Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-02-09

The following account Of the Eclipse,
which will take place on Saturday next,
is taken from the Sunday School Advo-
cate, of Providence, edited by Rev. Da-
vid Benedict.
Astronomers, like certain physicians,
can never tell the plainest story without
employing string of hard and technical
terms which but few excepting those OF
their own professions can understand.
Our wish is to furnish for our readers,
portion ofwhom have no facilities for un-
derstanding hard and unusual words, in
language entirely plain and intelhgible,
a statement of one of the Lnost sublime
wonders Of creation, and in "hlch there
is nothing either supernatural 0r alarm
ing. Eclipses of the sun are oc' asloned
by the moon coming like screen be-
tween us and the king of day; tho Of
the moon by the earth's getting between
the sun and the queen of night. The
earth moves round the sun at the I'M
mense distance Of upwards OF 80 millions
of miles from that powerful body; and
while it is performing these mighty Jour
nics, the moon, its satellite or follower,
travels around II at the distance OF two
hundred and forty thousand miles. Some
times these rolling worlds cross each 9TH
er's paths and get in each others light,
and in this plain fact consist the whole
secret of cclipscs. When they happen
in our sight, they of course are r's'ble to
as; but if they happen the other side of
the world, as they frequently do they arc
inrisible to us, but are seen by the inhab-
itants of other regions.
The eclipse we anticipate on the 18th
instant will continue about three hours,
it will commence at New Orleans at a
bout half past o'clock in the morning;
at Charleston s. Carolina, three quar-
ters past ten: at Newly ork, at half past
II, and Halifax, Nova Scotia, at half
past 70.
Although the sun is said to be eclips-
ed, yet the fact will be, the moons shade
will fall upon the earth and hide the sun
from our sight. Eclipscs are just as much
the effect of natural and regular causes
as any of the changes of nature; astron-
! omers can calculate them and ioretell
them with entire certainty for years and
ages to come in the minutest manner.
Superstitious people who know moth
ing of natural causes, are generally pro-
digiously alarmed at events of this kind ;
/ but there is no more reason for alarm
than when the sun is hid from our sight,
! s. its influences are intercepted by clouds
or any intervening objects.
! The whole secret of this great eclipse
will be, that the moons shadow will tall
upon the earth, and thereby hide the
sun from our view, and may produce ar
effect for a short period of time, but thai
the seasons are changed, and calamltie'
are occasioned by the influence of al
eclipse, great or small, we do not believe
This eclipse will be what astronomers
denomnate an annular one, that ls, ap
pear in the form of ring. The quite
edge of the suns disk or face will rcmalr
uncovered, which will exhibit this beau
tiiul appearance.
1t is easy to conceive that very large
plate or ball my be hid from our sight
either wholly or in part, by smaller one
if the latter is near US, and the other |
at great distance. The sun and tn
, moon are vastly different in their dlmen
sions, but yet as the sun is upwards OF .
G millions of miles from us, and the moo
t but l1O thousand, it is easy to see thi
, the one may be hid by the other:
s But now for the weather This W
n can neither foretel nor control; should tn
+ day be cloudy, all our anticipations WI
C be disappointed; but should fair weath'
o bless the scene, smoked glasses and mag
= n;jying lenses and gazing eyes will be