The Coconino sun. (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1898-1978, 1916-12-15
NOTED man PAYS TRIBUTE
TO DR.. L0WELIS GREAT WORK

interest in mathematics and astrono-
my. In 1877 the Italian astronomer
Schiaparelli began a systematic study
of the planet Mars, which led to his
discovery of remarkable series of
markings which he called canalli, a
word which has been incorrectly
translated into canals and has proved
a source of much subsequent confu-
sion. Lowell followed with deep in
terest the discoveries of the Italian
savant, for the character of the work
was calculated to fire the enthusiasm
of man of imagination of scientific
&C. r. Agassiz in Boston Transcript.
During all his early activities the
late Percival Lowell had kept live
proclivities.
By the early COS Schiaparelli's eye
sight had so far failed that it was evil
dent that his observing days were
over. And Lowell determined to give
his energies and his fortune in con-
tinuing the work. Before founding an
observatory to be devoted chiefly to
the study of the planets, with charac-
teristic intelligence he and his assist
ants spent many months in a system
attic series of explorations and tests
to discover the most suitable spot. The
site finally chosen was on a plateau
above the town Of Flagstaff, Arizona,
at an elevation of over 1000 feet.
In order to obtain the best Seeing
it is necessary that the air should be
quiet and rarefed. 1t is a singular
fact that most observations have been
placed with view of being seen
rather than seeing in the neighbor-
hood of great cities or institutions of
learning; while the few observatories
that are more intelligently placed
have not profted by LowelPs discov-
cry that the currents Of air swirling
about mountain top make it a far
less ideal locality than a plateau.
Around the dome of the original
superb 24-inch refracting telescope,
erected in 1894, has grown up a small
village, with quarters for his en-
ployes, and separate houses for his
assistants, whom he treated with I'M
falling generosity, courtesy and con-
sideration. Here, under a separate
dome, a 40-inch rejecting telescope
was also eventually installed, one of
whose chief uses has been to estab-
lish the usefulness of that class of
instrument in the study of planetary
detail. Lowell's own house, a low,
picturesque structure, looks out on as
| magnificent view as ever gladdened
the eye of rowing man or philos-
opher. Below steep foreground of
rugged pines stretches a broad forest
covered plain, broken with patches of
natural park. Directly across rises
the mighty mass of the San Francisco
peaks, their lower slopes clothed with
huge pines, which melt into the stunt
ed vegetation of the higher regions
till the last frostlike verdure is lost in
a riotous mass of barren rocks capped
with the jagged edges of their snowy
SUBMITS.
He died looking out on this scene
that he so dearly loved, and it is
pleasant to think that he will lie there
surrounded and honored by his assist
| ants who are carrying on this work.
Here for many years Lowell and
his staff have accomplished a mass of
spectroscopic, Photographic, visual
and mathematical work Of the highest
class, which entities him to a dis
tinguished place in the history of as
tronomy. Just what that place will