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SCIENCE. 
SCIENCE: 
A Weekly Record of Scientific 
Progress. 
JOHN MICHELS, Editor. 
Published at 
229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 
P. O. Box 3838. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2i, 1880. 
To Correspondents. 
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the medium of recording their work, and facilities will be extended to 
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Broadway. 
AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL WORK. 
The progress of science in the United States can- 
not be better illustrated than by a brief review of the 
astronomical work now in progress, and the instru- 
ments at the command of those making observations 
in this country. 
Taking as our authority the “ Report on Observato- 
ries,” published by the Smithsonian Institution, and the 
“Annual Record” prepared by Professor Edward S. 
Holden, of the U. S. Naval Observatory, Washington, 
we find that in seventeen States Astronomical Obser- 
vatories are located, varying in degree of importance 
from the National Observatory at Washington, to the 
possessor of a two-inch achromatic telescope of its 
owner’s own make. The work done with the latter 
instrument being most instructive as showing how 
much really good scientific work can be done with 
limited means when directed by intelligence well ap- 
plied. 
The State of New York can boast of twelve obser- 
vatories, Michigan four, Pennsylvania three, Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, each 
two, and Tennessee, California, Mississippi, Min- 
nesota, Indiana, Kansas, Illinois, Maryland have each 
one observatory. It will thus be seen what an im- 
mense territory is covered by American astronomers, 
ranging from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific 
coast, and from the tropical regions of the Gulf of 
Mexico to Lake Superior on the North. Many of 
these observatories are supplied with requisite ap- 
pliances of the most perfect description, while all, 
with one exception, have at least a good achromatic 
astronomical telescope. 
For the benefit of those who desire to promote as- 
tronomical research, we may state that the single ex- 
ception we refer to of an observatory without a tele- 
scope, is that of the Ohio State Observatory, the 
director of which is Professor R. W. McFarland, who 
states that he “ was trying to get the authorities to do 
something,” apparently with poor results. 
Among the largest equatorials directed nightly to 
survey the heavenly bodies may be mentioned the great 
26-inch instrument, by Messrs. Alvan Clark & Sons, 
at the Naval Observatory at Washington, under the 
charge of Professor Asaph Hall (who has already 
made such important discoveries with it), assisted by 
Professor Edward S. Holden ; the Dearborn Obser- 
vatory at Chicago possesses an 18^-inch equatorial 
(Alvan Clark) ; Harvard University employs a 15-inch 
equatorial by Mertz ; the Allegheny Observatory ; 
Pennsylvania, has a 13-inch instrument (Alvan Clark) ; 
the Morrison Observatory, Glasgow, Missouri, uses a 
1 2^-inch instrument (Alvan Clark) ; Professor Lewis 
Swift at Rochester, New York, has charge of a 16- 
inch equatorial (Alvan Clark) ; the lady Professor of 
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, has an excellent equa- 
torial of 12^-inch (Alvan Clark), while lastly, Dr. 
Henry Draper at Hastings, N. Y., owns a 12-inch 
instrument, also by Alvan Clark. 
This powerful battery of astronomical telescopes of 
the highest excellence might seem to be sufficient for 
one nation, but the national spirit of American enter- 
prise appears to be strongly infused into this great 
branch of scientific research, for new astronomical 
telescopes of mammoth proportion and exquisite per- 
fection are now in course of construction for United 
States observatories, which, in the hands of the able 
astronomers ready to receive them, will doubtless add 
to their already well-earned fame and the prestige of 
science in this country. 
