St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-29
MISS KLUNPKE AN ABLE AS.
TRONOMER.
An American Girl Who Has Won O.
High Position in Paris.


A recent issue of the Paris F1garo de.
votes half a column to an enthusiastic
account of young American girl named
klumpkc who has won for herself recog-
milton as one of the most learned astrOn-
omers and most interchangeable and sue
cessful observers in France. Five wears
ago she was received as a pupil in the
Observatoire. Since then few other
women have been allowed to Join in the
work carried on in that world famous
institution, but she was the first to whom
the doors of the institution were opened,
and for long time she was the only one.
Evan yet she alone has the right to call
herself an astronomer, for the others are
only her assistants, attending to photo
graphic measurements and other me-
chanical work incident to the prepare
ton of great map of the sky soon to be
issued.
Miss Klumpkc's labors are of quite
a different kind, and consist entirely
Of original observation and research.
Already Bachelor of Science and
soon to be admitted to the electorate,
her zeal and intelligence have won
for her a highly privileged position.
One of the two great equatorials is
reserved exclusively for Ter use, and
every day at noon, in the evening,
Or at dawn, she has full charge of the
tower Alone in the huge dome, she
manpuvres telescope more than twenty
feet long, and for hours at time studies
the sun, the moon, or the stars Her
especial duty is to record the movements
of the planets and to search for new
comets and nebulp, while man in the
western tower, using similar instru-
ment, makes, for the sake of securing
something like absolute accuracy, obser-
vati0ns of the same bodies.
There are many difficulties and not
few hardships connected with this work.
The dome is burning hot in summer and
icy cold in winter, for, of course, during
the one season there is no shade and dur
ing the other no fire The shutter in
front Of the great objective, too, is al
way open, admitting constant currents
of air. But, no matter what the weather
may be, the young astronomer is always
at her post. Until her task is finished
her attention never wanders. Upon the
rare visitors to her lonesome tower she
bestows hardly a glance, but works on
unconccrnedly until the last reading from
the verniers has been noted. Then, if
the hour is far advanced, instead of 60
ing home through the deserted city
streets, she retircs to little chamber
that has been fitted up for her in the
building, and there passes the rest of the
night.
Miss Klumpke is tall and slender and
hardly looks her twenty four years. She
has long auburn hair and dreamy eyes,
half hidden behind the mathematician's
inevitable eyeglasses. Notwithstand-
ing the Tcutonism of her name, she
comes Of a family that has long been
resident in California. She is not the
only member of it who has won distinc-
ton. Anna Klumpkc, her sister, is an
artist of merit, particularly noted as
and some of her work has
been exhibited at the National Academy
of Design in New York. Another sister,
Nine Dcjerinc, is doctor and the wife
of doctor. She shares with Nine.
Bertillon- Schultz the honor of being the
best patronizcd woman physician in
Paris