The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
IN UNDERGROUND OBSERVATORY.
Prof. watson's Impracticnble Scheme
to study Planets at Midday.
From the .Hiiudukee Sentinel.

to study Planets at Midday.
From the Miraukee Sentinel.
MADISON Wis, Aug. 5.-The little build
ing crouched on the south side OF OBJ
servatory Hill could tell a story OF life
sacrificed in the cause OF science. Prof.
James c. Watson spent the last cent he
had in building it and died OF congestion
Of the lungs brought on by exposure, just
as the structure was nearing completion.
His ideas were carried out. but were found
to be erroneous. BY means OF this OBJ
servatory Astronomer Watson thought he
could study the stars during the daytime
and especially two planets which he
thought he saw circling the sun inside the
orbit OF Mercury
To the uninitiated this little house looks
like a very ordinary piece OF masonry;
but 1t isn't. 1t covers, as a lid to tea
pot, a cellar that is something over nifty
FIVE feet deep. On the crest OF the hill
above the little house is an oblong mass
OF red brick, covered with thick plank
door. Lifting this door you see tunnel
eighteen inches in diameter that pene
trates the hill. If you dropped down this
tunnel you would land at the bottom of
low. This sounds like a description OF
Jacobs ladder" in Anthony Hopes tale.
The Prisoner OF Zenda." Prof. Watson
thought that by placing a telescope at the
bottom of the tunnel in the cellar he could
see the stars Just as they are seen at
noon day from the bottom of deep well
or canon. What he wanted in particular
to study was two planets that he sup
posed he saw during total eclipse Of the
sun in 1873.
This observatory Is known to the scien
tifc world as the Watson Solar observa
tory and the experiment was watched with
greatest interest by astronomers all over
the world. After Watson's tragic death
his successor, Edward S Holden, tried to
carry out the idea, but he met with only
partial success. 1t now appears that the
luminous bodies that Watson saw were
not planets but two fixed stars that oCcu-
pied the same relative position at certain
periods that Watson thought his planets
did
Prof Watson was the first director OF
Washburn observatory. lie was a very
large man, with dense black hair and
beard. Prior to his coming to Wisconsin
he had held the position OF head astrono-
mer at the Michigan State University and
was considered one OF the leading Amer!-
can scientists in his special field, He died
in the prime Of life
This afternoon Prof. George Comstock,
| the present director OF Washburn observ-
| atory, stopped work on his report to the
| President as member OF the board Of
visitors to the United States naval OBJ
| servatory at Washington. long enough to
| tell the history of the unique building that
| sits at the foot Of the hill just below the
directors window. ITS queer story" he
said. about forty years ago a Frenchman
| by the name of La Nerier imagined that
| he had discovered a planet revolving about
the sun inside the orbit OF Mercury. This,
| of course, attracted great attention, and
| search made for II during the total
solar eclipse of 1878. Prof. j. G. Watson,
| a former director of this observatory, but
| at that time connected with the observ
| atory of Michigan, went out TO Wyoming to
search for La Verer's planet, where he
| would be aided by the clear atmosphere.
| He returned filled with the belief that he
| had discovered two planets where only one
| had been suspected. Coming to Wisconsin
| in the same year, he endeavored TO raise
| funds for the construction OF an observ-
| atory and apparatus which would enable
| him to see and observe these planets at all
| times of the day instead of at total cClipses
| of the sun.
Finding it diflcult to obtain funds he
constructed at his own expense the build
ing now known as the Watson solar OBJ
the south. The distinctive feature OF this
| structure is the very deep cellar connected
| by an underground passage with the hol-
| low brick piers at the top of the hill It
| was WatsOn's intention to place a mirror
| on the pier and reflect down the tube into
| the cellar rays of light coming from any
| desired part OF the sky and by means OF
| a telescope in the cellar to examine in
broad daylight the stars just as they are
to be seen from the bottom OF deep well
| He did not live to see the completion
OF his plan, but he died believing in the
| certain success OF his undertaking. After
his death in 1880 his successor, Edward
| S Holden, cndeavored to carry out Wat
sons scheme, but met with no very great
degree OF success.
''Thc long tube up which the telescope
was pointed was of some advantage in the
daytime But stars were never dscerncd
so faint as the planets Watson supposed ht
| had discovered. 1t now appears probable
| that Watson was mistaken in regard to his
planets. They have never been seen since
| 1875, and evidence is strong to show that hi
observed by mistake two fixed stars which
exist in the region where he supposed he
found the planets
Now the queerly constructed little house
IS occupied by two students who get out
OF bed at unearthy hours of the morning
to note tho temperature, the amount OF
rainfall the velocity OF the wind, and thu
half hundred little routine matters that e
with the running OF a big astronomical OBJ
servatory. A part of the legendary history
OF the University of Wisconsin tells how
freshman was initiated into one OF the fra
ternities by being slid down the tube from
the sun dial TO the cellar.