The Dedication of the Warner and Swasey Observatory
October 12th, 1920
Presentation Address
Worcester R. Warner
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
In looking at the Observatory, the scene seems new to me. The building is new, and yet there is a familiar appearance to that old dome up there. I say “old” dome; perhaps you think it is a new one, but it is more than thirty years old and I might tell you of many winter midnights I have spent under that dome, nearly frozen, for the sake of studying the great nebula in Orion and the four little stars called the trapezium, located in that bay of black sky surrounded on three sides by a wonderful nebulous light, and then, searching even more closely inside the trapezium for the minute fifth and sixth stars which are visible only by the aid of a powerful telescope. The telescope in that dome will show them all, and this nebula in Orion is such a wonderful object that I made it a rule years ago when I was living in Cleveland, on every winter night when I visited the observatory, to first look at it before turning the telescope on a dozen other interesting objects, and finally, before closing the dome and going into the house, I would take another look at the same awe-inspiring great nebula in Orion. I am glad to see in the audience friends who have been my guests on some of these occasions. This nebula is visible to the naked eye as a hazy star. If you are not familiar with its location, ask some friend who is a student of the skies to point it out to you. In the circular room on the first floor of the observatory is a splendid photograph of it, which cannot, however, compare with the view the great telescope of this observatory reveals. I am glad to know that Dr. Howe will, this winter, when the thermometer is down to about zero, invite you to come over here and freeze for an hour, and I assure you it will be worth your while.
But there are other objects visible at different times of the year that are just as important and just as interesting. The great cluster in Hercules is one which appears in the summer skies. It also is visible to the unaided eye, but with the telescope you can see more than ten thousand stars in this little cluster, always one of my pet projects on summer evenings, as I have proven to some of the friends I see in the audience. You will get a hint of its grandeur by observing the photograph of it taken at the Lick Observatory, which hangs on the walls under the great dome. One astronomer has written, for popular reading, a very important little book, called “Astronomy with the Opera Glass.” There are many clusters and double stars which are revealed by an ordinary opera glass. One of the greatest wonders of astronomy is the fact that so much of it is within the reach of every one of you if you will only keep your eyes open, read a few books and ask the astronomers a few questions. May I suggest that you feel perfectly free to quiz the astronomers of Case School of Applied Science.
Now that old dome, as I have said, is the same one that Mr. Swasey and I had between our residences in this city. It seems to have a new suit of clothes, for then it was covered with tin, but now it has a copper mantle. Inside this dome, we have mounted the same telescope that we have used for twenty-five years. It may seem to you that a telescope of that age must be out-of-date, so I will tell you that all of the improvements made since it was built have been embodied in this telescope; for it, too, has a new suit of clothes and comes out today in its best style and best dress. Let me refer also to the optical parts of the telescope, for they were made by John A. Brashear. Mr. Brashear excelled all others in his fine optical work.
That was acknowledged by the astronomers in Europe as well as in America, for many comissions were sent to Mr. Brashear from the observatories in Europe and I want to tell you and Dr. Howe and Professor Wilson that, in my opinion, a Brashear object glass will in the future be compared to other glasses as an old Master is compared to other paintings. It will be a gem, a work of art, and mounted in this telescope, the whole represents the highest development of these times. Let me tell you also that this telescope made a record years ago; for, when we were urged to exhibit at the Paris Exposition in 1900, we responded with a set of machinery for Machinery Hall and this individual telescope for the Liberal Arts Exhibition. There were other telescopes exhibited near it from Germany and England and France, but this telescope was the only instrument which received a gold medal.
This is the telescope and this is the observatory that is Mr. Swasey’s and my special pleasure to present today to the Case School of Applied Science, whereby we hope to serve not only the cause of science, but a cultural purpose in Cleveland generally. It is now my privilege to hand these keys to the President of the Case School of Applied Science and to present to that institution, through its president, Dr. Howe, this already historic observatory and telescope.