The Holly chieftain., 1898-11-18
PEATE's GREAT LENS.

A Pennsylvania Preacher Grinds the
Largest Reflector in the
World.
John Peate, Methodist preacher OF
Granville, Pa, has just completed the
largest silver-on-glass telescope lens
in the world.
DIR. Peate, who is rs years old, de.
vised most of the machinery for the
delicate work as he went along, and
now that his telescope is completed he
will present it to the Methodist uni.
versity in Washington.
Fifteen or 20 years ago DR.. Peate
became interested in making lenses,
but except some slight technical in
struction from John A. Brashear, the
Pittsburgh lens-maker, his achieve-
ment is the result of his own expert.
ments. He could have ordered the
glass from the ST. Gobin's works, in
France, where for centuries very many
large telescope lenses have been cast,
or from Alvah Clark, of Cambridge.
But. DR.. Peate did not have the money
to send to France, neither is the uni
versity very rich.
Besides, DIR. Peate is a thorough
American, and 1t was matter Of pride
with him that all the work for his
mammoth telescope should be done in
America. A small plate-glass COM
pany al Butler, Pa, undertook to make
the cast for him. The first four mold
ings were failures, the fifth a sue
cess.
In the meantime good Methodist
workmen had built little shop for
DR.. Peate, and the minister himself
laid the bricks of the chimney. As soon
as the casting was finished the glass
was brought from Butler and placed
on big revolving table in the middle
of this workroom.
Then with grinder weighing 900
pounds, worked by four-horse-power
gas engine, his own invention, DR..
Peate began the formidable task OF
smoothing and polishing the rough
surface OF the glass.
For three years the old man has
worked at his seh-imposed task, and
at last his labor has been rewarded.
The lens is perfect. Experts have pro-
nounced it f1awless. 1t is 62 inches in
diameter. 5ss inches thick, and weighs
1900 pounds. 1t will be mounted as an
equatorial in tube 80 feet long. The
cost of so mounting will run up into
the thousands of dollars.
The Peate lens is 22 inches greater
in diameter than the Yerkes lens, but
81 te L.
the Yerkes glass, like most modern
telescope lenses, is n refractor. DR..
Peate's mammoth speculum Is now
the largest telescope in the world that
is in use, partly because astronomers
have in recent years generally pre-
ferred the refracting lens. For this
reason the telescope of Lord Rose,
the most gigantic telescope ever con-
structed, is not now used. This enor-
nous instrument has clear aperture
of six feet and focal length Of 81
feet. 1t has two specula, one about
az, the other about four tons in
weight. For many years, however, the
Rosse tower has been closed.-N. Y.
World.
New Discoveries In Gutta Percha.
1t has been the custom in order to
obtain gutta percha TO make incisions
Into trees and utilize the exudations
which accumulate in large
Jumps or cakes. This continuous
bleeding to which the tree was sub
jected finally destroyed It.. Latterly
the leaves of the tree have been used,
and It Is found that they not only
furnish an article superior in qualityto
to that obtained by the old process,
but that this can be secured with
out injury to the tree itself. Orchards
OF these trees are set out and must be
renewed at intervals in order to keep
up the supply. The product obtained
from the leaves is less expensive and
of very much higher grade than any
PREVIOUSLY secured. 1t is usable for
much more delicate work than the
ordinary gutta percha, Is more elias
tic and resists the action Of the strong
est acids. Unlike the ordinary prod |
not, It has high value even In the
last stages Of its usefulness. Twenty
hve per cent. Of the original value OF |
the material has been paid for scraps.
refuse and worn-out articles. The ad.
Of this new discovery are q
finer article at less cost and . ma.
terial that has a high cash value as
long a. bit of 1t Is left.-N. Y. Ledger
Nc Help fer Il.
"Do you know that woman's smile
may wreck ! man's hearth
3 swell, suppose that has happened,
for under our system OF ciyilisn ton, OF
course, : man can't be married 10
every woman who happens to throw :
smile IN hls direction" = Cleveland
Lander.