Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-05
WORDS OF PRAISE
Honor to the Memory Of
Simon NeWcomb.
AT Meeting OF SCIENTISTS
Impressions Given Of His Character
and Accomplishments by Am
bassador Bryce and Others.

tributes TO the memory OF f.rOI. SIMON
Newcomb, the famous scientist, who was
for years superintendent Of the Nautical
Almanac, were paid last night at a meet
ing in Hubbard Memorial Hall, under
the auspices OF the Philosophical Society
of Washington.
Although referring to the great astrono-
mer and mathematician from different
viewpoints, 1t was noted that each OF the
speakers used almost identically the same
words in giving impressions of his char
acter and accomplishments. Most notice
able was the stress laid upon the fact
that Simon Newcomb's lofty mental
plane gave him a clear gaze. a wonder
full eye. complete mastery of nearly all
subjects, and an extraordinarily accurate
and penetrating mind.
Ambassador Bryce, who knew the as
tronomer intimately, paid this tribute,
among others: Prof. NJ. Updegraff. now
the superintendent of the Nautical AL
manac, spoke in the same vein; r. s.
Woodward, president of the Carnegie IN
stitution, gave the same description, re-
iterated with many an example; L. O.
Howard, president of the Cosmos Club,
who saw him in those freq moments of
club life where restraint is lost, had the
same to say of him, and Prof. +. M.
Gallaudet of Kendall Green. who closed
the evening, had prepared a speech which
in the respect mentioned echoed the other
tributes to Americas foremost astrono-
mer.
Ambassador Bryce's Estimate.
The meeting was presided over by c..
K. Wead, who introduced each speaker,
Ambassador Bryce being the first /. The
ambassador spoke of the English birth
of Newcomb, and told of the many con-
versations he had enjoyed with the scien-
tist It was the mans quiet power, he
said, that impressed him so deeply. and
he made 1t clear that Prof. Newcomb
was a man towering above his fellows IN
mental qualifications. The ambassador
had talked with him on subjects far re-
moved from the sun, moon and stars,
such as politics and political economy.
and on purely American subjects, and he
gave him credit for being able to discuss
these things with the knowledge ana
ability of a master
Prof. Newcomb's Achievements.
Prof Updegraff gave a detailed account
Of some of the scientific achievements of
his predecessor In the Office of the
Nautical Almanac. He told how Prof.
Newcomb had started at the age of
twenty-five as a computer in the Office.
then at Cambridge; that he came to
Washington with the almanac's force In
1861, and had begun his searching and
famous Investigations connected with the
motions Of the moon in 1871. He spoke
Of the chaotic state of certain astronom-
ical data at that early date, and how
Newcomb took it on himself to set the
matter Alright The sum total of his re-
marks on this special phase of Prof.
Newcombs work was that he had gone
| farther than any man in the subject
He paid a tribute to the scientist also
in the phases of his character that appea
to men universally, and called MIN the
most splendid popular writer on astron-
omy that has ever been known.
other Tributes Paid.
Mr. Woodward gave detailed account
of many of the scientific works that
Prof. Newcomb had accomplished. he
read from his memoirs. and went into
detail in some of the things which the
astronomer accomplished, but strikingly
significant was his tribute to the de-
ceased scientists capacity Tor seeing potH
sides of any question.
! l.. O. Howard knew Prof. Newcomb at
| the club, and told of him mainly from
| that standpoint. He told how the young
| err club members had kept aloof from
Prof Newcomb on account of his stern
and leonine head, and that none OF them
knew him intimately until later, when
| he chose the company of the younger
men, and they learned what their loss
had been in not knowing him sooner.
Prof. Gallaudet's Tribute.
One of the most beautiful tributes was
that paid by Prof. Gallaudet. He ended
his speech with these sentences:
I'm the language of common usage men
saw that he has died. Let US hope that
| they are far from right. That part OF
him which died lies buried in Arlington
but the best Of him, let us hope, mas
the suns and stars which were his work
and friends
Resolutions of regret were passed at
the meeting, and will be forwarded to the
family.