History of the Harvard College Observatory During the Period 1840-1890

by Daniel W. Baker

W. C. BOND’S OBSERVATORY CHAIR.

But visions of the sky were not the only matters of interest at the observatory in this early period. The great telescope was poised at a height of 13 feet from the floor of the dome, and its sweep was from three degrees beyond the zenith to as many below the horizon. The visual end of the instrument therefore might need to be set at any point along an arc of 90 degrees, and an observer would have to be something of an acrobat in successfully using it unless a suitable chair could be obtained. There was none in the world that filled all the requirements, and Prof. Bond invented and made one. It is in use, unchanged, to this day, and by means of its ingeniously combined wheels, cogs and pulleys the observer can quickly and easily place himself anywhere along the vertical quarter circle and horizontal full circle traversed by the eye-piece of the telescope.

Prior to 1845 a transfer of 12 chronometers to and from Greenwich, Eng., had been made by Prof. Bond and Commodore Owen, for the determination of the longitude of the observatory. Other chronometer expeditions were conducted subsequently in co-operation with the United States Coast Survey, the final one being in 1855. In the summing up of results, 723 independent chronometer records were used. The magnitude of this undertaking, as a whole, surpassed anything ever attempted in any other country.

In his report, reviewing the year 1848, the director says; “Some experiments made with the daguerreotype and talbotype processes for obtaining impressions of the sun’s image formed by the telescope have not been attended with complete success; however, we do not despair of ultimate success.”

In the report for 1850 he is able to say: “With the assistance of Mr. J. A. Whipple, daguerreotypist, we have obtained several impressions of the star Vega. We have reason to believe this to be the first successful experiment ever made either in this country or abroad. From the facility with which these were executed with the aid of the great equatorial, we were encouraged to hope for further progress.” In the report of the following year he speaks of pictures of the moon and stars obtained by this process, and adds with reference to his son’s official visit to Europe that year: “Some of these daguerreotypes taken by the aid of our great object glass excited the admiration of eminent men in Europe, to whom Mr. G. P. Bond gave specimens.” In an official letter he says of his son’s visit to Paris: “He attended in May a meeting of the French Academy, and there presented a daguerreotype of the moon taken with our large telescope.” Other specimens were placed in the great exhibition of London, or World’s fair, of that year, and a council medal was awarded for them.

This tour in Europe by the younger Mr. Bond makes an interesting episode in the general record. He was everywhere cordially received by men of science, a fact attributable in part, no doubt, to his own reputation, but more especially to his being the representative of the new observatory, already of fame, established in the distant West.

On arriving at Cronstadt he was surprised at meeting an officer of the Russian government who had instructions to conduct him to the imperial observatory at Pulkova, where, during his stay in Russia, he was made the guest of the director of the observatory and given all possible attentions and facilities, including the “great privilege” of practically manipulating the instruments. Among these was the great telescope, the rival of the Harvard equatorial. During the tour he visited Sweden and saw a total eclipse of the sun. Among those from whom he had friendly receptions were Baron Humboldt, Sir John Herschel, Sir David Brewster, Sir G. B. Airy, Le Verrier, Biot Argelander, Gauss and Hansen; also Lord Rosse, whose great telescope he had opportunity to use.

In July, 1848, the wires of the magnetic telegraph were connected with the observatory at the expense of the coast survey, for determining by instant communication the longitude of certain principal cities in the United States. There are suggestions of both the modern and the antique world in the statement that in this first experience the electrical apparatus of a department of the institution founded by John Harvard, was connected with like apparatus in an observatory in the garden of Peter Stuyvesant in New York city. These electrical experiments of the coast survey were begun as early as 1844, between Washington and Baltimore.

Various improvements of method had been made, and that most approved was followed on this first occasion at Cambridge. The coast survey officer in charge had for his assistants Prof. Bond at Cambridge and Prof. Loomis in New York. An official letter of the electrician of the Coast Survey Department says: “During these experiments Prof. Bond conceived the idea of using an automatic circuit interrupter.”