Evening star., 1947-08-17
By John cIosett Proctor

they found the camping place warm
in summer, but not 80 good in win
ter or cold weather, and so Col. Bur-
rows was urging the Secretary Of
the Navy to commence the construc-
ton of barracks.
In the early days the Observatory
site was used for cemeterial pur-
poses, and here on the eastern slope
of the reservation was quite large
graveyard for that period. OF
course, comparatively few people
have any sentiment for an old Gods
acre, and so we soon find this one
being dug away when q part Of the
hill was being rounded, and soon
nothing remained but bit of black
dust and few bones. For some
years there was q tombstone here
erected to the memory of a man
named Pollock, or Pollock, probably
Isaac Pollock, and another to the
memory of Casper Yost.
The six Buildings"
Isaac Pollock came to this city
quite early and when James Green
leaf failed to complete the "Six
Buildings" 2107-2117 Pennsylvania
avenue, the property was conveyed
to Mr.. Pollock on December %,
1795, who completed the buildings.
He was also a large investor In
local real estate.
Mr.. Pollock Is stated to have been
a wealthy Jew. His name appears
in the National Intelligencer for
December 2S, 1901, and this may be
the date of his death. He and his
family were quite prominent social
ly during the year 1900.
The site of the Observatory was
selected for observation purposes by
President Tyler and contains some
thing over 10 acres.
In 1888, we are told, the OBSERVE
tory had its real beginning In an
unpretentious wooden building but
16 feet square, erected at the ex-
pense Of a lieutenant in the Navy
and equipped only with q 5-foot
transit instrument.
The old building stood near the
Washington property on North Cap
itol street, later the Hillman House,
and so unusual was the beginning
of this now noted branch Of the
Government that even the first in
strument used was not made for the
Observatory, but was secured by
Mr.. Hassler, the first superintend-
er1t of the Coast Survey, for the
astronomical work Of the latter in
stitution. This, however, was be-
tween 1911 and 1915, when Mr..
Hassler was detained In England by
the war. His plans for the estab-
lishment Of the Coast Survey were
not seconded by Congress after his
return and nothing was done until
1882, when the survey was revived.
But, according to an early writing,
an observatory was forbidden by
law, and 50 Mr.. Hassler loaned his
instruments to 1t. Wilkes. The lat
ter began his observatory work in
the little building mentioned. It
was known ofncially as depot" :"
or a place where instruments and
charts might be stored.
Observatory's Beginning.
Our informant further tells us
that, In 1888, when 1t. Wilkes had
been succeeded by 1t. Gilliss, for
tunate circumstance for the embryo
observatory occurred. The explora-
ton Of the, South Seas made 1t nee
essary that the observations Of the
expedition to determine longitude
should be supplemented by eorre-
spending observations at home, for
the purposes of comparison. Dur
ing the absence Of the expedition,
between 1888 and 1s42, 1t. Gilliss
worked increasingly, recording TO-
600 transits and doing thorough, re-
liable work, which stands today I'M
questioned. To this work of his,
therefore, done at q most opportme
moment, the Naval Observatory, as
it stands today, owes its foundation.