The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-31
GETTING READY TO MOUNT
WORLDS LARGEST TELESCOPE
Work Under Way Make Available the Reflector
chased by Harvard NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Pickering
in rask-Wonderful Apparatus Brought From Ealing, Eng


n1er mounting - beinG made IN Cambridge,
5nroo9h Inventions and devices. the result
part Of Mr.. Gerrish. this telescope. like no
other in existence. u to be controlled and
opesnted entirely BY electricity. Small
sMlsfhes ss1s.; located st the desk TN the OBJ.
clutches BY means Of which tho telescope
can % swung at various speeds. 4 small
motor: synchrOnized by an accurate clock.
While dials and indicators. also In th. OBJ
serving room. will chow at q glance the
exact position Of the telescope and the mo-
69. daSn with as, !. being impartsi TO il. other
ph0eometric apparatus used by the OBJ
server at the eyepiece.
Thue. while sit,inS comfortably at a
0eSk IN q warm room. unexpOssd to the
weather. fhe observer can carry on his in
vestigastona on the coolest winter night
es easily e on the picasantest summer
evening: BY merely locking down an or
oinary-appe1r1nE tube. inclined in q line
With the polar axis to BE- sure. but inci-
dent1iIy at = perfectly convenient angie
Tor observation. l'e may SEQ all the won-
ned before him. While the recorder. close
BY 0t another desk. without n physical
e6ort beyond the touch Of . button or tho
moving OF . switch. turns tho great In
any Part Of the starry sphere from hort
xon to horizon. a. the observer directs.
What more Interesting and remarkable in
stance Of Twentieth Century progress can
be shown than this trans ssOrmatiO Of the
rapt astronomer. As Ne might picture him
one or two decades ago. pe-ched on the
uneasy seat Of n lofty observing ladder in
dedantly to the hand levers that manipu-
late hi0 instrument. his devoted mind OBJ
llvious to chattering teeth and his eazs
turned eagerly skywasd!
DEvIATE FROM OLD RULE
Another Deviation from the old sQls that
telescope At Csmbridse il the omission to
protect it from the weather BY . shelter
or dome. First plans last year included =
long. low shelter. the roof Of which wAs to
rangement when It vas desired to use the
instrument and IN which the great tube
vas TO BE- swung down and rested horizon
sauy % when e. NJ. not IN u.s.: Al serio:: dis.
aftefwaEd decided By the officers Of the Oh
eervatory to make the experiment for at
least one yeNr OF leaving the Instrument
tare due to . s,mospser.: nos changes " OUTSIDE
does not fnjure m instrument that .s sllei-
tered within a dome. II was argued. Why
should Il suffer from harm from storms? !?
The economy and general convenience Of
such m arrangement. moreover. sr"
ebvtC -. while with moderate amount of
care he telescope can b. kept IN excellent
condition; The p!ate-eiass cover used by
O0ct - Common to protect the great mir
rOr when not in uRs viii b. used for tire
same purpose here The opposite or open
end Of the tube Will BE- covered with can
Of tho tube. through which tho stationary
eveplece connects with the telescope. and
which permits the latter to turn in vari-
ous directions without inter:e ring with the
former. will b also closed whea the in-
0trument n not IN active use.
NEW DISK POLISHED.
When At last the mirror was finished. II
was discovered through repeated trial test
ines and seerind;nRs that . strain !nhcr
en; IN the glass. and caused doubtless By
defects IN rejecting The liehs of the stars
ihat rendered II practically use!"ss. still.
Doctor Common pcvsevered. In 1855 ,n";f-
or sixty-one- inch disk Of equal thickness.
tho least thickness pos.ih'e 20 prcv.n,
hexure. and without n central hole. vas
ordered from the Paris house" II Was
delivered IN Ealing near the clos" Hf is.t.
when the work of grinding and polishing
was Immediately beeun. Doctor Common
was now quito ~ adept IN th" making OF
mirror % that the work progressed rap
and quickly proved by it, ease Of sc,ion.
ifs great power ard ITS general excellence
that Doctor Commons theories concern
ing th: practica! endorsement Of rehec,ors
Prcsessor Edward e. Pickering. director
Of Harvard COLLEGE Observatory. - very
n xious 20 have the mai york that still
soops ended A. soon as possible. He is
as present working with The t~e!se-:nc.s
telescope already mentioned. Ffori 'Go 20
clear. IL the usual time he si,o:- to This
work when conditions are favorab:" thus
the entire sky. Cloudy nights.
On TIE o'hsr hand. and occasion. when
b. sb~sns. offer some Interference. POI
lions ~ the sky thus omitted ar" COW
er.d whea :he next revolution - 'h"
", lliA In s-0fYbY,ISe