The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-05

Prof. Edward S. Holden, formerly OF the
Naval Observatory. has completed re-
| view of the growth of Astronomical science
| in America, which he has addressed TO the
/ various learned and scientific bodies OF
Europe and this country. Extracts from
Prof. Holden's work are as follows:
1T is impossible. even in the briefest
sketch, not 10 emphasize the debt of
American science and, learning TO the intel
| Iigent interest and patronage OF our early
| Observation-Disclosures John Adams,
| Jefferson, Madison. Monroe, and John
Quincy Adams The powerful impetus
given by them, and through them, has
shaped the liberal policy OF our govern
| ments, national and state, toward educa-
ton and toward science. Sir Lyon Play
| fair, in his address to the British Associa-
| ton for the Advancement of Science (IS85),
has recognized this influence in the truest
and most graceful way. He said: In the
| United Kingdom We are just beginning TO
understand the wisdom of Washington 3
| Farewell Address to his countrymen
(l136}, when he said: Promote them, as
an object of primary Importance, institu-
lions for the general diffusion OF knowI-
edge. In proportion as the structure of a
! government gives force TO public crinion,
! II is essential that public opinion should
| be enlightened
! Until the Revolution (1776) american
planted. and 1t looked to the Royal So
ciety OF London as s censor and patron.
| Winthrop, Franklin. ind Ritteahouse were
! more or less, Eng: n astronomers Frank
| lin was the sturdiest American Of the
/ three. AS early as 1743 he suggested the
formation of the American Philosophical
| Society Of Philadelphia. John Adams
! fouHfed the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences in Boston in 1880 These
/ two societies. together with Harvard Col
| lego founded in 1880. Yale College
! t17OD, the University OF Virginia found
! ed by JEFFERSON in 1920 ant the United
! States Military Academy at West Point
! (1SGD, were the chief foci from which the
/ light OF learning spread. Other colleges
/ were formed, or forming, ali over the
Eastern and Middle States during the caIly
F., years of the century.
| The leading school of pure science was
| the Military Academy at West Point. and
! it continued to hold this place until the
| civil war Of 1861 From its corps of pro-
/ fessors and students it gave two chiefs to
| the United States Coast Survey; and the
army, particularly the Corps Of Engineers
/ provided many observers 10 that scientific
! establishment besides furnishing a large
| number OF professors and teachers Of sci
| ence 10 the colleges Of the country. The
| Coast Survey was a school of practice for
! army Officers. and their experience was
utilized in Numerous b0un ling surveys dur
| ing the period of 1S30-1S50. Col J. d.
| Graham, for example, was astronomer of
| the survey OF the boundary between Texas
and the United States in 1S30-40.
The Coast Survey began its work in 1917
| under Hassier a professor from West
Point, who impressed upon the establish
ment thoroughly scientific direction
Bache, his successor Ia grandson of Ben
1amin franklin was a graduate OF West
Point IN the class OF 1925 and took charge
of ttlsa-
Their Of the institution and gave Ii the
practical efficiency and high standard which
characterized its work
The establishment OF a national obser-
Yatory in Washington was proposed bv
John Quincy Adams in 1925, but it was not
until 1914 that the United States Naval OBJ
serYatory was built by Lieutenant GiIIiss
OF the navy from plans which he had pre-
pared BY what seems 10 have been an
injustice Gilliss was rot appointed to be lis
hrst director, although he afterward occu-
pied that position between the years
1S61-65
The first corps of observers at Washing
ton tle35) contained. however men of first
class ability-Walker, Hubbard. Coffin. To
the men just named with Pierce GouIa
and Chanvenet, and 70 their coadjutors and
pupils, we owe the introduction of the
methods of Ganss. BesseI, and Strive into
the United States. and its is for this reason
mat american astronomy is the child of
German and not OF English science.
In 1917 the two largest telescopes in
the world were those of the Imperial OBJ
seryatoTy Of Russia (Pouikoya) and its
companion at Cambridge in the United
STATES. Each of these instruments has a
long and honorable history. Their WORK
mas been very different Who shall saw
that one has surpassed the other? We owe
10 BOND and his son the discovery of the
all
ring TO that planet. the introduction of
stellar Photography, the invention of the
cnronograph by which the electric current
IS employed in the registry of observa-
tons, the conduct OF several chrouornetrir
expeditions between Liverpool and Boston
TO determine the transatlantic longitude
and host Of minor discoveries an6 obser
vaIieus 7>-
thlliss visited France for study in 1885
before he took up his duties at Washing,
lon The text books of Bond and Gilbss
were the ASTRONOMERS Of Vince Q79T-lS0Sl
ana OF Pearson (1S24-1829) The younger
BOND George Phillips Bond, born 1925. !
harvard college, 1874 director of Harvard |
College Observatory 1889 1869, and his |
contemporaries, on the other hand were |
firmIy grounded in the German methods |
ehenr as now, the most PHILOSOPHICAL and |
thorough 'NA anu
1t was not until 1850 or later that II |
was indispensable for an American as /
1Fonomef TO read the German language |
and to make use of the memoirs NJ Rrs |
sci, Encke and Strive and the textbool,s
OF SaWltsch and Brunow This general |
acquaintance with the German LANGUAGE !
anu methods came nearly IA generation |
later IN England. The traditions of Piaz-
Il ana ortani came to America with the |
jesuit fathers of Georgetown Caufgs
tiS441, OF whom Secchi and Sestini are /
the best known
The dates of the foundation of a few
ohservatories of the UniLed States NAV
be set down here. Those utilized for the
observation of the transit of Venus In
lIs9 were temporary stations merely The
FIRST COLLEGE observatory was that of
Chapel Hill, n. c. (1S3D; Williams Col
lege followed 1880; Hudson Observable
ry, Ohio (1S3S) the Philadelphia High
School QS40); the Dana House Observa-
tory Of Harvard College 0S40); West
Point GS411; the United States Naval Cb-
servatory GS44; the Georgetown College
observatory QS44); the Cincinnati Oh
seryatory QS45); the new ebserya tory at
Harvard College (1846); the private oh
seryatory of DR.. Lewis M Rutherford in
New York city (1S4S); the observatory
at Ann Arbor QS541; the Dudley Observa-
tory. at Albany (18561, and that of Ham
ilton College (1S56).
These dates and the summary history
Just given serve to indicate the situa ton ;
of astronomy in the United States dur
Ing the first half of the present century (,
little attention to. the dates viii en-