374 DORPAT AND POULKOVA. 



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 The ministei: did not fail to inform the Emperor tliat the Acadeniy of Sciences had for 

 some years occupied its'lf with the project of a new observatory, and that he had Only 

 awaited the completion of the plans and drawings in order to lay them before his Majesty. 

 Then the Emperor ordered that tin- project should be presented to him as soon as it should 

 have been matured. Finally, his Majesty condescended to direct his attention to the choice 

 of the location for the institution to be erected. The minister having mentioned tlu^ site to 

 the north (if the city and offered as a gift to the Academy, the Emperor condescended to 

 express himself in the following terms : 



" How ? The Academy thmks to place the new observatory quite near the city on the 

 north side, and upon a sandy and marshy soil ? That is hardly advisable. I would suggest 

 another position. It is upon the heights of Poulkova that the observatory should be placed." 

 Then his Majesty condescended to address to me the following words : 

 " Sir Astronomer, you perhaps think it strange that the Emperor should wish to correct 

 the Academy in a scientific matter. But do you know Poulkova, and what do you think of 

 the site .' " 



My reply was that in 18"28, passing for the first time by Poulkova in the company of th« 

 Baron von Wrangell, I had been so struck with its position that I had, as if prophetically, 

 exclaimed : " There upon the hill of Poulkova it is that vve shall one day behold the observa- 

 tory of St. Petersburg." 



Sncli is Struve's graphic account of his first interview with the Emperor 

 Nichohis. How rarely does history otier to ns a brighter picture than this in 

 which the frank and enthusiastic savant reveals to the willing monarch the path 

 to honorable glory. 



The astronomer returned to Dorpat to find that the endowment of his observ- 

 atory had been largely increased, and that he was in a position to undertake still 

 greater labors. 



It was in October, 1833, that the Emperor Nicholas saw fit to give his definite 

 orders concerning a new observatory. The long matured plans of Professor 

 Parrot and the Academy were thereupon presented ; these being accepted, their 

 execution, at an estimated expense of 200,000 silver roubles, was ordered. A 

 committee, consisting of Messrs. Wisnieffski, Fuss, PaiTot, and Struve, was 

 appointed by the niinister of public instruction (Oavarofl') to study and execute 

 the plans approved of by the Emperor on the recommendation of the Academy. 

 It was as well an impulse of duty towards his science as of gratitude to his 

 benefactor, that led Struve to express to the minister his opinion " that the plan 

 proposed by the Academy and given into the hands of this committee would fail 

 to realize the high anticipations of their august sovereign." ^he committee 

 were ordered to revise their work ; new plans were matured ; the details of the 

 mutual relations of the prospective astronomers of the institution were discussed 

 with the Emperor in person ; Admiral Greig, the founder of the observatory at 

 Nicolaii'sk, was made president of the commission, and in March, 1834, the 

 ground was occupied for the erection of the new observatory. In the following 

 month Struve, on behalf of the committee, was presented again to the Emperor, 

 and a second time his personal representations resulted to the advantage of the 

 interests of astronomy. After explaining the motives that had led the com- 

 mittee to prepare plans for a far more costly observatory than had been l)efore 

 contemplated, these latter received the imperial sanction, and Struve was ordered 

 to superintend in person the construction of the necessary instruments. 



In the following summer a fifth journey into Germany was made on business, 

 which was specially congenial to Struve. After months of study and discussion 

 on the details of the new instruments, Ertel of Munich and Repsold of Ham- 

 burg were intrusted with their construction, tmd they have since proved them- 

 selves well worthy of their places in the Central Observatory. The corner-stone 

 of the building was laid with due formality on the 3d of July, (Juno 25, O. S.,) 

 1835, and the entire structure progressed slowly but steadily towards completion. 

 In 1838,, on his sixth journey, Struve revisited' Hamburg and Munich, examined 

 his new instruments, now nearly completed, and, after making minor improve- 

 ments, finally approved them as satisfactory. He had four years previously been 

 directed by the Emperor to superintend the construction and equipment of the 



