The Astrophysical Observatory 



423 



When the writer accepted the position as Secretary of this 

 Institution, in November, 1887, nothing had been done; but 

 Doctor Jerome H. Kidder, a friend of the Institution and of 

 the proposed observatory, had designed to interest wealthy 

 private citizens of Washington in the plan, and to obtain 

 from this source a fund which would be put at the disposal 

 of the Smithsonian Institution for this purpose. 1 



The lamented death of Doctor Kidder put an end to this 

 plan also, but through the generosity of Doctor Alexander 



desire of the late Secretary, Professor Baird, 

 to do something to restore the balance, and 

 with this end in view he had made prepara- 

 tions to secure an astrophysical observatory 

 and laboratory, and though these prepara- 

 tions were interrupted by his death, it is un- 

 derstood that through his action some friends 

 of the Institution have already offered to give 

 the means for the erection of the modest 

 structure needed for the accommodation of 

 such a special observatory. The site would 

 necessarily be suburban, on account of the 

 especial need of seclusion and the absence of 

 tremor in the soil, such as is felt in the 

 neighborhood of the streets of a city. 



" No steps have yet been taken to secure 

 a site, but in view of the promise of means 

 for the building, and the fact that the con- 

 struction of the necessary apparatus will oc- 

 cupy a long time, I have ordered such of the 

 essential pieces as are not likely to be ready, 

 even under these conditions, till the building 

 is prepared to receive it." Smithsonian 

 Report, 1888, page 19. 



1 This is referred to in the Report of the 

 Secretary for the year ending June 30, 1889, 

 (page 7) as follows : 



" In my last Report I spoke of the prep- 

 arations made by the late Secretary for se- 

 curing an astrophysical observatory and 

 laboratory of research, and I mentioned that 

 through his action some friends of the Insti- 

 tution had already offered to give the means 

 for the erection of the simple structure needed 

 for the accommodation of such a special ob- 

 servatory. I added that the site would nec- 

 essarily be suburban on account of the special 

 need of seclusion and the absence of tremor 

 in the soil. 



" I have elsewhere referred to the collec- 

 tions of the Institution in connection with the 

 purchase by Congress of a zoological park, 

 which it would appear to have been the first in- 

 tent of Congress to place under the care of the 

 Regents. It had been my hope in that case 

 to place this observatory somewhere in the 

 park, but in view of the long delay which has 

 already arisen, and of the indefinite further de- 

 lay which may occur, I have thought it better 

 to put a wooden structure of the simplest 

 and most temporary character in grounds 

 immediately south of the Institution, al- 

 though this site is quite unsuitable for a per- 

 manent building. Such a shelter will proba- 

 bly be erected before the coming winter, and 

 will, while serving as a store-house for the 

 apparatus, enable observations to be com- 

 menced. 



" The promotion of original research has 

 always in the history of the Institution been 

 regarded as one of its most important func- 

 tions, and the proper object of the personal 

 attention of the Secretary ; and I shall be 

 very glad to do something in this direction 

 on the most modest scale, rather than incur 

 the chance of indefinite further delay." 



And also in the Secretary's Report ending 

 June 30, 1890 (page 10) : 



" I take pleasure in reporting that the In- 

 stitution has been able to do rather more for 

 the encouragement of original research than 

 it has done for several years past. 



" Referring to my two previous Reports in 

 regard to the project of Professor Baird for 

 securing an astrophysical observatory and 

 laboratory, I am able to say that this object 

 has assumed definite shape in the construc- 

 tion of the temporary shed which has just 



