SKETCH OF CLEVELAND ABBE. 401 



As he \vont through college his ability in mathematical and mathe- 

 matico-physical science became more and more apparent, and, at the 

 close of the college course, there could be no question of his supe- 

 riority." Having been graduated from this institution in 1857, he 

 taught mathematics in Trinity Latin School for one year, and after- 

 ward connected himself with the University of Michigan, where he 

 served as teacher of the higher mathematics in the Scientific School, 

 and studied astronomy under Professor Briinnow. Thence he removed, 

 in 1860, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he spent four years in as- 

 sociation with Dr. B. A. Gould, and was engaged upon the telegraphic 

 longitude work of the United States Coast Survey. In continuance of 

 his astronomical woi-k, he resided for the tAvo years, 1865-66, at the 

 Observatory of Poulkova, in Russia, which was then under the direction 

 of the illustrious Otto Struve, in the position of supernumerary astrono- 

 mer, as those young persons not military officers are called, who are 

 allowed by the statutes of the institution to reside within its precincts 

 for their own advantage. Generally, according to Mr. Abbe's account 

 of the observatories at "Dorpat and Poulkova," which is given in the 

 report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1867, "these inevitably con- 

 tribute something to the furtherance of the scientific work of the 

 observatory, while receiving from it the treatment of guests. The 

 new statutes allow the director to give these young men a position 

 and rank as civilians serving the observatory, but not in the service of 

 the state ; thus they may be properly considered as supernumerary as- 

 tronomers, who, however, enjoy some of the privileges of such as are 

 permanently in the state service, which is no mean advantage in the 

 autocratic Russian Empire, Although these are at liberty to devote 

 their whole time to their own studies, they yet generally choose to 

 contribute several hours daily to the regular work of the observatory, 

 receiving a small compensation therefor." Returning to the United 

 States, he became connected, in 1867, with the National Observatory 

 at Washington ; but he had not resided there long before, on the 1st 

 of February, 1867, he accepted the position of director of the Cincin- 

 nati Observatory, and he removed there on the 1st of June. This in- 

 stitution, which had been founded through the exertions of Professor 

 O. M. Mitchell, and the corner-stone of which was laid with accompa- 

 niment of great public interest by John Quincy Adams, in 1843, had 

 never been adequately supported, and had been virtually suspended 

 for the past half dozen years. Preparatory to taking charge of it, 

 Mr. Abbe visited the other observatories and astronomers of the coun- 

 try, and found everywhere the heartiest pleasure exhibited at the in- 

 tended resuscitation of the institution. " Each," he says, " seemed to 

 seek to find some way in which to offer assistance and encouragement, 

 while all united in deploring the inaction of the past ten years. There 

 is, in astronomy, a continual endeavor on the part of each one to add 

 something to our knowledge by his own original observations and re- 



TOL XXXII. — 26 



