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Astronomy at the Turn of the Twentieth Century in Chile and the United States pp 13–26Cite as

Preparing the Mills Expedition

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the preparation of the Expedition, by addressing how the American astronomers organized it, and why they decided to travel to Chile. Preparations involved getting the funding from a wealthy banker from Sacramento (Mr. Mills), but also how they built all the sophisticated equipment they needed. By connecting different enterprises, industries and expertise, in different places of the United States, they managed to have all the pieces in Mount Hamilton. This chapter also describes first negotiations with Chileans, and the story of how their desire for going south took shape, between unexpected problems and personal expectations.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Christiaan Sterken, “Radial Velocity Observations with the 36″ Telescope at Cerro San Cristóbal , Santiago, Chile,” The ESO Messenger, no. 28 (1982): 12–13.

  2. 2.

    William W. Campbell, “Organization and History of the D.O. Mills Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere ,” D.O. Mills Expedition, Cerro San Cristóbal , Santiago, Chile from Its Organization in December 1900 to March 1906, ed. W.W. Campbell and W.H. Wright, Vol. IX (Sacramento : W.W. Shannon Superintendent State Printing, 1907), 5.

  3. 3.

    D.O. Mills Expedition, February 28, 1903, UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz. The Sidereal Problem is explained in full, according to Campbell’s words in Chapter 4.

  4. 4.

    “Darius Ogden Mills ,” New York Times , November 27, 1898.

  5. 5.

    “D.O. Mills,” National Bank of D.O. Mills and Company Records, 1847–1927, Manuscript 368–378, California State Library.

  6. 6.

    “Darius Ogden Mills ,” New York Times , November 27, 1898.

  7. 7.

    Orison Swett Marden, “Darius Ogden Mills : A Self-Made Man Who Strives to Give Others a Chance,” Little Visits with Great Americans: Or Success, Ideals, and How to Attain Them, Vol. 1 (New York: The Success Company, 1905), 118.

  8. 8.

    Barry D. Karl and Stanley N. Katz, “The American Private Philanthropic Foundation and the Public Sphere 1890–1930,” Minerva 19, no. 2 (June 1981): 236–270.

  9. 9.

    Swett, “Darius Ogden Mills ,” 120.

  10. 10.

    D.O. Mills Expedition, Correspondence—D.O. Mills to Edward S. Holden, New York, September 24, 1895, UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 2, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  11. 11.

    William W. Campbell, “A Brief Account of the D.O. Mills Expedition to Chile,” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 15, no. 89 (April 1903): 70–75.

  12. 12.

    Ian Ridpath, Dictionary of Astronomy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), 441

  13. 13.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 6.

  14. 14.

    D.O. Mills Expedition, Correspondence—D.O. Mills to J.E. Keeler, Director of the Lick Observatory , New York, March 12, 1900. UA 36. Ser 04, Box 8 Folder 2, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  15. 15.

    D.O. Mills Expedition, Correspondence—D.O. Mills to W.W. Campbell, Acting Director of the Lick Observatory , New York, December 1, 1900. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 2, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  16. 16.

    William W. Campbell, “Notes from Pacific Coast Observatories,” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 40, no. 236 (1928): 250.

  17. 17.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, December 9, 1900. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  18. 18.

    “Berkeley, December 8.- Through the generosity of D.O. Mills, who has promised to defray the expenses, the University of California will send an astronomical expedition from the Lick Observatory to Australia or South America to study the stars of the southern hemisphere .” D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, December 9, 1900. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  19. 19.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 5.

  20. 20.

    Beverly S. Hard, Notas sobre los directores de la expedición de D. O. Mills a Chile, w/d, code 08R-0101, Box 416. Archivo Histórico Universidad Católica de Chile.

  21. 21.

    Hilmar W. Duerbeck, “National and International Astronomical Activities in Chile,” Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, no. 292 (2003): 9.

  22. 22.

    Heber D. Curtis, “Astronomical Problems of the Southern Hemisphere ,” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 21, no. 129 (December 1909): 232.

  23. 23.

    Albert Gustavus Winterhalter, The International Astrophotographic Congress and a Visit to Certain European Observatories and Other Institutions (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889), 68.

  24. 24.

    John B. Hearnshaw, “Photometry, Astronomical,” History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia, ed. John Lankford (New York: Garland Publishing, 1997), 339.

  25. 25.

    Curtis, “Astronomical Problems,” 232.

  26. 26.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 7.

  27. 27.

    Ricardo Leiva, “Atacama: a 100 años del informe Curtis,” Revista de Humanidades 3 (2010): 15.

  28. 28.

    “Lick Observatory Eclipse Station in Chile,” Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 6, no. 38 (1894): 290–294.

  29. 29.

    The San Francisco Call , August 27, 1902, 14.

  30. 30.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 8.

  31. 31.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 8.

  32. 32.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 7.

  33. 33.

    Campbell, “Organization and History,” 7.

  34. 34.

    D.O. Mills Expedition, Correspondence—W.W. Campbell to Robert Bruce, February 13, 1903. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 5, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  35. 35.

    Campbell, “A Brief Account,” 75.

  36. 36.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, November 8, 1902. H. Wilson to E. Yañez. UA 36. Ser 04, Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  37. 37.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, Yañez to Wilson, November 13, 1902. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  38. 38.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, January 14, 1901. W.R. Hudson to W.W. Campbell. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  39. 39.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, January 14, 1901. W.R. Hudson to W.W. Campbell. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  40. 40.

    New York Times , July 13, 1902.

  41. 41.

    John A. Brasher Co., St. Gobain Plaste Glass Co., both from Pennsylvania, participated, as well as the Allegheny Observatory, Harron, Richard & McCone Co. from San Francisco, Fulton Engine Works of Los Angeles, Warner ¢ Swasey de Cleveland among others. Campbell, “Organization and History,” 5ff.

  42. 42.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, January 14, 1901. W.R. Hudson to W.W. Campbell. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  43. 43.

    D.O. Mills Expedition—Arrangements, September 22, 1902. M.A. Oudin to Campbell. UA 36. Ser 04. Box 8 Folder 1, Lick Observatory Records, Special Collections, Mary Lea Shane Archives, University of California Santa Cruz.

  44. 44.

    Campbell, “A Brief Account,” 74.

Bibliography

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  1. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Bárbara K. Silva

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Silva, B.K. (2019). Preparing the Mills Expedition. In: Astronomy at the Turn of the Twentieth Century in Chile and the United States. Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17712-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17712-6_2

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