Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-16

The artisan passed his hand over the
result of his labor with a gesture OF en-
dearment almost The glass rested on
two pine sticks and looking into II one
could sec glory OF prisriatic co'or'ng.
The glae% N twenty-five inches across
and will have. when set, a clear aperture
OF twenty-four inches II Is five eishths
OF an inch thick The fiat glass Is j LIZ
inches thick. The foreman would not
say how much the glass Was worth, ohiy'
You may say thousands.
He added that the cost OF the completeu
telescope would not be FAR from s-"."''
In the worlds biggest lens. from before
which Mr. Lundin withdrew a white cur
tain TO give "a view. the raw material
alone cost more than $1,000
MIR. Lowelrs telescope VII have rocaI
length Of II feet inches. and II VIII
weigh in the neighborhood OF four tons
The casting for the centre section or the
tube weighs about 1000 pounds. and as
II lies in the shop IL looks as big as
piece Of the largest water-pipe ever put
undeNrourfd The castings are all OF
iron. and were made in Cambridge
foundry. The shaft on which the cube Will
revolve weighs 100 pounds. IL has been
on a lathe In the shop since early au-
tumn, and a workman has worked on IL
every day Not far from him another
workman has been constructing the clock
work mechanism by when the great
instrument is to be operated.
So delcate,y will this mechanism be
adjusted that the observer can raise and
lower the telescope or focus II on any
part Of the heavens by simple move
ment of the hand.
Mr. Lundn explained how this could be
done. and went into the details Of con-
struction with lot OF blua-prnts OF
plans In front OF him. The foreman said
there was no more than time enough In
which to complete the work. as the In
strumen( had to be ready for shipment
by spring. 1t will necessarily be shipped
in pieces. The precious lens Will be sewed
up in cloth and packed In stout oox
with plenty OF horsehair around II. TOO
much care cannot be exercised In snip
ping a piece OF glass worth thousands,
they think at the Clark establishment,
or in guarding II in the shop A mischiev-
Gus person armed with diamond. or
even with a. sharp nail, could. with one
motion Of the hama. render valueless one
OF these exceedingly valuable lenses. for
they are no harder than ordinary win
dow-glass. and their polished surfaces
make chem very susceptible TO the effect
of contact with other substances.
Where Mr. Lowelrs telescope will be
installed depends upon the result of his
present journey, but II must be trans
ported many thousand miles. at any rate,
after II leaves the shop. IL Is agreed that
Africa and Peru are the best places for
observations OF Mars on Its next move
ment toward the earth. Whichever coun-
try Mr. Lowell decides on, he is pretty
sure to have some territory remote from
railroads to travel through, so the
he half N
precious lens OF his telescope will be
transported by horsepower. or, possibly.
cameI-power, before they are finally as
sembled and set TO work In the interest
OF science
In his observatory at Flagstaff. Ariz..
Mr. Lowell has done a great deal OF
work OF vast Importance to science. He
made a long series of observations there
in the summer OF 1894, having an excellent
opportunity, the air being clear and the
sky unobscured nearly every night for
the summer. From these observations he
was able to make the most complete set
of maps Of the surface of Mars ever
drawn
The best map of Mars and its famed
canals that had been made before Mr..
Lowell completed his was that OF the
Italian astronomer. Schaparelli. made In
1855 Mr.. Lowell's map, made I'm Novem-
Der. 1894 confirmed all the details I'm
Schiaparellrs, and added as much more.
The Italian astronomer has devoted all
his life to the study OF the red star Of
war" and has even gone so far as TO
have lenses made containing chemical
properties that would correct them TO the
rudy atmosphere OF the planet but the
modest Boston astronomer has quite left
the noted Italian behind In finding out
things about Mars.
The statements OF Mr.. Lowell. based on
his observations at Flagstaff In 1894. that
the Mars canals" were made by human
beings. and are not glacial or surface
assures, created stir among the astron-
omers OF Europe almost az pronounced
as that caused by the discovery or the
two moons OF Mars by Professor Asoph
Hall Of the Naval Observatory at wash
ington. I'm 1877. The result of Mr. Lowelrs
researches has received the greatest con-
sidera ton from astronomers. and the
outcome OF his next observations will be
awaited with deep interest. With the
specially ground lens being made for him.
having the phenomenal magnifying power
OF 2iOO diametres whereas the lens In
use at Lick Observatory in 1892, when
Mars was very near the earth. had only
700. there is every reason to believe Mr..
Lowell will get a better view Of Mars
than has yet been obtained.
Mars is an eccentric planet. and Is
much nearer the earth at some times
than at others. In 1892 IL was only 5000
OOO miles away II VIII not be so near
again until 1903. The planet Is best stu
died when I'm opposition to the earth
e.. when the earth comes directly be-
| tween II and the sun.
OUR NEiGHBOR.
Mars Is the earth's next-coor neighbor
in relation TO distance from the sun, and
has been found by astronomers TO be
nv far the most interesting planet In our
| solar system 10 study Mars is much
smaller than the earth, its diameter being
4.3s3 miles. and II is much lighter than
the earth. II Is about half as far again
| from the sun as the earth. or l3s.3ll,oc
miles mean distance. TO be exact. though,
its orbit is elliptical and this brings II
| some 100000 miles nearer the sun, and
/ correspondingly near the earth, az per-
helion than at aphelion. Mars makes a
| revolution around the sun once In 6H oil
our days-that being the length OF the
Mars year-its mean rate OF motion be-
/ ing IS miles a second. IL turns on It's
axis in "A hours 81 minutes. The atmos-
pherlc conditions on the planet. so far
as scientists have been able TO study
/ them. are such as to lead TO the belief
that the planet rs Inhabited and the
presence OF the so-called canals Is &C
cepted by some. Mr.. Lowell Included
as evidence that the people are highly
civilized, and are carrying on great en-.
glneering works
The mystery OF all this makes the
study OF the planet OF wonderful fascina
ton. and one can easily see, after look
ing into the subject how mar OF stu
dious inclinations can be led by his en-
thusiasm 10 devote his tirpe and fortune