Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1899-09-13

ing telescope is also being built now
In the instrument shop OF the oDsef'a-
torv and will be mounted III another
huilding at some future time. As II
stands equipped the Aerkes opserVa-
tory cost 100000 1t is the most COM
plete Ia the world. with refracung
telescope forty Inches IN dlameteA
Next in order Is the Lick observatory
Oh Mount Hamilton. with Its thlrty-s1
inch refractor, and third IN order Is
the Imperial Observatory at Puikowa.
Russia. with lens thirty inches III Ill
ameter
Home Of the Telescope.
The building Is In the form or
Latin cross, the longer axis Of which
lies due east and west. A great nine
" foot dome completes the western
end and twenty six foot and thirty
foot domes terminate the north and
south transepts. The body or the
building Is divided into laboratories,
libraries, offices, computing rooms and
Photographic dark rooms. The ground
floor is equipped rs an instrument
shop, making this the only obserya-
tory In the world which manufactures
Its apparatus under the direct super
vision OF those who use them. This
gives unexampled facilities for the
application OF new methods OF re-
search, and already more than dozen
Intricate machines have been CON
strueted and used successfully. The
observatory is built of yellow brick.
Ornamented with fluted columns carved
ut the bases with gargoyles and other
symbolic devices The corridors and
stairs are finished in white marble
delicately veined In green and the
wood Is of massive oak.
The observatory has little life of
its own. Professors in charge have
built their homes along the lake, and
small colony Of scientists has gath
cred about the big telescope. DR.. Hale.
the director, has beautiful cottage
short distance away. Prof. Barnard,
of the observatory staff, and one Of the
best-known OF American astronomers,
has built homelike house Of South
ern architecture commanding a grand
view Of the lake. Here he and his
charming wife dispense hospitality to
many visitor, and on the front porch
the most distinguished astronomers Of
this country and OF Europe have
smoked IN after-dtnner 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 kind which
could not be accomplished ut 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-
tenn 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
cts comprising our solar system, Is
rushing toward the star Vega, or AL
pha, of the Tyre, at the Uncomfortable
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 generation
the sun comes hundreds Of millions Of
miles nearer its destination. But In
many generations, to all appearances,
this approach would not be percepu-
BILE. The journey. 30 far as mortals
are concerned. must be eternal.
When, where and how, II ever, did
this journey begin; when, where and
how, II ever. will 1t end? Is the great
est Of the unsolved problems Of astron-
omy.
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