The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-03
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! CIr1ON NEWCOnB. $
: ~ With worlds Greatest =
: Astronomer aeoatH Himself and His Work -
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ted il % one q his frserds. who vas
mathematician and this man said that
whgIe e was original. Il was hardly %
gafap fsr publication. Prof. Henry wrote
ma a ksnS letter regarding - When /
revf weut - Washington ! called mpon
hlra ana later Or ne secured M the up
gssfnfraenf. The $agttcss Almanac was
fhen published al Cambridge and while
~ work there ! was able 20 attend the
Fsaarreure Scientific Scheol, ard fer the
first time had access 10 tse best books
ur3n sa-ieafifc SUBJECTS Later on I Was
appointed professor n fhe navy. the Office
~ tie Almanac was moved here, and
WIS assigned 70 duty in the naval obser-
vatory al Washington
Methods eff Work.
During ia talk | asked Prof Newcail17
10 tel me- some thing of his habits % wor'S-
He replied y don't know that I have
auy peculiar methods II working. 7 have
several rules, one r TO 20 10 bed early
ard stay there as long as I can. another
is 10 cat xziI and 70 take plenty Of time 70
Il and 4 third rule IS 10 get IN as much
time for amusement as can. What l
have left after This use fof my work.
This statement ~ Prof. Newcunb - N
amusement. however, should be taken
with a grain 81 salt. for what may be
amusement TO him would be hard work 20
rnanT other men For instance. not long
!
fesslon and political economy as his re
taxation he has writer some very i'm
rortant works on pol tscal economy. IN
ISIS BE- published a book entitled "A Critt-
cal Exam ina ton OF cur Flnaneiai POI
lcy." in AZ his 3 Of Finance" had a
large <air. rud his hook ON ''Pohtical
Economy" published III 1sSh. IS used N
some % the schools. He has written other
school books OF various kinds. and year
dfes not pass that he does rot give one o.
more scientific addresses. Mrs. Newcomo
says that At times IN his life he mas
worked very hard. Said she. when he
Vas computing The changes Of the moon
he would often keep on until he was tired
out when he would say. I must have
nap before / can do anything more. Wake
me In fifteen minutes, He would then lay
his head down on the table and go 10
sleep. Sometimes he has slept that way
with his head on my shoulder. going back
10 his calculations after few moments
rest"
As a rule however Prof. NewcOmb ia
very careful Of his habits. he goes 10 bel
regularly. and when his hour for retiring
cones he excuses himself, no matter VINO
may be calling upon him For years his
nights were spent AT the observatory. and
ne has had TO adopt the most rigid rules
20 preserve hts health
In Paris I'm the Days of shc Commune.
man he discovered that the calculations
Of the astronomers as 10 the movements
or the heavenly bodies were based upon
wrong premises. and could not be accu-
rate. In order for any good work to he
done the researches and work of years
would have To he gone over and male
right. This work was SO enormous tina.
any one elss would not have dared to at
tempt II. Prof Newcomb not only at
tempted but carried il out. lie was In
Europe engaged IN examining the records
Of he great ohserNatories at the time OF
the Fran O-PrLssian war, and ri its close
went 10 Paris 20 make his calculations
there. He entered the city Just at the end
OF the sieye Mrs. Newcomh being the first
English woman TO come into Paris after
ifs capitulatou. Then the horrors Of the
Commune came on, and fOr six weeks
! Prof Newcomb figured away in The OBJ
servatorv. Part OF the time the Windows
were rafting with the fire Of tho mus
Retry outside and in goiug to tho obser-
vatory he had 20 pass the barricadss In the
streets. Think Of figuring amid such sur
rouadiugs Think also OF the power OF
concs ntrdtion Of mind needed 10 do the
figuring required The observations he
used for his work We're those of the AS
truuomtrs rup1ing back through period
Of 80 years. lie had 20 90 over their cal
cuiafiops 10 see II they were correct. lie
had 10 see IL the clock they used was
right by estimating from the position OF
the stars wnat the time must have been
TO a second FOR a clock five minutes out
o. the Way would have made all Of his
work useless. As an example OF his skill
I'm such work ne was not long ago looking
/ over an eclipse observed somewhere In
the northern Pacific about loo years ago
- some Russian astronomers. when he
said: That must be wrong. Their
watches must have mjsled them and
; u sN-.r AaE
made tho mistake OF "a day III the date Of
thcir az eryattons.
When ] asked Prof Newcomb as to
the danger Of his work ta Paris az the
time al tre commune nc said it had becn
/ u,teb ayrTestimatcd. and that m was not
az aA moleated there during his labors
asked him If he enjoyed mathematical
calculation.
Ho replied: Did not. ] should never
have made it my life work"
Something Ahout Telescopes
Trof Newcomh prohabl knows rs much
about telescopes as any man on earth.
It was he who supcriuteled the
construction and mounting Of thc great
fcisseogs ~ our naval ohserNa ,orH iu fN1&
This telescope bad diameter of - inches
ANA * vas for some years The largest
telescope IT the world Later on TIE Rus-
H.au 5 3t srnmeat wanted 3 telescope. Al
. engagements wsre pending toward me
w ktaE sf contract Tor stE construction
/ in knrnpt vhcn the Russian commission
,rs ent TO ths United States 70 get the
FaViee Of Prof Newcomb lie replied
}hnt the best telescope maker living Wa,
i0 as United States and tho result was
& fnat the ecrnmfssi oners yer1c here and
+ Air- NeWcamb introduced them 90 Alyan
Clark He supervised the contract ana
( thc ria king 81 tho greet telescope which
hgt th.1 ordered Fo~ Ais services ia
th.s work the ear sent Prof New
uu@ -utt-eu' Jasper vase ou a
..tae.tH of ala * mart'c. THIS taec now
-saes -n tts rar'7~ "a Prot Ncwcor1b's
hane -01 De seru}s more proud cf it i}}an
of hfs monument in tho ad3 1ta5cr library.
e1Hesstins OF volumes uron volumes Of
/ ~ - an8 tah.,s 81 which he is tne
-u(ha-
Il was Pref Nswenub vho super
intended ta. mounting ~ thc l1ck trlc-
~ycpe. 4rt hc wiN I sr, tofd make an
a.Are~> at 'fa coming ee's1rat4ou ~ enc
VutttaE rags NJ tse fe,kt= t.b+1cpc dur
+ iaG Pa n~asen. rs rfh
>tti itavc too5 Tcic>rope Makers.
ask-d Tr.s Newoc- d whether .h0