52 
SCIENCE. 
MOUNTAIN SITES FOR ASTRONOMICAL OB- 
SERVATIONS* 
By Professor O. Stone. 
The question of employing mountain sites for Astron- 
omical Observations is one of considerable importance, 
and two papers, recently published, add materially to the 
meagre literature on this subject. The first of these is a 
report of a series of observations on Mt. ALtna made by 
Professor Langley during a visit to Europe in the winter 
of 1878. 
The lower portion of Mt. ALtna is described as densely 
inhabited and covered with rich vegetation. At an ele- 
vation of about 2000 feet, however, this suddenly ceases, 
and above this, with the exception of a few uninhabited 
plantations of chestnut trees which extend to an altitude 
of 4000 or 5000 feet, there exist only wastes of lava. 
At an elevation of some 4200 feet a station was estab- 
lished in a hut built of lava, known as “ Casa del 
Bosco.” 
Professor Langley remained upon the mountain from 
Christmas until January 14. His instruments consisted 
of a 3 '4 inch telescope loaned by the superintendent of 
the U. S. Naval Observatory and a spectroscope provided 
with a Rutherford speculum metal grating of 17,296 lines 
to the inch, and with collimating and observing telescopes 
of 1. 1 inch aperture and 14 inches focal length. 
On clear nights, at ordinary elevations, Professor 
Langley does not recognize steadily more than six stars 
in the Pleiades, and on an ordinary clear night at Alle- 
gheny he cannot steadily see the companion of Polaris 
with less than two inches aperture. On Mt. ALtna, how- 
ever, he could see steadily, notwithstanding the moon- 
light, nine stars of the Pleiades, with the naked eye, the 
companion of Polaris, with an aperture of 1.6 inch and 
nm. companions of /3 Leporis and a Tauri, and 1 and a 
Orionis with iA inch. From this he concludes that 
stars of about two thirds the brightness of those visible 
in England under like telescopic power can be seen on 
ALtna at the elevation of Casa del Bosco. As far as 
transparency was concerned, a noticable advantage over 
stations at a lower altitude was also shown by observa- 
tions of the sun. 
The results in regard to steadiness of definition were 
not so satisfactory. Although there was probably less 
tremor in the stars as seen from Mt. ALtna than would 
have been the case at a lower station, the difference was 
not great. 
The other paper referred to is the report of Mr. Burn- 
ham to the Trustees of the “James Lick Trust” of Ob- 
servations made on Mt. Hamilton with reference to the 
location of the Lick Observatory. 
Mt. Hamilton seems to have been first suggested as a 
site for the observatory by Professor Holden in 1874, and 
afterwards approved by Professor Newcomb. The ele- 
vation of the summit is 4250 feet, or only a little greater 
than that of Professor Langley’s station at Casa del Bos- 
co. On this summit Mr. Burnham erected a temporary 
observatory in which was mounted the magnificent six 
inch Clark refractor, with which nearly all his double star 
discoveries' had been made. It was equatorially mounted 
with circles and driving clock. The eye-pieces gave 
powers up to 400. In addition, a set of meteorological 
instruments were employed. 
Mr. Burnham remained upon Mt. Hamilton just 60 
days, from August 17 to October 16, with the exception 
of three days, September 21-23, spent in San Francisco. 
As the seeing was first class for the 14 nights imme- 
diately preceeding the 3 days he was absent, it is fair to 
presume the same conditions continued. During the 
^Observations on Mount Etna, by S. P. Langley. Fromth c American 
Journal of Science , Vol. XIX, July, 1880. 
Report to the Trustees of the 44 James Lick Trust,” of Observations 
made on Mt. Hamilton with reference to the location of Lick Observatory ; 
by S. W. Burnham. Chicago, 1880. 
whole time only 1 1 nights were cloudy or foggy, and of 
the temaining nights there were 42 when the seeing was 
first class and 7 when it! was medium, and no poor 
nights when the sky was clear. Besides obtaining re- 
markable results in the examination of delicate test ob- 
jects, a search was made for new doubles, and at the 
close of the report Mr. Burnham gives a catelogue with 
observations of 42 such objects, 10 of which have a dis- 
tance of less than 1". A great many .objects were ex- 
amined by daylight but the air, during the greater part 
of the day at least, appeared to be no steadier than would 
be ordinarily found elsewhere. 
In conclusion, Mr. Burnham says: “So far as one may 
judge from the time during which these observations 
were made, there can be no doubt that Mt. Hamilton 
offers advantages superior to those found at any point 
where a permenent observatory has been established. 
* * * * * * 'phg ease w ith w hich close pairs can 
be seen, almost down to the horizon, will be apparent 
from the southern declination of many of the new double 
stars. * * * * Close pairs can be observed at least 
down to 42° south declination. * * * * * 
“What has been said about the advantages of Mt. 
Hamilton for astronomical purposes, is of course, based 
upon what was seen during the time spent on the moun- 
tain. This was my first visit to the Pacific coast, and 
hence I have no personal knowledge concerning other 
seasons of the year. From inquiries in various quarters 
I am satisfied there was nothing about this season un- 
usual, and there seems to be every reason for supposing, 
as the same cloudless sky and dry air prevails from 
about March until the commencement of the rainy sea- 
son, near the close of the year, that the whole of this in- 
terval would be equally favorable for the use of the 
telescope.’ 
One of the most remarkable and interesting conditions 
observed was the dryness of the atmosphere. The aver- 
age difference between the wet and dry bulb thermome- 
ters was 1 8°. 4 during the first five weeks of Mr. Burn- 
ham’s residence on Mt. Hamilton and every night was 
first class when this difference reached 15 0 and upwards. 
Notwithstanding, however, the advantages of a moun- 
tain site tor an observatory, there are many drawbacks. 
Even the loneliness of the situation is a disadvantage to 
the greatest activity. Taking everything into considera- 
tion, therefore, probably as favorable a location as any 
for the next great American observatory is to be found 
on the plateaus of Colorado. 
We have received the following publications from the 
U. S. Department of the Interior (Bureau of Education). 
The Indian School at Carlisle Barracks which 
acquaints educators and school officials with the interesting 
experiments of training Indian children in the knowledge 
and usages of civilized life, in progress during the past 
eight months at Carlisle Barracks. 
Vacation Colonies for Sickly School Children 
This subject has for some time received the attention of 
this department, and as early as 1872 papers by that dis- 
tinguished and benevolent physician, J. M. Toner, M. D., 
of Washington, were published, advocating free camping 
grounds or parks, where poor children and their parents 
could lodge during the excessive heat of summer. 
Progress of Western Education in China and Siam. 
This is an interesting account of the progress of Western 
ideas and educational methods in China and Siam, for- 
warded to the depaitment by the United States Minister at 
Peking, and the United States Consul at Bangkok. 
Legal Rights of Children. This is an elaborate report 
covering nearly a hundred pages, and treats of the rights of 
children in the various States of the Union, including edu- 
cation, and also a comparative view of the systems of edu- 
cation in the different States established to give force and 
effect to those rights, and thus assure the welfare of the 
individual and the State, 
