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PRESS PILGRIMAGE
TO PALOMAR
Bx NANCY R. BOLTON
Staff, Sky and Telescope
B
Y THE TIME our once-in-a-life-
where the mountainside dropped a sheer
time caravan left Rincon on the
1,000 feet.
way up the mountain road to
But in spite of the bad weather, we
Palomar a fine drizzle of rain was fall-
were up to the observatory by II o'clock
ing, at points a mixture of snow and
and the mirror was unloaded by 12.
rain. It was impossible to see beyond
The building was completely breath-
a few feet. George H. Hall, of the
taking and equally freezing, for the
Caltech publicity department, who was
summit temperature was 29° Fahren-
driving our car, had to keep his head
heit. Fortunately, they had two small
outside the car a good part of the time
rooms heated for the use of reporters
even to drive at a snail's pace.
and photographers. When the cover of
We seemed to be clinging to the
the mirror crate was removed, pictures
mountainside, and everywhere around
were allowed to be taken on the ground
The 200-inch mirror arrives safely on
us this dense vapor hung. There were
floor, but no one was allowed above the
the top of Palomar Mountain, rain and
occasional breaks and then I was able
mirror. I did, however, get a peek at
sleet notwithstanding. Los Angeles
to see below, and my heart almost
the mirror from the topmost gallery,
"Times" photo by Al Humphreys.
stopped a couple of times when I re-
thus seeing it properly before it was
alized what we had just passed.
I
placed in the aluminizing tank. The
pressed by the kindness of the hotel
always said I wanted to live danger-
coating process was to take several days.
people. The interest shown by everyone
ously, and this was it!
Reporters from many papers and wire
was as genuine as it was enthusiastic,
At Rincon, where we had stopped
services, newsreel camera and radio men
and there is no question that Palomar is
from 7:55 to 8:20 a.m. to check the
were all there, so this trip of the cen-
going to have an amazing effect on the
coupling of trailer and truck, the truck-
tury was well covered for the general
growth of Escondido. Incidentally, the
men removed a large section of the
public. I was very much pleased to
charm of the place is with me yet, and
trailer to shorten the length for the
meet Russell W. Porter, who looked as
I shall never forget the beauty of the
curves ahead. Once started up the
though he were enjoying all the ex-
surrounding orange groves.
mountain, there was no turning back,
citement.
To go back to the beginning, for this
and the 20-foot crate which held the
Back in the Charlotta Inn in Escon-
writer the Palomar pilgrimage began
largest eye in the world sometimes
dido, where the mirror and its retinue
during the day on Monday, November
straddled the entire road, even in places
had bivouacked for the night, I was im-
17th, when I first saw the 200-inch mir-
ror loaded onto the 16-wheel trailer
which was to carry it from Pasadena.
In a glass-enclosed gallery overlooking
a laboratory I20 feet square, press rep-
resentatives were allowed to watch the
loading process. Plywood and brown
paper protected the mirror surface,
while the mirror itself was carried in
the cell which will hold it in the tele-
scope tube; this cell supported the mir-
Crossing the Santa Fe
ror during the polishing and testing
railroad tracks on the
operations. Two I-beams in turn sup-
Galivan bridge, extra dol-
ported the cell, and a giant crane hoisted
ly wheels were placed
and moved this combination, weighing
under the trailer to dis-
35 tons, on the first portion of its jour-
tribute the load the full
ney - across the room to the trailer
width of the bridge. The
bed. The illumination in the laboratory
tracks are 50 feet below.
was very intense, so no detail would es-
cape attention. It took 45 minutes to
International News photo.
fit the mirror to the trailer, where it
was given sponge-rubber supports and
bolted tightly.
The huge packing crate which was
then fitted over the mirror weighed five
tons, and within this were placed vibra-
tion gauges which recorded how much
the mirror was being jostled during its
trip. Readings from these gauges were
transmitted directly to the driver's cab
of the truck drawing the trailer, so at
all times the speed could be kept within
safe limits. At times we went 15 miles
January, 1948, SKY AND TELESCOPE
59
Document source description
This item contains volume seven, issue three, number seventy-five of Sky and Telescope Magazine.
