young lady who was a great adj
mlrer of Flammarion. and the great as
tronomer was an ardent admirer OK her
beauty. and especially OF her shoulders.
well she died and left "A Will saying
that the skin OF her shoulders should be
presented him for binding one Of his
books. So the skin was actually removed
and sent to a tanner where II was cured
and then returned TO Flammarion. He
had one Of his books bound with 1t. and l
saw and handled it. II was beautiful
gilt-edged volume, and the cover looked
like whltish-gray parchment. with httle
dark-colored spots. 1t was on June l'th
that | saw and inspected the curious
volume. Flammarion IS very proud OF II.
Going from Leipsic TO Berlin fonhh
myself alone in in car with man
whose picture it struck me l had seen
somewhere. / asked him II he was
not from America and from hartford.
He said he was. 1t CHANGED that IL was
Mark Twain, and we sat and talked FOR
three hours together. i got an idea from
what he said that he did not have much
confidence IN the stars
Lord Roses telescope Is the biggest
ever constructed I went into it. and In
the middle / was unable 10 touch the
ton. The mirror Is six feet across.
Then Professor Barnard unfolded the
great gold medal received in France for
his discovery OF the fifth satellite or Jupi-
ter. on one side of IL was inscribed:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. '''''''''''