Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-18
LARGEST LENS EVER MADE.
IL fs gnieudsd for tie Y"rkra Tel,
sr,u. nu,t t,asts SGp uOn

1t fs Iniend'd for the Ycrkra TsIe'
scope ami Costs 100000.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, May lS.-From
ClarR's lens wor Ike, Cambridge, has
been shipped in n special parlor cal
Two discs which form the lens for tn,
Yerkes telescope, the largest lens evel
made. The Car WAS attached to tn.
Chicago express. Prof. Clark. the
maker OF the lens, Carl Ludin, his
foreman, who has spent several year;
In polishing the great dists, and an
other workman accompanied the val
liable csrgu.
The greatest care was taken that nc
harm should beiall the two discs, and
In their large cases In the center of the
car they Were 30 adjusted on spring,
that the joltiag will not damage them
Guards nave been stationed at both
doors OF the car and every preos u ION
taken that outsiders anu curiosity
aeeksrs shall In no way interfere with
the transfer OF the lens. Then, too,
they were Insured for their full value
while IN transit.
This Yerkes lens Ia the largest and
flnest In the world. II represents near
ly six years OF careful labor, and com.
P'o'o1 80 soiuou Nv poo,VVV. luo kiAs
came from tue factory OF Ma tons in
Paris, + snce. Toe lens is Ala inche 8
on the surface dismeter anu weighe
Ola pounds. The exposed surface or
aperture is forty inches, the other inch
anu halt being taken up by the cas-.
ing. This makes 1t lust four inch es
larger than the Lick telescope lens
which was also made by tbs Clarks
and has held the place OF honor in tn 9
world of astronomy.
Tho great lens consists Of two separ.
ate lenses OF differing density and
shape, separated whom In use by q
space OF several inches. The outer one,
which comes In contact with the
atmosphere, is made OF a per.ect piece
OF crown glass. 1t 10 double convex,
two and three, quarters OF an ZACH al
the edge and weighs 205 pounde.
The inner lens 10 maue OF nint glass,
and Ia what is known as piano con-
cave. 1t is one and one-eignth inches
IN thickness at the center and two
inches at the edge; 1t weighs BIZ
pounds.
Both lenses are adjusted to an iron
ring and Cell, and the total weight OIL
the glass and iron casing is l,OOC
pounds.
The focal distance Of the lens Is 81
feet.
The packing OF the lens was one Of
the IN ost interesting features OF lheil
history. Fret, they were carefully and
smoothly wrapper In flannel, sewed
tightly at the eiget; then they wer.
covered with several thick Bess of sof
Tissue paper and then wrapped In hare
paper and encased in bed OF cotton
batting,silk and curled hair in strona
box.
This box was mounted upon sprlngs
and placed within larger box aud
packed with excelsior. The SPRING.
within the outer casing, between thai
ana the inner box, are designed to de-
tract from any jar that the outer case
may sustain anu thus save the len,
ir0E the effects OF almost any shook.
The great glass dies for these lenses
were cast ia Paris and year wa.
taken up in preparing the material q nd
casting dozen or more before 2 Der.
feet one was secured.
The care, the skill, the patience
which have been expended In or nd.
Ing the lOnses is marvellous. When
completed the lens was mounted in a
temporary telescope tube and tested
for nifty nights and found perfect.
Had there been u deviation of a
SPIDERS strand 1t would have been
useless.