Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-08-23
THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN, AS SEEN
ON THE COAST OF NORWAY.

THE TOTAE EC1IfSE VI IdE SUM AO CEEN
ON THE COAST OF NORWAY.
The Scotsman has very interesting commune
cation from the Astronomer Royal of Scotland,
who obtained steamer from the Commissioners
Of the Northern Lighthouses, and permission from
the Swedish authorities 10 land on any part Of the
coast of Norway. He was accompanied big Rev.
Dr. Robinson, of the Armagh Observatory. sta
ton was selected on one of the oatlying Blue
Islands, in lat. 81 deg. 20 min. This was in the
centre of the line of shadow, and clear horizon
in the direction of the sun at the time of the
eclipse was obtained. The weather was very in
suspicious, the morning being cloudy, and imme-
diately after the total observation deluge Of rain
fell. We copy the main portion Of this account:
The instruments landed early hour. and there
sufficient gmpses OF the through the clouds to OBJ
so The necessary observations for time and for latitude and
before the Of the eclipse each observer was
told of with his Instruments prepared and with code OF IN
sructons These too arranged that by division
of labor hoped that although the important part Of the
eclipse Of short duration and the number Of pbenome-
ma to be noted many and various, yet Of them,
whether referring the purely astronomical bearings OF the
cosmcal terrestrial physics could be well lost
sight of that is weather only permitting but this was BY
no favorable could have been wished. Sui,
however, the commencement Of the eclipse very fairly
Observed and sufficient during s progress enable
the observers take accurate notes of spots the sun
and of mountains the edge Of the moon to DO pre-
pared to their degree of connexon regards place. to
those wondrous tongues Of light and the variations Of the
ROMA the nexplcabe and the most important of oil the
phenomena presented during total eclipse. Further The
instant Of complete observation observed very accurately
and interesting features remarked, tending to
plain anomalies perceived in former total eclpses and nd
eating rapid fuctuaon in the degree of brightness Of the
suns surface
Immediately after this however, the clouds became very
thick that the EMERSON Of the s and
hoov affo
of the evening But the terrestrial phenomena, to which
attention could be turned the loss of the celestial
ones Of nature abundanty sufficient TO satisfy any
soul capable of entering into and appecatng the awful and
the sublime.
As the to.ay approached the air felt sensbly colder
every moment and the darkness plainly the clouds
seemed lower and under the appearance
of rushing descending streams Of them, while the seabds
appeared by their noise be gathering around the rocks for
their nightly for shelter The difference Of ilumna-
tion had also become very marked the mountains a diff
fcrent distances, those far from being brought out with
vvdness and dis inctness which made increasing
gloom the observable. Suddenly, at the moment of
taity the very extremity of darkness seemed to fall upon
Not however absolutely for the rain clouds which closed
in the greater part the horizon left open trip of sky
tending from N. w. to E. N E. and two three degrees
high and which this became of dark urd orange
color, vergng from red side to greensh the other
and enabled barely each other by faint unearhly
of light small hand-amps, fifty sixty yards off, in
hollow, visible in dark night, and. with their red
Color eonrasted with the general hue OF
thing Immediately around.
But the appearance Of the country through that urd
opening under the Clouds the appalling. Though
standing in the Of the shadow, could yet by
Of their great height the distant peaks Of the lofty
Jostedas and Dovreed mountains still illuminated by the
OF the descending upon them from high but
were shut out into utter darkness Some approximation
the appearance might be obtained by watching the oppotu
nifty Of similar CONFORMATION Of clouds in the north from
the Cation hill during midsummers midnight; but sill it
ho
all the light of heaven and earth entirely confined
strip along the horzon that peculiar greenh
hue and never that appearance Of outer darkness in place
Of observation and Of extensive distance in the verge Of the
horizon, caused in this by the hills there being
highly illuminated they receded by less and less eclpsed
sun while in morning evening sky they are, the
contrary, most in the shade, and therefore dark and
naturally thrown forward.
Though none of unmoved with gratitude at hav-
ing been allowed witness such spectacle, though we
should have been glad to have enjoyed its teachings for
longer space Of me and should have been alarmed indeed
if had not happened did, and with such wonderful
curscy to the computed time yet certain feelings of relief
experienced when the ud streak in the sky suddenly
changed to yellow. when the clouds frightened ups and the
darkness seemed be waited visiby away the southeast
The seabds that had stopped their screaming during the
darkness now resppeaed; but the wild Nosemen of those
rocky isles who had congegaed curousy around dur
ing the commencement Of the eclipse when the light return
ed, where theyl Gone to hide themselves in their
hu, thinking that they in the jaws Of destruction,
among the stones of darkness and in the shadow Of DEATH
Such heard aerward the general feeling among them
all along the coast beyond the limits obscuraon
Horses and began 10 wend their way home
wards, and poultry fly up their rooss but one farmer
informed that amusing Of confusion took place
when the fowls found the darkness coming quickly that
they could all get placed their perches time and
then again, when they found by the quickly returning light
that they had had false alarm We also heard that there
had been al that line Of the country such excessive
that day, that party, enabled by the lighthouse
In Aka ohshIv tk>
observations circumstance the Fortunate inasmuch
that the earliest part Of Europe visited by the shadow
in its progress from west to east
These observations will of appea elsewhere 10 due
time, and in different form but meanwhile general
idea Of what witnessed may be unacceptable the
public at large.
THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER UNION.