American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-08-05
FOR rHs AMERICAN wArcuMAN.

FOR THE AMER1CAN WATCHMhN.
A few remarks respecting the late Eclipse Of tn,
Moon which happened on the evening of the 22nc
ult. together with few interviewer observations or
certain causes and effects.
AS so great an eclipse but seldom happens, hav,
therefore collected together a few of my own. OBJ
servations made at the time, and some scattered
ideas since, respecting the In the FIRST place
the evening was remarkably favorable for viewing
celestial and terrestrial phenomena. The sky wa:
clear, concaye, and of an azure blue, and soon afe
the earth's penumbra had reached the lower limb o
the moons disk, | perceived the shade somewha
uneven and not unlike the reflection of high noun
tans and deep valleys, and which concluded nigh
be those of the Aegany or some others adjacent
as the early part OF the moons immersion was from
the shadow OF the earth north west OF US, which
uneven or Jagged edge OF the penumbra soon be
came absorbed amongst the lofty mountains and de
pressed valleys in the moon, some Of which agree
ably to Dr.. Herschc's reckoning are in height from
"a mile to mile and an half. Probably the first o.
the mountains which the eartiTs penumbra covered
was that called Heveus and is described as forming
a central body shaped like an egg, being in Lat. q
TO- N. and in Long. 60 IS L. and though my H.
mted sight could not recognise either the reflection
OF steepes or men, yet notable eclipse OF the
moon perhaps none ever saw. Whilst the more
central part OF the shadow was passing the moon She
became red like unto blood. What the inhablant.
OF the moon may have thought respecting the inter
ventlon OF the earth Tor so long time four hours
nearly am unable to say yet if the like pheno.
menon had happened to Jupiter or Saturn, should
have supposed (rom the height Of their respective
atmospheres) that they were endued with the light
OF intelligence in no respect inferior to our own
seeing our atmosphere is small compared with
theirs. do not by these observations premise that
extent oil atmosphere alone, is the sole cause oil
natural talents +; yet believe that it is medium
through which the Supreme Cause dspenses Ger.
tam gifts and qualifications 10 his rational creature
man. For where there is no atmosphere (Which in
part is formed Of air and heat there can be no hu-
man beings, neither can there be snow, hail, rain
or dew, nor yet the ebbing or flowing OF waters
consequently there can be no circulation Of blood.
That atmosphere Gin preference to attraction) gives
motion and velocity to worlds and all moving things
thereon, appears certain; and were it not for those
atmospheres, which severay5surround each plana.
tary orb, certainly should suppose that thew. in
process OF time, would all unite in one body A
catastrophe which at present through the nterposi.
ton OF Divine Power is not at all to be feared
seeing that all bodies which have amosphercs reDel
each other upon the same principle that the suns
rays repel all those surrounding planets Of borrow
ed light, and by this means they are kept al a pro.
per distance from the sun, whereby they perform
respectively, revolutions not only round or upon
their own axis, bat also around the sun, the com
mon centre of them all--and though cheerfully
agree with the learned Isaac Newton and those who
nave copied alter him, that the force of mutual at
traction Is manifest more or less throughout the solar
system, and which in general acts as check upon
bodies having velocity given them by means of their
own atmospheres and the repelling force of the
suns rays, yet ask those advocates of attraction
whether they are able to produce solitary examnIe
wherein the magnet has either put circular body
IN motion or caused body to describe circle.
though 1t may possibly draw the whole body at
tracted in direct line toward the magnet, and in
this the whole chapter is ended 1t is true manv
great philosophers have written much upon the sub.
Ject and have formed diagrams to suit their purpo-
SEES yet they are all so complex and perplexinr that
there is scarcely reader 10 ten thousand who can
la'hom the length, depth, and height of the ma
chlhery ihey lam would erect; and the main req
son ior II Is that meets with exceptions at the end
OF every echPtcal line or rule they draw for how
Is II possible that the moon forced along az by a
choro nail million oil miles nearer the sun at one
ume IMAM another, should all at once turn upon her
heel and pursue contrary direction, and that with
double the velocity she was in whilst aDnroacb;no
the sun! The same phenomenon is also annarent
with all the planets and comets. But on the Other hand
(agreeabiy TO my hypothess) how natural, simple
and easy OF solution it is TO shew how and in what
manner worlds may be made to form revolutions not
only round or upon their own axis but also around
each other. mean artificial worlds which in some
degree may be made similar the orreries used in
SCHOOLS and that simply by applying heat at the
centre from whence stream may be carried through
horizontal tubes, to which little globes are attached
so as to cause each one to revoye upon its own axis
nth