The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-07-16
GREATEST AMERICAN
SCIENTIST IS DEAD
AT NATIONS CAPITAL
PROF. SIMON NEWcoMs Sue
cUM5s TO A VIRULENT AT
TACK OF CANCER.
The LEADING ASTRONOMER
SO Recognized by Europe And Highly
Honored There-Had Lunched
With The Kaiser And Was a Com.
mander in the Legion of Honor.


mon Newcomb. the famous astrono
mer, died at his Washington residence
1920 P street, n. W, at 1920 O'CLOCK
Sunday morning. As Prof. Newcoml
was retired officer of the navy with
the rank and title of professor OF
mathematics, his remains will be Civ
en- military funeral, under the dIrec.
ton of the navy department. Ser.
vices will be held on Wednesday
morning at the church of the Cove
nant, at which Rev. Tyler Bennett, of
that church, and Rev. DR.. Childs of
Chevy Chase, Md, will off1ciate. The
interment will be at the Arlington
national cemetery.
Prof. Newcomb's death was caused
| by cancer, the first symptoms of
which appeared last September, just
after his return from Europe and
while he was attending a meeting of
the overseers of Harvard University.
He had spent last summer in Switzer-
land, and in spite of his advanced
years, did considerable mountain
climbing and took daily walks, some
of them for a distance of sixteen
miles. Just before sailing for Ameri-
ca he visited Andrew Carnegie at
Skibo castle.
A pathetic feature of his illness was
that it was realized from the first
that nothing could be done to check
the disease. Prof. Newcomb kept up
his mathematical researches, and
when it was evident that his strength |
would not hold out much longer, he
made every effort to complete his |
great work on The Motion of the
Moon" This work was finished a few |
weeks ago, and Prof Newcomb then
made preparation for death He
leaves a widow, who was Miss Caro-
line Hassler, the daughter of Surgeon
Charles A. Hassler, of the United
F. r. Hassler, the founder and first
superintendent of the United States
;oast and geodetic survey He also
caves three daughters, all married, II
me of whom is Mrs. Anita Newcomb
MCGEE, well-known for her red cross
work in Japan and elsewhere, five
;randsons and six grand daughters
Prof. Newcomb was recognized in
his country and abroad as the most
minent scientist of America. No
american had ever achieved as many
onors as were bestowed on him for
is services in the cause of science.
n a recent magazine article Prof
ickering of Harvard, asserted that &C. 4
ording to the best tests applicable,
rof. Newcomb was not only at the
cad of American science, but was
by his fellow scientists
| Europe as the greatest astronomer
his time. He had received seven s
zen honorary degrees from the great !
st universities of ten different coun.
les. A few years ago a secret ballot
as taken by the Carnegie institution
determine the standing of scientific
en- in America and they placed Prof
ewcomb at the head of the list.
Prof Newcomb was elected head of
e foreign institute of France, a dis
lction that no other man born in the
astern hemisphere has received
ice it was conferred on Benjamin
anklin. The number of these scien-
lie associates is limited to eight and
presents all sciences and all coun-
es outside of France. He was made
commander of the legion of honor
France, and from the German en-
ror he received the knighthood of
'rit on science and art, which is not
Id at this time by any American.
d which is regarded as the most
ued honor at the bestowal of the
rman sovereign.
When abroad last summer, Prof
wcomb had luncheon with the Ger
n emperor and empress He re-
we'd many other honors among
IN the royal astronomical societies
d medal in 1874; the Huygens gold
dial of the Dutch Society of Scien-
in 1878, the Royal Society medal
1890 the Bruce medal Of the As
nomical Society of the Pacific In
s, the Schubert prize from Russia,
the Sylvester prize of Johns Hop
$ University He was an honorary
member of every
,ntific, astronomical, or mathema-
] society of first rank in the world.
rof. Newcomb was born at Wal
), Nova Scotia, March 70, 1885. He
educatpd nv his father and canna