The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-28

PARIS, May 9.-Mr. Camille Flamma-
rion, the astronomer who has done more
toward p0puarzng the study Of astron-
omical science than any of his contemp o-
raries and who is known by his writings
in all parts of the world, is man of 81
years of age. He was born on the 26tn of
February, 1912, at village In the depart
ment of Haute-Marne, of humble parents,
and already at an early age showed signs
of great precociLy. Ii is recorded that he
was master of reading and writing at the
age OF 4, and that when years old he was
specially commended by the project Of his
department for the way he acquitted him
self in an examination at his school,
Il was interested in astronomy from the
very 1rst," said Flam marion to me during
re cent visit which | paid to him in his
tftf-floor apartment in the Rue Cassini,
which is right away In a remote quarter of
Paris, hard by the conservatory. "and l
shall never forget with what joy l carried
home the first telescope l was able to pur-
chase at a secondhand shop. 1t was
miserable implement. but / think that it
gave ME more pleasure than any of the
magnificent instruments which have since
been placed at my disposal"
At the age of 10 years Flammarion was
placed at a seminary, ana continued his
education under the care of the JeSuits.
After the removal of his family to Paris
Flammarion was transferred to another
jesuit school, III the st. Roch quarter of the
capital. At the age of Is he was Appended
TO an engrayer, and worked in his shop
for some months. While thus engaged,
| however, he managed to continue his
studies, mastered English and the classics
and was able to pass his two examinations
| for the degree of bachelor as well as his
matriculation to the polytechnical school,
and at the age of Is to enter the Paris
observatory as pupil astronomer AT that
time he was already the author of n work
entitled LA Cosmogonie Universelle,"
which was greatly admired by Leverrier,
to whose influence he principally owed his
admission TO the observatory. Flammsrion
remained four years at the observatory,
where he was attached to the Bureau des
Calculs, and had the good fortune to be
able TO make certain observa tiOns Of
| comets which have been described as the
most interesting that have BEEN seen dur
Ing this century. At the same time he
found time TO write his first work, the
"Pluralite DIES Mondes HabItes."
This book" he told me, "at once made
my reputation. 1t was published by NAL
let-Bacheler. the printer to the observa-
tory, at francs the copy, and the first edi-
ton was Immediately sold out. | was then
| approached by the publisher, Didier. who
offered to undertake the second edition,
for which l rewrote many of the chapters
and made important additians to the text.
See, here is a copy of The first edition, and
here is one of the second edition. You
will see that the latter is about four times
the size of the former. The book is now
in its tbrty-ffth edition. The subject,
may mention, had been treated about
century before by Fontenelle, but in
purely imaginary style. Fontenelle's book
may be described as a novel, a piece of
literature, while mine claimed to be
scientific work"
AT the age of % be joined the staff of
scientific magazine called Cosmos, in sue
cession 10 Ab6e Moigno. collaborating at
The same time on scientific review known
rs LIE Magasin Picturesque. In the fol-