The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-31

sne reander Mccormick Observatory
800 NAe University of Virginia stanos on
&{no of Mount Jefferson. about . mile
SNtest at the Rctunda. at an elevation =.
4 2Et feet above the sea and $50 1ee'
. aAove Charlottesville. This Is SUM-
D. rsAnt 70 avoid iow-lying fog and
sskraoke. and to permit the full use OF
4 NhA great refrActing telescope.
r.his instrument, built and mounted
~ Alvin clark e. Scfis. Is the fourth
iarxest refractor in North or south
America. ana due to the unusual eA
n cs.llence OF the lens. which fs Ee-S
tuches in diameter. IL can duplicate OBJ
s4rvAtions made with tue very ~"
4 larger telescopes in the world
In addition to this magnificent IN
x.rument there are two six-inca re-
tractors, eauatorisliy Houhtea' -
n inch transit instrument. two nVe-ihcn
axtronomical Photographic lenses TWO
,.ur-3nch refraetors- bn tripod mounts
sne sfderiaI clock. chrononnete'
ara n tsaertner measuring machine for
r.a.ee. all owned by the OBSERVATORY
rrd also two borrowed measursns ma
hines fer mates and two computing
anhtrss the astronomical library
consists az ever 4.0oe books ahc
narrNIets. and there are numerous
sY,al,sw instruments too uninportant 10
taentiSn
IN fhe arrival OF Or Samuel fTed
v,tcheu n september, 1eiS, "heh "e
ASSUMED the dictatorship, he at once
s,augurste6 a new program ef re-
search work. and the following NINE
months were employed in adapting IN"
.vsrty.six-inch telescope for photo
grenhtc work and putiinE IN other es-
sentiAl improvements
Ry Man. 4e14, THE telescope was ready
for the new campaign and the frs'
slate was taken for stellar paF@itaA,
e hsch has since formed the pfmeipa'
work OF the observatory tp 10 3uis,
ISIS no less than SOC parallax plates
hhvn heen taken. which have atceady
welded owe! go Anished rarallaNes or
x4ars with ar accuracy unAttalnei oniN
ff1een years ago.
The '.para4iax" ot s. star gives u the
rsesns Of Instantly telling how tat
away from us il is. and accurate Fara4,
lakes are al present the most ''teaee
data in astronomy when ii is ADDED
t.at efteen years ago only about nifty
,sere known. and most Of these VITA
.@ensy fair apnroximatton, II VIII oe
seen that 10 turn out ESQ Of the h'shesi
order of accuracy IL an achieNcheht
Il svhich. done as 1t WAS by his planning
i ana under his direction, has oroag NJ
3Yeeriteg recognition auG h"nors 10 VI
Mitchell himself and Is rapidly facing
s4tion IL ought to occupy. IL might ps
added that about eighty OF the ahoNe
$50 are DR. Nitchell's personal contri'
4 Hutton, the remainder having peer
Il worked cut hv other members of ihF
n star, every person having shaff ~
IL takes about seventy~hve honrF narf
vserk rartiy at the telescope. IL th'
ozark room. at the measuring machin
ara hnaliy computing. to get out on
spzrallax. IL Will be seen that an I'M
u d enxe amount Of labor has gon@ I'M,
this branch OF the work alone.
In June. 1914, Or, Charles F. Give
h WAS added 10 the STAFF. and the head
q x,pHrters of the American Meteor so
n c4ety. OF which he is president. wer
AZ then transferred TO the McCotmi-k Oh
n scrvatory, where they still remain MOS
al. Of the work on meteors done in thi
country hence comes to the GniH@rsit
4 Of virginia for reduction and puhica
Il ton. Shortly after his arrival an OK
& frnsIve program OF work on doubl
stars In which he had specialized, wa
edd<d and Is still being continued
In september, 1914. DIR. Harold
alden was also added 10 the staff an
rs shortly undertook. as his more pei
s.snal work, most important paot'
Y3etrtc survey Of variable star region
Il As well as direct observations OF II
4 variable stars themselves This wor
IN which Or Mitchel also. has take
ss share. has proved of exceptions
TAS vr~fl.1 and Interest. Some other NJ
u ar,s nortant tines Of research. now ca
RED on. are not mentioned. as this a
tscle is limited in length.
8a While for the same reason 1t Is In
POSSIBLE 10 mention by name all u
PERSONS who have been either fcllo"
or assistants during the past FIVE >ear
.et IL is to he understood that near
xsss@ hod la