men of invention and industry-第79章

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figure。　　He　was　also　able　to　turn　out　a　large　quantity　of

glasses；　so　as　to　furnish　astronomers　in　all　parts　of　the　world

with　telescopes　of　admirable　defining　power；　at　a　comparatively

moderate　price。　　In　all　his　works　he　endeavoured　to　introduce

simplicity。　　He　left　his　mark　on　nearly　every　astronomical

instrument。　　He　found　the　equatorial　comparatively　clumsy；　he

left　it　nearly　perfect。　　His　beautiful　〃dividing　machine；〃　for

marking　divisions　on　the　circles；　four　feet　in　diameter　and

altogether　self…actingwhich　divides　to　five　minutes　and　reads

off　to　five　seconds　is　not　the　least　of　his　triumphs。



The　following　are　some　of　his　more　important　achromatic

telescopes。　　In　1850；　when　he　had　been　fourteen　years　in

business；　he　furnished　his　earliest　patron；　Professor　Phillips；

with　an　equatorial　telescope　of　6　1/4　inches　aperture。　　His

second　（of　6　1/8）　was　supplied　two　years　later；　to　James

Wigglesworth　of　Wakefield。　　William　Gray；　Solicitor；　of　York；　one

of　his　earliest　friends；　bought　a　6　1/2…inch　telescope　in　1853。　

In　the　following　year；　Professor　Pritchard　of　Oxford　was　supplied

with　a　6　1/2…inch。　　The　other　important　instruments　were　as

follows：　in　1854；　Dr。　Fisher；　Liverpool；　6　inches；　in　1855；　H。　L。

Patterson；　Gateshead；　7　1/4　inches；　in　1858；　J。　G。　Barclay；

Layton；　Essex；　7　1/4　inches；　in　1857；　Isaac　Fletcher；

Cockermouth；　9　1/4　inches；　in　l858；　Sir　W。　Keith　Murray；

Ochtertyre；　Crieff；　9　inches；　in　1859；　Captain　Jacob；　9　inches；　

in　1860；　James　Nasmyth；　Penshurst；　8　inches；　in　1861；　another

telescope　to　J。　G。　Barclay；　10　inches；　in　1864；　the　Rev。　W。　R。　

Dawes；　Haddenham；　Berks；　8　inches；　and　in　1867；　Edward　Crossley；

Bermerside；　Halifax；　9　3/8　inches。



In　1855　Mr。　Cooke　obtained　a　silver　medal　at　the　first　Paris

Exhibition　for　a　six…inch　equatorial　telescope。＇8＇　　This　was　the

highest　prize　awarded。　　A　few　years　later　he　was　invited　to

Osborne　by　the　late　Prince　Albert；　to　discuss　with　his　Royal

Highness　the　particulars　of　an　equatorial　mounting　with　a　clock

movement；　for　which　he　subsequently　received　the　order。　　On　its

completion　he　superintended　the　erection　of　the　telescope；　and

had　the　honour　of　directing　it　to　several　of　the　celestial

objects　for　the　Queen　and　the　Princess　Alice；　and　answered　their

many　interesting　questions　as　to　the　stars　and　planets　within

sight。



Mr。　Cooke　was　put　to　his　mettle　towards　the　close　of　his　life。　　A

contest　had　long　prevailed　among　telescope　makers　as　to　who

should　turn　out　the　largest　refracting　instrument。　　The　two

telescopes　of　fifteen　inches　aperture；　prepared　by　Merz　and

Mahler；　of　Munich；　were　the　largest　then　in　existence。　　Their

size　was　thought　quite　extraordinary。　　But　in　1846；　Mr。　Alvan

Clark；　of　Cambridgeport；　Massachusetts；　U。S。；　spent　his　leisure

hour's　in　constructing　small　telescopes。＇9＇　He　was　not　an

optician；　nor　a　mathematician；　but　a　portrait　painter。　　He

possessed；　however；　enough　knowledge　of　optics　and　of　mechanics；

to　enable　him　to　make　and　judge　a　telescope。　　He　spent　some　ten

years　in　grinding　lenses；　and　was　at　length　enabled　to　produce

objectives　equal　in　quality　to　any　ever　made。



In　1853；　the　Rev。　W。　E。　Dawesone　of　Mr。　Cooke's　customers　

purchased　an　object…glass　from　Mr。　Clark。　　It　was　so　satisfactory

that　he　ordered　several　others；　and　finally　an　entire　telescope。　

The　American　artist　then　began　to　be　appreciated　in　his　own

country。　　In　1860　he　received　an　order　for　a　refractor　of

eighteen　inches　aperture；　three　inches　greater　than　the　largest

which　had　up　to　that　time　been　made。　　This　telescope　was　intended

for　the　Observatory　of　Mississippi；　but　the　Civil　War　prevented

its　being　removed　to　the　South；　and　the　telescope　was　sold　to　the

Astronomical　Society　of　Chicago　and　mounted　in　the　Observatory　of

that　city。



And　now　comes　in　the　rivalry　of　Mr。　Cooke　of　York；　or　rather　of

his　patron；　Mr。　Newall　of　Gateshead。　　At　the　Great　Exhibition　of

