New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-13

work than it Is credited with would be hard TO tell
No doubt the old site not all that could be de-
sired Still. after Professor T. s. Holden made
extensive tour in Colorado in 1878 for the pur
pose of selecting a better one he did feel justi
fed in recommending the Rocky Mountains for
this purpose Accordingly, the instrument set
up in Washington little to the Of the White
House In 1872 1t was taken down. the objective
carefully removed. and two three years
elapsed before it remounted in the new obser-
vatory on Georgetown Heights. A tube. pier
and clock were provided, and apparatus for hosting
the observer was also put in to modernize the
equipment. Perhaps the most famous achieve
OF the moons of Mars in 1871. That event naturally
produced sensation Still, the long series OF
of Saturn. Uranus and Neptune made at the naval
observatory. together with the resulting atoms
Value F '""''' u '''e ''''' nave great S''e'''''''
For many years there was spirited controversy
over the control of this observatory. Naval officers
felt that of Their number should be placed in
insisted that 1t should be to the civil
fans who had special training in astronomical
nominal head, as he had been before a naval
officer. but gave the astronomical staff slightly
larger powers. At present the head astronomer OF
this National Institution is Professor William
trae less than ten years ago on Mount Hamilton.
near San Jose Cal. has proven credit to the
orywo hundred feep sea v se The ob
Ject glass has diameter OF thrty-six inches and
Barnard discovered the fifth satellite Of Jupiter
Photographs Of the moon, unrivalled IN size beauty
! the Paris Observa tory have been obtained with
the "a aid Of that glass which WAS also employed by
star work The Lick Observatory has also en-
ACNE the quality OF Wh was no doubt
promoted by the gift by d. 0. Mills Of excep-
prSsssor Enc ssn In rs
recently wrote TO friend In the East
WORK ON MOUNT HAMILTON.
THE chief problem 10 be solved with our large
telescope Is TO determine the motion Of the solar
system as a whole through space by Of
spectroscopic observations of stors This was be-
gun by Professor Keller In 1889 (visually) and Is
now continued by Professor Campbell (photo-
graphically. The photographs of the moon
planets and star clusters can be made with great
advantage here with the 36-inch glass. and this
kind Of work will be continued"
II ought to be added that when the Lick tele-
sS is to be used f1r instead Of
Dd an inches sens d faed s
1ssed outside a the SeJeG5 glass Director Hodens
made many mcrometric measurements OF satel-
made use Of he crossley reaecing telescope. pre-
poses besides Messrs. Cotton. Aiti On and Tucker
tory is about seventy-five miles northwest Of chi
cago and th:rty-eght miles west OF Lake Michi-
81 feet above. the surface Of Lake Geneva i,so6
feet north of the shore and more than a mile from
a railway station. The building is shaped like
letter T, the stem Of II running east and west and
the reaching north and south at the east end
The view afforded In one Of the accompanying H.
Illustrations, is tina, obtained from the southwest
Tho big telescope has been mounted under q dome
81 feet across. ct the western extremity OF the
structure. Smaller domes rise at the nor, heaseru
and southeastern corners Under TIE former "a
Finch glass has already been set up and event
eastern wing Although Il is not probable that
quite pure and steady air will be found ut
night Mount Hamilton IL Is hoped that in
the daytime less trouble Will be experienced from
local atmospheric currents than the Lick Obser-
vatory. Mountain peaks have their Disadvantages
as well advantages: and as an important branch
OF the work undertaken at Lake Geneva will
late 10 the sun II has been necessary to consider
DAYTIME conditions well noctii nal ones. Tie
belief has been expressed. moreover. that In the