New-York tribune., 1901-12-22

TO OBSERVE SOUTHERN SKIES
TELESCOPE FOR LICK OBSERVATORY IN
CHILI-THE GIFT OF D. o. MILLS.
IBy TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE.I

TBy TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
San Francisco, Dec. 21.-Harron, Rickard &
McCone, who have taken over the business Of
the Parke & Lacy Company long esta bIished
machinery firm of this city. have just completed
contract with the Lick Observatory for the
mounting OF a large rejecting telescope. From
the Lick Observatory one can observe stars situ-
ated between the North Pole and circle thirty
degrees south of the Edaator; but the stars from
thirty degrees south to the South Pole cannot
be observed from there. It is, therefore, desir-
able that powerful telescope be located in the
southern hemisphere to extend the work to the
South Pole.
In November, 1900, DR.. Campbell called the at
tention Of D. o. Mills, of New-York to the de-
STABILITY Of providing such an observatory in
the southern hemisphere, and he gave sum of
money 10 construct a telescope, q spectre
scope, dome 10 cover them, to defray the ex-
pense of installing the observatory in the SOUTH
ern hemisphere. and to pay the salaries of the
astronomers engaged in the work
AS the Investigations to be made entirely
by photography, it is more advantageous to
make use of rejecting telescope than of re-
tractor. The Brashear Company of Allegheny,
Penn are constructing mirrors to be used in
the telescope mounting. The principal mirror,
to be placed in the lower end Of the great tube,
will be of glass. 36a4 inches in diameter; the
it's upper surface viii be ground to a parabolic
form of great perfection and covered with a
thin deposit Of silver When this silver is pol
ished it will reflect the light from star very
perfectly bringing it to focus 1Il2 feet from
the surface of the mirror
In the axis Of the tube four feet below the
focal point where the diameter Of the beam OF
light is still 972 inches. convex silver on a
glass mirror will be placed. This will turn the
ray backward through a hole in the centre OF
the great rlirroc. and these rays will come 10 a
focus eighteen inches below the rejecting sur
face of the great mirror. This point is thirteen
inches below the lower end Of tha great tube
thoroughly modern Photographic spectre
scope is under construction and nearly completed
at Lick Observatory. This spectroscope VIII De
attached 20 the lover end of the great tube IN
such a way that light from star will enter the
s.,ectroscope. The l!grt passes through the tele-
scopes and prisms making up the spectroscope,
and falls upon a Photographic plate suitably
placed. The photographs obtained will enable
observers to determine. the motions of the indf-
viduai stars observed, and, more important still,
the results for the stars observed VIII be com
bined with the results for the northern heni-
sphere obtained at Mount Hamilton in such
way that 1t will be possible TO determine from
the data the motion of the solar system through
space The telescope VIII be moved by clock
work to follow star. As soon as the mirrors
have been completed the apparatus Will be as
sembled on Mount Hamilton for testing. 1t VIII
then be carefully packed and shipped to Chilli.
where the observing station Will be selected,
probably in the vicinity of Santiago. or on the
summit of the range OF mountains between San
tiagO and Valparaiso
DR.. W. ". Campbell, director of the Lick OBJ
servatory will go to Chill to select the station
and install all the appartus. The work there
after will be in charge of Professor William II.
Wright who with one or more assistants VIII
be engaged for two three years in observing
list of stars distributed uniformly pos
sible over the region lying within 60 degrees Of
the South Pole.