Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
lcoatinus4 FROM Third page.,

the fact that John quincy Agate was
generally regarded Is father Of the idea.
And what John Quincy Adams favored
his political enenlies--whone name was
legion-yoted against. In his hrst pres
dental message 70 Congress IN 1898
Adams proposed THE erection Of an
Astronomical observatory. with provi-
sion for the support Of an astronomer
TO be I'm constant attendance OF OBJ
servation upon the phenomena OF the
heavens, and for the periodical publ
cation of hts observations" This preSi-
Dental recommendation was referred 70
a congressional committee, an elaborate
report outlining q plan for the pro-
posed observatory was submitted-ano
Il promptly died IN Congress.
Then the Secretary Of the Navy Grew
up a memorandum on the need for an
observatory, which was submitted 70
and 10 made no more headway tnan
the Presidents original suggestion.
Next came the bequest Of several hun
dred thousand dollars from James
Smithson Of England for the establish
rnent Of an institution for the IN
crease and diffusion OF knowledge
among men" John Quincy Adams,
who had long since finished his term as
President, and now was Congressman,
representing a Massachusetts, district IN
the House of Representatives, at once
entreated President Van Buren, to In
clude within this proposed Smithsonian
Institution and astronomical station.
Though the President showed Q Sympa-
thetic interest In Adams suggestion,
and though the House made Adams
Chairman Of its Select Committee on the
Smithsonian Fund, every effort TO carry
Emithson's bequest into effect was de-
feated In Congress until the provision
for an observatory was eliminated.
Battle RACES for Years.
For years the battle ragged. The con-
gressional group was so afraid that
Adams pet scheme might be slipped
in under some other appropriation that
it adopted the practice of inserting in
each appropriation bill the restriction
"and to no other" In 1882 when an
approximation for q survey OF the
coasts was voted the "irreconcilabl
inserted q clause specifying that this
didn't mean "a permanent astronomi-
cal observatory" Ten years later
Adams was still proposing and Congress
dlsposing on this strangely controversial
subject.
In lS34-when Congress was paying
no attention whatever to the Secretary
of the Navy's memorandum on the de-
STABILITY OF q national observatory
Lieut.. Charles wilkes (who had sue
ceeded Goldsborough as officer In
charge Of the depot Of charts and In
struments) moved the depot from its
old site near the White House to a new
plot on Capitol Hill At his own ex-
pense he erected here an observatory
building is feet square, and mounted In
it q transit telescope more than double
the size Of Goldsborough's original In
striment.
One wonders II wilkes did not sense
the situation. Didn't he suspect the
Significance Of this infant institution,
with its transit instruments, and with
the Borda circle, the three and one-half
foot portable telescope, the sidereal
clock and other apparatus which soon
was added? II it was not an astro-
nonlical observatory, what was 1t? I
think he hesitated to call congressional
attention to the fact that John quincy
Adams idea had already Sprouted on
Capitol Hill, right under Congress
nose. At oil events he paid for the
observatory building out Of his own
pocket.
Astronomical Center Created.
And while Congressman wrangled
over Mr. Adams renewed proposals of
his idea, and while they dilly-dallied
over the Smithson beQuest the depot Of
charts and instruments continued to
grow into an astronomical center.
wilkes was detached and Lieut.. James
M. ellis succeeded him. Then in 1888
wilkes was assigned to command the
famous exploring expedition Of the
South Seas, which carried him to
Antarctic discovery. To check the
longitude Of places which Wilkes would
occupy during his expedition 1t was
necessary to observe corresponding
moon examinations, OCCUPATIONS and
eclipses here In the United States. So
the Navy Department directed Lieut..
ellis to make such observations dur
Ing wilkes absence, and provided the
depot with necessary additional equip
ri1ent, including q new telescope, vafi-
alton transit, comet seeker, an eight
inch dip needle, a sidereal chronometer
and two additional clocks. With this
formidable array Of apparatus and a
stiff program Of observations one could
hardly blink the fact that the observa-
tory was growing up.
It continued to grow. In 1912 an ap-
preparation Of $4,000 provided q new
building adequate to the needs Of the
institution. But 1t was not until 1874
that the name United States Naval
Observatory" appeared on letterheads.
In 1847 the observatory won its first
distinction as q center Of science.
Sears G. walker, one Of its astron-
omers, found that the planet Neptune,
which had been discovered by European
astronomers the previous year, was
identical with an object which twice
had been sighted and catalogued as a
fixed star in 1795. Walkers discovery
provided the necessary data which en-
abled astronomers to determine the
orbit Of Neptune, Old John Quincy
Adams was yet alive, and was able to
appreciate this triumph Of the science
which he loved.
Three Minor Planets Discovered.
Walkers achievement was but be-
ginning. Discovery of three minor
planets in the SOS, discovery of the
moons of Mars in 1866, discovery of the
green ray in the solar corona in 1862
these are few of the finds credited to
our National Observatory. And along
With the other distinguished names
that have been mentioned one must
add those of Matthew Fontaine Maury,
Charles Henry Davis, John Rodgers,
Simon Newcomb, William Hardness and
ASaph Hall--all brilliant stars in the
galaxy. OF the Naval ObserVatory's cen
tury of service.
1t has been q service not only to the
Navy but to the general public. The
earliest picture of the observatory, an
engraving made In 1845, shows q time
signaling device on the roof, and by its
daily drop at noon the people of WASH
ington used to set their clocks. When
electricity came in as a means of COM
the telegraph offices con-
nected with the observatory, and
time signaling service was extended to