The herald., 1895-02-15
VIEWING HEAVEN TOGETHER
Two Noted Star Gazers Search
the Southern Skies
ASTRONOMERS ON MT. LOWE
Visit OF Professor Holden of the Lick
Observatory
ASTRONOMERS ON MT. LOWE
Professor loves Views on the Flying
1achine Some Interesting
Conversation

Professor Edward s. Holden, director Of
the Lick Observatory, was the guest Of
Professor Lowe yesterday. He was greatly
surprised at the extensive improvements,
elegant accommodations, and magnificent
view from Echo Mountain. He enjoyed a
pleasant visit with DR.. Swift and was glad
to see him SO favorably located and
equipped for good astronomical work. He
is more than pleased to have a new and
experienced observer to cooperate with
him in California.
Professor Holden has been taking a
months vacation at Santa Barbora, the
first he has INDUCED in for seven years of
close application. He visited Mount Lowe
with his friends, DR.. and Mrs. A. Blair
Thaw of Santa Barbara.
Returning to Los Angeles in company
with VIM. H. Knight he freely discussed
many of the latest views which have been
promulgated on astronomical topics. He
thought Professor Schoeberle's theory
about the projection of coronal matter
from the sun into space was worthy of
consideration. One of these coronal
streams coming into>contact with a swarm
of meteorites, would lose part of its sub
stance, and thereafter the swarm would
partake of the character of comet.
Professor Holden states that Lockyer's
hypothesis that nebuls are immense
fields of meteorites rendered luminous by
violent and incessant collisions with each
other, is not accepted by astronomers for
the reason that the results of careful spec
troscopic investigation do not warrant
such a conclusion. He thinks the most
important astronomical work in the i'm
mediate future will be done along the
lines of photography and spectroscopy.
The camera penetrates farther into space
than the telescope, and the spectroscope
reveals the constituent elements of stars,
nebula', comets, ETC.. and even tells the
story of their approach to, or recession
from the earth.
As one of Americas distinguished as
tronomers, Professor S. p. Langley, has
been interesting himself in the problem
of artificial fight, that subject was
preached, and Professor Lowe expressed
himself in confident terms. He thinks he
will yet set the forces at work which will
enable human beings to successfully sus-
tain and propel themselves in the air.
They laughed at Franklin when he was
kite-fying, and at Morse when he toyed
with an electric alphabet, but the achieve
ments OF both are serious facts, and prac-
teal flying, now thing to jeer at, will
become the daily experience of the
twentieth century man.
Mrs. John Hay Williams and her daugh-
ter from Ashville, N. c., were escorted
over the mountain railway by Artist H. P.
Spaulding of Boston. The ladies were in
Southern California five years ago and
note surprising growth and improve
ments.
Mrs. t. B. Williams and two daughters
and DR.. S. S. Windsor of Boston end Mrs.
G. E. Francis and daughter of Worcester,
Mass, visited the mountains in the rain
on Monday and climbed the bride roads
on saddle animals, passing through the
clouds to the sunshine on the summit
and four of the party repeated the trip
yesterday, returning to the hotel full of
enthusiasm. Many guests are remaining
over night or spending several days on
the mountains.