Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-04-04

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one stronger than the total eclipse of the Sun
which will take place on Monday, the 2Sth o
July, and which being visible over great ex.
tent of the surface OF the Earth, will be one oil
the most important that will happen for many
years.
On this occasion total or partial obscura
tion of the Sun may be seen throughout the
greater part of North America, Mexico and the
southern extremity of Florida being excepted,
throughout Europe, in tle western, northern,
and northeastern parts of Asia, in the northern,
and northwestern parts OF Africa, in Greenland,
&c. whilst the line of the central total eclipse
will pass over l9l degrees Of longitude, or from
the vicinity of Sitka, the capital of the Russ
ian settlements on our northwest coast, to the
southeastern extremity Of the Caspian sea.
But in no part of the United States will tie
eclipse be total; the greatest observation with
in onr territory taking place at Cape Flattery,
| in Oregon, al the entrance Of the Straits of
Fuca, where the Sun at All 56m, A. NJ, or
twenty -four minutes after it rises. will be about
fve-'xths 90 - obscured on the north side.
Al San Francisco the greatest observation will
take place before the Sun rises, but as the end
of the eel pse may be seen, it is hoped it will be
carefully observed not only there, but at every
place in California and oregon, where are suit
able instruments, long time will elapse be.
fore another as favorable an opportunity offers,
for the determination Of the longitude.
Indeed, a toidl eclipse of the Sun at any par
tcular pace so seldom occurs, that but small
part of those inhabitants Of the Earth, who
remain stationary, ever has an opportunity Of
hcholding this, the most sublime of all pheno-
mena. In April, l7lj, the Sun was entirely
hidden by the Moon at London, and again in
! May, 1924 at Paris, but in the course of the
long interval between those years, and 1901, =,
and perhaps much longer; the shadow OF the
Moon has not again passed, and will not, over
either of those cities. The only total eclipse
that has happened in Boston, since its settle
ment in 1890, as is believed was that which
took place under such very favorable circum-
stances, on June 9th. 1906, and BY the list of
eclipSes from 1924 to 1901, originally published
! in the Columbian Sentinel, and afterwards in
an abridged form in the American Almanac
for 1881, it appears that there will not be any
other, certainly within the present century !;
moreover. it is very probable. that there are
many PAGES in this country. at which there has
not been, since their settlement by Europeans,
even one.
II also appears. by the list above referred to,
! that in the course OF the seventy five years be-
tween 1926 and 1901, the shadow of the Moon
passes bnt three times over any part of our
widely extended Atlantic coast, viz: on Nu-
vembAr Both, 1884, over a small part OF Geur.
gia and South Carolina; on August 7th, 1869,
of North Carolina and Virginia, an on May
2Sth, 1900, over part of Virginia. Annular
eclipses. it is true, occur more frequently, As
those of April. 1871. and February. 1881, were,
and those OF May 26th, 1854, and September
! 29rh, 1875, will be, visible in Massachusetts,
or four in about century and quarter; but
these eel pses, although beautiful, have little of
the sublimity that attends total observation.
Rare therefore as is, in general, the occur
renee of central eclipse at any particular
place it occasionally happens, that some plac 5
are, in this respect, especially favored. Thus.
the eclipse of July Srh, Ii ~ was and that of
the present year will be, central in Poland in
| Lat. 80 : So. \. Long. 27 B.. 5 East, SO
tina the inhabitants of tAlt spot will have an
opportunity of behothug two total ecIp,es OF
the Sun in the course at nine wears. In thj~
country the central path Of February 10, 1881
was crossed in Alabama by tbat of November
3Oth. 1884, and in Nrgjnia by that of Septem-
ber 18th, 1888, and in 1888 the two eclip,es Of
June 9Th and November 3Oth will both be ecu
tral in the Pacific Ocean in Long. about lbs
West, Lat. % South these are however, bnt
NN' P'''"' " VIZ = N"' 81 '"N' '- Wv f'''NN'
thus favored, nearly points on tAe surface OF
the LartH
The width Of the shadow of the Moon on the
18th of lu,y next. viii vary aS uSuu whilst pas
sng over tie Earth, hut in Greenland, Norway
Sweden and Prussia it will be about lO4 Geo
graphical miles. Ii, therefore, the central patti
gwen below, he careiu'Iy married on good
map, and line be drawn parallel thereto tt
the North aod another to the South, at the dlS
tnce OF seventy miles or little less, there
from, the places at winch the eclipse VIII be
total VIII be clSiy seen: there beng OF course
some doubt as to those situated like Elslncur
just WITHIN the edge OF the shadow, as snal
error IN the Moons tabular Latitude Is not un
common-N ltlln the lines thus drawn are IN
clnded IN America several OF the Russian set
Elements SoHth-caSt OF Slika, part of Bntls!
Oregon two Of t"e forts OF the lludSona by
Company on the Great Slave Lake, the winter
hrrbor of Capt. Ross in $50, and Of Capt
f!rry IN ui' No'I 'Iherh part o. tie IsIAiil
nI pSco' III bu"n5 ; hty ana SeNerat oI 'h-
pa4lSn Vii''grS on 'Ae %S'hr'' cost OF urGeh
i'hI ana III H"'"Pt ''Ic tNo''n'F' part oi nee