The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-21

surrounding terrestrial lights which
promptly befog the plate before the
serene stars have time to glance below.
The late director, Admiral Monchez,
made several efforts to have a new obserya-
tory erected on some desirable site, and
there is every evidence now that his wishes
will soon be fulfilled. Notwithstanding
its historic association with the names of
Cassini, Lalande, Arago and Leverrier, it
has been proposed to raze the building and
devote the site to other uses, but it is TO be
hoped that it may be eventually preserved
as a monument to the first centuries of
telescope achievement.
L he observatory of Greenwich, which
lies southeast OF London. was founded in
1915, just a few years later than that OF
Paris. The eminent names of HALEY and
Bradley, connected with its early history,
will ever be remembered in the annals OF
astronomy.
Being Government institu ton its best
forces have been always given to the utili-
tartan side of the science, and correcting
the planetary and lunar tables with I'M
wearied assiduity, observing with the
utmost care the positions of the fixed stars
used for longitude, the testing and care OF
all the chronometers of the British navy
and the distribution of time-signals
throughout the United Kingdom, consti
tute large share of the work of the OBJ
servatory.
One of the best nautical almanacs pub
lished is the result of this strict adherence
to the aims for which the institution was
founded. Until late years Finch lens
was the largest in the equipment, in which
excellence more than size has been the aim.
In 1888 LassePS reflector, two feet in
diameter, with which the satellite of Nep-
tune was discovered, was presented TO the
observatory and in 1894 gift of $4,000 was
received for a Photographic telescope OF
twenty-six inches aperture.
Though spectroscopic and Photographic
work has been carried on for several years
with instruments of moderate power the
transit instrument represented in the illus
tration and considered by the late
director, Sir George Airy, as a perfect
specimen OF its class, is typical of the aims
and work of the observatory up to the
present time. There is little doubt but
that the large telescopes lately acquired
will be chiefly used ins the interests of
captivating and lofty pursuit to search for
new worlds and analyze the stellar beams,
still the path of duty will ever remain
higher even than the stars.
A few observatories not especially
pledged to shield the mariner from the
dangers of the deep have also won promi-
nence without very large instruments,
owing to the popular nature OF the work In
which they have been successful. Among
these are the observatories of Brera, Milan;
of Harvard and of Potsdam, near Berlin.
The first named, one OF the most ancient
in Italy, has published an ephemeris since
1775, when Lagrange, the famous French
geometer, was its director, and under a
succession Of eminent directors it has been
vigilant watchtower of the heavens.
AS seen in the illustration it is some
what medieval in aspect, though the oc-
tagonal structure has been renovated to
suit the equipments of later times.
In 1877, when the planet Mars was favor
ABLY situated for observation. G. V. Schia-
parelli, the present director, announced
the discovery of the canals which have
since held the public mind captivated with
the idea of an Inhabited sister world and
its vast engineering industries.
These startling discoveries were made
with an sLs-inch refractor, mere pigmy
conn pared with the giants that have since
searched in vain for the strange formations.
In 1881 he announced that the canals were
double in some cases, and again the scien-
tific world was compelled to listen in help
less doubt. On the completion of the