London；　in　1862；　two　large　circular　blocks　of　glass；　about　two

inches　thick　and　twenty…six　inches　in　diameter；　were　shown　by　the

manufacturers；　Messrs。　Chance　of　Birmingham。　　These　discs　were

found　to　be　of　perfect　quality；　and　suitable　for　object…glasses

of　the　best　kind。　　At　the　close　of　the　Exhibition；　they　were

purchased　by　Mr。　Newall；　and　transferred　to　the　workshops　of

Messrs。　Cooke　and　Sons　at　York。　　To　grind　and　polish　and　mount

these　discs　was　found　a　work　of　great　labour　and　difficulty。　　Mr。

Lockyer　says；　〃such　an　achievement　marks　an　epoch　in　telescopic

astronomy；　and　the　skill　of　Mr。　Cooke　and　the　munificence　of　Mr。

Newall　will　long　be　remembered。〃



When　finished；　the　object…glass　had　an　aperture　of　nearly

twenty…five　inches；　and　was　of　much　greater　power　than　the

eighteen…inch　Chicago　instrument。　　The　length　of　the　tube　was

about　thirty…two　feet。　　The　cast…iron　pillar　supporting　the　whole

was　nineteen　feet　in　height　from　the　ground；　and　the　weight　of

the　whole　instrument　was　about　six　tons。　　In　preparing　this

telescope；　nearly　everything；　from　its　extraordinary　size；　had　to

be　specially　arranged。＇10＇　　The　great　anxiety　involved　in　these

arrangements；　and　the　constant　study　and　application　told　heavily

upon　Mr。　Cooke；　and　though　the　instrument　wanted　only　a　few

touches　to　make　it　complete；　his　health　broke　down；　and　he　died

on　the　l9th　of　October；　1868；　at　the　comparatively　early　age　of

sixty…two。



Mr。　Cooke's　death　was　felt；　in　a　measure；　to　be　a　national　loss。　

His　science　and　skill　had　restored　to　England　the　prominent

position　she　had　held　in　the　time　of　Dollond；　and；　had　he　lived；

even　more　might　have　been　expected　from　him。　　We　believe　that　the

Gold　Medal　and　Fellowship　of　the　Royal　Society　were　waiting　for

him；　but；　as　one　of　his　friends　said　to　his　widow；　〃neither　worth

nor　talent　avails　when　the　great　ordeal　is　presented　to　us。〃　　In

a　letter　from　Professor　Pritchard；　he　said：　〃Your　husband　has

left　his　mark　upon　his　age。　　No　optician　of　modern　times　has

gained　a　higher　reputation；　and　I　for　one　do　not　hesitate　to　call

his　loss　national；　for　he　cannot　be　replaced　at　present　by　any

one　else　in　his　own　peculiar　line。　　I　shall　carry　the

recollection　of　the　affectionate　esteem　in　which　I　held　Thomas

Cooke　with　me　to　my　grave。　　Alas！　that　he　should　be　cut　off　just

at　the　moment　when　he　was　about　to　reap　the　rewards　due　to　his

unrivalled　excellence。　　I　have　said　that　F。R。S。　and　medals　were

to　be　his。　　But　he　is；　we　fondly　trust；　in　a　better　and　higher

state　than　that　of　earthly　distinction。　　Best　assured；　your

husband's　name　must　ever　be　associated　with　the　really　great　men

of　his　day。　　Those　who　knew　him　will　ever　cherish　his　memory。〃



Mr。　Cooke　left　behind　him　the　great　works　which　he　founded　in

Buckingham　Street；　York。　　They　still　give　employment　to　a　large

number　of　skilled　and　intelligent　artizans。　　There　I　found　many

important　works　in　progress；the　manufacture　of　theodolites；　of

prismatic　compasses　（for　surveying）；　of　Bolton's　range　finder；

and　of　telescopes　above　all。　　In　the　factory　yard　was　the

commencement　of　the　Observatory　for　Greenwich；　to　contain　the

late　Mr。　Lassell's　splendid　two　feet　Newtonian　reflecting

telescope；　which　has　been　presented　to　the　nation。　　Mr。　Cooke's

spirit　still　haunts　the　works；　which　are　carried　on　with　the

skill；　the　vigour；　and　the　perseverance；　transmitted　by　him　to

his　sons。



While　at　York；　I　was　informed　by　Mr。　Wigglesworth；　the　partner　of

Messrs。　Cooke；　of　an　energetic　young　astronomer　at　Bainbridge；　in

the　mountain…district　of　Yorkshire；　who　had　not　only　been　able　to

make　a　telescope　of　his　own；　but　was　an　excellent　photographer。　

He　was　not　yet　thirty　years　of　age；　but　had　encountered　and

conquered　many　difficulties。　　This　is　a　sort　of　character　which

is　more　often　to　be　met　with　in　remote　country　places　than　in

thickly…peopled　cities。　　In　the　country　a　man　is　more　of　an

individual；　in　a　city　he　is　only　one　of　a　multitude。　　The　country

boy　has　to　rely　upo