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"ocrText": "PRESS PILGRIMAGE\nTO PALOMAR\nBx NANCY R. BOLTON\nStaff, Sky and Telescope\nB\nY THE TIME our once-in-a-life-\nwhere the mountainside dropped a sheer\ntime caravan left Rincon on the\n1,000 feet.\nway up the mountain road to\nBut in spite of the bad weather, we\nPalomar a fine drizzle of rain was fall-\nwere up to the observatory by II o'clock\ning, at points a mixture of snow and\nand the mirror was unloaded by 12.\nrain. It was impossible to see beyond\nThe building was completely breath-\na few feet. George H. Hall, of the\ntaking and equally freezing, for the\nCaltech publicity department, who was\nsummit temperature was 29° Fahren-\ndriving our car, had to keep his head\nheit. Fortunately, they had two small\noutside the car a good part of the time\nrooms heated for the use of reporters\neven to drive at a snail's pace.\nand photographers. When the cover of\nWe seemed to be clinging to the\nthe mirror crate was removed, pictures\nmountainside, and everywhere around\nwere allowed to be taken on the ground\nThe 200-inch mirror arrives safely on\nus this dense vapor hung. There were\nfloor, but no one was allowed above the\nthe top of Palomar Mountain, rain and\noccasional breaks and then I was able\nmirror. I did, however, get a peek at\nsleet notwithstanding. Los Angeles\nto see below, and my heart almost\nthe mirror from the topmost gallery,\n\"Times\" photo by Al Humphreys.\nstopped a couple of times when I re-\nthus seeing it properly before it was\nalized what we had just passed.\nI\nplaced in the aluminizing tank. The\npressed by the kindness of the hotel\nalways said I wanted to live danger-\ncoating process was to take several days.\npeople. The interest shown by everyone\nously, and this was it!\nReporters from many papers and wire\nwas as genuine as it was enthusiastic,\nAt Rincon, where we had stopped\nservices, newsreel camera and radio men\nand there is no question that Palomar is\nfrom 7:55 to 8:20 a.m. to check the\nwere all there, so this trip of the cen-\ngoing to have an amazing effect on the\ncoupling of trailer and truck, the truck-\ntury was well covered for the general\ngrowth of Escondido. Incidentally, the\nmen removed a large section of the\npublic. I was very much pleased to\ncharm of the place is with me yet, and\ntrailer to shorten the length for the\nmeet Russell W. Porter, who looked as\nI shall never forget the beauty of the\ncurves ahead. Once started up the\nthough he were enjoying all the ex-\nsurrounding orange groves.\nmountain, there was no turning back,\ncitement.\nTo go back to the beginning, for this\nand the 20-foot crate which held the\nBack in the Charlotta Inn in Escon-\nwriter the Palomar pilgrimage began\nlargest eye in the world sometimes\ndido, where the mirror and its retinue\nduring the day on Monday, November\nstraddled the entire road, even in places\nhad bivouacked for the night, I was im-\n17th, when I first saw the 200-inch mir-\nror loaded onto the 16-wheel trailer\nwhich was to carry it from Pasadena.\nIn a glass-enclosed gallery overlooking\na laboratory I20 feet square, press rep-\nresentatives were allowed to watch the\nloading process. Plywood and brown\npaper protected the mirror surface,\nwhile the mirror itself was carried in\nthe cell which will hold it in the tele-\nscope tube; this cell supported the mir-\nCrossing the Santa Fe\nror during the polishing and testing\nrailroad tracks on the\noperations. Two I-beams in turn sup-\nGalivan bridge, extra dol-\nported the cell, and a giant crane hoisted\nly wheels were placed\nand moved this combination, weighing\nunder the trailer to dis-\n35 tons, on the first portion of its jour-\ntribute the load the full\nney - across the room to the trailer\nwidth of the bridge. The\nbed. The illumination in the laboratory\ntracks are 50 feet below.\nwas very intense, so no detail would es-\ncape attention. It took 45 minutes to\nInternational News photo.\nfit the mirror to the trailer, where it\nwas given sponge-rubber supports and\nbolted tightly.\nThe huge packing crate which was\nthen fitted over the mirror weighed five\ntons, and within this were placed vibra-\ntion gauges which recorded how much\nthe mirror was being jostled during its\ntrip. Readings from these gauges were\ntransmitted directly to the driver's cab\nof the truck drawing the trailer, so at\nall times the speed could be kept within\nsafe limits. At times we went 15 miles\nJanuary, 1948, SKY AND TELESCOPE\n59"
}