Evening star., 1939-11-26
The Glass Giont Of Poiomor
BY Dapid o. Woodbury.. Ne,o
York: Dodd, Mead e. Co.


York: Dodd. Mead & Co.
Dramatically written and with
literary merit in abundance, this
book on science tells the almost
human story Of the worlds largest
telescope-the giant 200-inch tele-
scope now in final stages of con-
struction on a mountain top in Cali
fornia. Though the tale has OF
necessity a central character that
Is a technical instrument, the hu-
man drama comes into the picture
through the lives Of all those who
at one time or other contributed
something. If only an idea. to the
consummation Of astronomy's great
est prize-the giant glass of Palomar.
The contributions. incidentally
come through the centuries-for in
stance. from Padua, in Italy, where
Galileo Galilei, a professor of science
at the university, constructed q spy
glass some 300 years ago that would
enlarge objects 80 times. Even
farther back than that, the
courageous Polish monk Copernicus
had contributed a theory Of the
universe, later proved correct, with
the instrument now known as the
telescope-and all these contribu-
tions enter into the story of what
the world must agree Is the greatest
flight man ever took in his attempt
to peer into the vast recesses of the
outer armament. That Is, most re-
cent and just as dramatic Is the
story Of the telescope now being
built at Palomar. somewhere south
Of Mount Wilson. In the work
scientists from the far ends of the
earth joined hands so that the in
strument takes on an international
complexion though the bulk Of its
ancestral mechanism somes from
America.
Not only America. but Washing
ton itself. plays an important factor
in a job that. to date, has taken IL
years and more patience than the
mind of man can comprehend-pa-
tience and million pounds of glass
and steel: many. many millions Of
dollars. and a doggedness on the
part Of scientists that must make
the average layman feel like an ex-
ploded part of an atom-puny in
comparison to the giants who set out
to do something ano accomplish
their goal. Many Washington scien-
fists figure in the book.
AS the most ambitious program
ever mapped out by the scientists,
in any field, the book states, the
making Of the worlds largest tele-
scope called for the best brains that
humanity could muster-and they,
in turn, were led by a man described
by DR.. Harlan T. Stetson of the
Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology as "one of the greatest ge-
muses. of all time" This was the
late George Ellery Hale, whose life
story unfolds as the tale of the tele-
scope is told-a life story far differ
ent from the usual American pat
tern, from rags to riches" for DR..
Hale started out as the son of a
wealthy manufacturer In the Mid
west, and, even with the handicap of
wealth, drove his energies and en-
thusiasms-and his ambitions-into
channel that was never to benefit
himself 50 much as humanity. In
fact, the work that George Ellery
Hale cut out for himself sent him
beyond the portal of the stars-his
great love In nfe-many years be-
fore his natural call. In other words,
he burned himself out 50 that his
fellows Of the earth might know
more about the mysteries that sur
round them. He gave his life for
the giant glass of Palomar which
should be completed in 1910.