Part 5

On the evening of the 4th of May, the committee met, by appointment, in an open lot south of the Pennsylvania Hospital, for the purpose of testing the performance of the telescopes, which had previously been tried by some of the members of the committee, and by other gentlemen, on the evening of the 2d. The result of the examination was highly creditable to Mr. Holcomb, and cannot fail to gratify all who have at heart the advancement of astronomical science in this country.

The instruments, with powers varying from 50 to 600 in the smaller, and to 900 in the larger, gave satisfactory views of the moon with a sufficiency of light.

Mr. Holcomb’s ability to manufacture telescopes which should bear a comparison, on favourable terms, with the best four and five feet achromatics now in the country, having been established by the report of the committee in May, 1834, their attention was chiefly directed to ascertaining the degree of perfection to which he has attained in his art, by his persevering efforts during the past year. Accordingly, the remarks which follow are made with reference to the larger telescope, of about ten feet focal length, eight inches aperture, and with a positive eye-piece, giving a power of about 900, and the surface of the field of view nearly twice as great as that of a Gregorian, and one-third greater than that of an achromatic telescope, under similar circumstances.

The view of the moon with its rugged surface, its ridges of mountains, and the endless variety of indentations on its surface, was interesting beyond description, and exceeded any thing of the kind the committee have ever witnessed.

Saturn’s ring, though not in a favourable position, was seen manifestly double, for the first time in this country, as far as the information of the committee extends.

The companion of Polaris appeared as a star of the fourth or fifth magnitude, to the unassisted eye.

The double stars, Castor, μ Draconis, 4 and 5 ε Lyræ, and 44 Bootes, were distinctly separated, and the dark space between them made evident. The last mentioned, consisting of two stars of the fifth magnitude, distant 3″ made a fine appearance; they were soft, and well defined, and there were no scattering rays of light, as was the case with Castor, in both instruments.

A class of closer doubles stars, of which 6 Coronæ, distant 1″.2., and ζ Bootes, distant 1″.4., may serve as examples, was acknowledged by the artist, last year, to be too difficult for his telescope. This has furnished a stimulus for his exertions, and the complete division of the latter, as witnessed by the committee on the present occasion, has been the reward of his disinterested labours. The discs of the two stars in ζ Bootes appeared to be tangent to each other. The committee have no evidence that the same has been effected by any other telescope in the country.

For the purpose of finding the limit to the power of Mr. Holcomb’s telescope, the committee called his attention to a class of still closer stars; among them were mentioned, ζ Cancri, μ2 Bootes, ῎ Coronæ, 36 Andromedæ, and ε Arietis, the last of which is only divisible by two telescopes now in use, viz.: the Dorpat telescope, and the twenty foot reflector of Sir John Herschel. These stars, distant from 0″.6. to 1″.0., are made to appear with their discs tangent to each other in those celebrated instruments, as appears by their notes appended to the observations contained in their printed catalogues. It is almost needless to add, that Mr. Holcomb acknowledged these stars to be too difficult for any telescopes he has yet made.

It may seem presumptuous to compare the small instrument of Holcomb with the chefs d’oeuvre of British and German genius; but, thanks to the admirable labours of the Herschels, of Struve, and of South, observers are enabled, through their printed catalogues, to compare together the optical capacities of their telescopes in distant regions. Accordingly it appears from an examination of these catalogues, and of Holcomb’s instruments, that what the best telescopes in Europe can do upon stars distant 0″.6., can be done upon stars distant 1″.4., by instruments which are the work of an unassisted, and almost neglected, American optician.

Judging from the progress made in his art, by Mr. Holcomb, during the past year, the committee look forward, with confident expectation, to the not far distant period, when, should his health be spared, the country will be in possession of a twenty feet reflector, of native workmanship, rivalling the best European instruments, and that, too, without the patronage of any corporate institution, should all of them be willing to waive the opportunity of sharing with him the merit of such an enterprise.

The committee have been led to enlarge upon this subject, from a knowledge that one of our national institutions has, within a few years, imported into the country, at an expense of $2,500, a telescope which, though excellent in its kind, is inferior to that exhibited by Mr. Holcomb, which was made and mounted to order for an individual in Georgia, at less than the eighth part of the above mentioned sum. It is not probable that a twenty foot instrument from Mr. Holcomb, would cost eight times as much as one of the length of ten feet.

The mode of mounting the instrument appears to be original, and nothing can exceed it in simplicity, or steadiness. Indeed, with a power of 900, no inconvenience was perceived from resting with one hand on the frame, and another on the tube, although the same could not be done with the mounting used by Mr. Holcomb last year, or with that of common achromatics with a power of 200, without serious inconvenience.

In conclusion, the committee beg leave to recommend Mr. Holcomb to the Board of Managers of the Franklin Institute, as a candidate for a premium and medal from the Scott’s legacy fund, for his new mode of mounting reflecting telescopes.

By order of the committee.

WILLIAM HAMILTON, _Actuary_.

_May 14th, 1835._

RELICS OF HOLCOMB, FITZ, AND PEATE IN THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

(United States National Museum catalog number shown at right)

AMASA HOLCOMB

(All items from Mrs. Grace E. Holcomb Steere and Mrs. Eva C. Holcomb Storey)

1. Undated and unsigned original autobiographical sketch, ink on notepaper (as published here, p. 160)

2. Manuscript notebook on meteorological and astronomical matters, covering the period 1834-41. 310600

3. Herschelean reflecting telescope, 8½-inch aperture, 9 feet 4 inches long. This is the telescope made by Holcomb and shown at the Franklin Institute in 1835. 310598

4. Refracting telescope, 1½-inch aperture, 21 inches long, on 14-inch axis for use as a transit telescope, without support. 310599

HENRY FITZ, JR.

(Item 1 from Mr. L. C. Eichner, items 2-4 from Mrs. Julia Fitz Howell, item 5 from Mr. Arthur V. A. Fitz)

1. Refracting telescope, comet seeker, 8¼-inch aperture, 61-inch wooden tube, fitted for equatorial mounting, but without mount. 317027

2. Machines, tools, and partially completed instruments from the shop of Henry Fitz, of which the major pieces are:

Lens grinding machine 315152 Lens polishing machine 315153 Lens edging and testing machine 315151

3. Manuscript notebook of Fitz accounts from 1851 to 1855. 317026 (2)

4. Manuscript “Catalogue of Objectives made by Henry Fitz.” 317026 (2)

5. Refracting telescope, 5-section draw, marked “Ta. Long, Royal Exchange, London,” 2⅛-inch objective, 42½ inches long, open. Purchased in London by Fitz in 1839. The present objective was made by Fitz. 316706

JOHN PEATE

(From The American University)

1. Mirror, glass, unsilvered, 62-inch diameter, about 6 inches thick. 310899

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1962

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C.—Price 30 cents