THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 



95 



Station at Mt. Wilson. 



Observatory,' by Professor William H. 

 Pickering. 



The first expedition was to the sum- 

 mit of Pikes Peak, in 1887, where at 

 an altitude of 14,200 feet, there was a 

 stone hut erected, by the U. S. Signal 

 Service. Observations were made for 

 a month, and it was concluded that 

 altitude was not as important a factor 

 in " the seeing " as dryness. In the 

 following year an expedition went to 

 California and erected a pier and a 

 building with a revolving drum on 

 Mt. Wilson at an altitude of 5,700 



feet. This observatory was occupied 

 for more than a year, and the defini- 

 tion was found to be good. There was, 

 however, some question as to the title 

 of the land and there were advantages 

 in selecting a location for the observa- 

 tion of southern stars. As Mr. Bailey 

 had reported favorably on the Peru- 

 vian climate, the next expedition was 

 sent there, and the Mt. Wilson site 

 was abandoned. It has since been oc- 

 cupied by the buildings and fine instru- 

 ments of the Solar Observatory of the 

 Carnegie Institution. 



Station at Jamaica. 



