The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1899-10-13

ing telescope Is also being built nov
in the instrument shop Of the observa
tory, and will be mounted in anothe.
building at some future time. AZ &.
stands equipped the Yerkes Observa
tory cost 100000. 1t is the most com
plete In the world, with refractno
telescope forty inches In diameter
Next in order is the Lick Observatorr
on Mount Hamilton, with Its thirtv-e,s
inch refractOr, and third In order j
the Imperial Observatory at Pulkowo
Russia, with lens thirty inches in an,
ameter.
Home of the Telescope.
The building is In the form NJ a
Latin cross, the longer axis Of which
lies due east and west. A great nina.
ty-foot dome completes the wester,
end and twenty-six foot and tbirtv,
foot domes terminate the north ana
south transepts. The body of tho
building is divided into laboratories
libraries, offices, computing rooms ana
Photographic dark rooms. The ground
floor is equipped as an instrument
shop, making this the only observa-
tory in the world which manufactures
its apparatus under the direct super.
vision of those who use them. This
gives unexampled facilities for tho
application of new methods of re-
search, and already more than dozen
intricate machines have been con-
structed and used successfully. The
observatory is built of yellow brick
ornamented with futed columns carved
at the bases with gargoyles and other
| symbolic devices. The corridors and
stairs are finished in white marble
delcately veined in green and the
wood is of massive oak.
The observatory has a little life OF
its own. Professors in charge have
built their homes along the lake, and
a small colony of scientists has gath
cred about the big telescope. DR.. Hale.
the director. has a beautiful cottage
a short distance away. Prof. Barnard,
Of the observatory staff, and one of the
best-knOwn of American astronomers,
has built a homelike house of South
ern architecture commanding a grand
view of the lake. Here he and his
charming wife dispense hospitality to
many a visitor, and on the front porch
the most distinguished astronomers Of
this country and of Europe have
smoked an after dinner cigar and dis
cussed the puzzle problems of the uni
verse.
Much Of the work at the Yerkes OBJ
servatory during the past eighteen
months has been of a kind which
could not be accomplished at any other
in the world. In all observations
which involve minute measurements
of the highest precision the Yerkes
telescope is unrivaled. The measure
ment of the motions of the stars,
which approach or recede from the
earth, are of great Importance, as data
gathered from these throw light upon
the movements of the entire solar sys-
TEN. To this problem, the greatest in
astronomy, DR.. Hale. Prof. Frost and
Mr.. Ferdinand Ellerman have applied
themselves.
The sun, with all its attendant plan
rushing toward the star Vega. or Al
pha, of the Tyre, at the inconcelvable
rate of ten miles a second. Vega is
one of the most beautiful stars in the
heavens and can be seen now near
the zenith on any fair evening. Prob
ably since the life of man began, per-
haps since the universe was born, our
solar system has been speeding toward
this star. In the life of a generation
the sun comes hundreds of millions Of
miles nearer its destination. But in
many generations, to all appearances,
this approach would not be percepti-
BILE The journey, so far as mortals
are concerned, must be eternal.
When, where and how. if ever. did
this journey begin; when, where and
how, If ever. will it end? is the great
est of the unsolved problems of astron-
omy.