The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-30
Another Account OF Ecipses.

Another Account OF Ecupses.
! The following highly interesting and graphic de-
scription OF total eclipse of the sun, given to
HALEY by one of his friends is quoted by the great
French astronomer, Arago, and presents sxtraordi-
nary appearances Of nature, different from those
mentioned in the Herald yesterday and tho day
before
"I send you, according to promise, my observa-
tions Of the solar eclpses, though fear they will
not be OF much use to you. Not being furnished
with the necessary instruments for uring time,
| / confined my views TO the spectacle presented by
nature-a spectacle which has hitherto been neg
lected or imperfectly studied. chose for my point
Of observation place called uarradow Hin, two
miles from Amesbury, and east Of the avenue of
stonehenge, Of which /; closes the vista. In front
IL that celebrated edihce, upon which knew that
the eclipse would be bisected. had, moreover,
the advantage Of very extensive prospect in every
direction, being the Hottest hill in the neighbour
hood, and that nearest to the shadow. To the
west, beyond StOnehenge, is another rather steep h
rising like the summit Of cone above the horizon
This Clay Hill, adjoining Westminster q, AMI
situated near the central line of darkness. had
with me Abraham Sturges and Stephen Evans
both natives of the country, and able The sxy
though overcast, gave ous some struggling rays
of the sun that enabled me to see around US NV
two companions looked through the blackenel
glasses, while | made some reconnaissance of the
country. 1t was half past five o'clock by my watch
when they informed me that the eclipse was begun.
We watched its progress, therefore, with the naked
eye, as the clouds performed for the service OF
cOlored glasses. At the moment when the sun was
half obscured, very evident circular rainbow form
cd at its circumference with perfect colors. As the
darkness increased, we saw the shepherds on all
sides fastening to their focks, for they expe ,ted
total eclipse of an hour and quarter duration.
When the sun assumed the appearance of the ne "
moon, the sky was toerably clear. II was soon CO.
yered with deeper clouds. The rainbow then vanished
The steep hill have named became very obscure,
and OIL each sde that is north and SOUTH the horizon
IaIn IlatAt tint hat
wards the close of the day Scarcely ad we time to
counter, when Salisbury spre, six miles the SOUTH
was developed in darkness. The hill disappeared
entirely, and the deepest night spread around US.
We lost sight Of the sun, whose place till then we
had been able to distinguish in the clouds, but
whose trace we could now more discover than
IT 1t had never existed. By my watch, which could
scarcely discern, By some light that reached us
from the north, it was thrty.fve minutes past six
Shortly before the sky and the earth had assumed,
literally speaking livid tint, for il was mixture
Of black and blue, only tho latter predominated on
the earth and at the horizon. There was also
much black difused through the clouds, so that the
whole picture presented an awful aspect, that
seemed to announce the death Of nature. We
were now enveloped in q total and palpable dark
ness, if ! may be allowed the expression. 1t came
on rapidly, but | watched so attentively that |
could perceive its progress. IL came upon US like
rain falling on our left shoulders, 1--WE looking
TO the west,) or like q great black cloak thrown
around us, or like curtain drawn from that side.
The horses we held by the bride seemed deeply
struck by it, and pressed to US with marks of ex-
IRENE surprise. As well as could perceive, the
II was not without an involuntary exclamation Of
wonder looked round me at this moment. | dis
tinguished colors in the sun, but the earth had
lost all its blue and was entirely black. A few
rays shot through the clouds for moment, but i'm
mediately afterwards the earth and the sky APP
peared totally black. It was the most awful sight
had ever beheld in my life. Northwest OF the
point whence tho eclipse came on 1t was i'm possible
n he leas darr
from the sky, for breadth Of sixty degree or more
We looked in vain for the town Of Arncsbury, sit
sated below u.s.; scarcely could We see the ground
under our feet. turned frequently during the to-
tai darkness, and observed that at a considerable
distance to the west the horizon was perfect on
both sides, that is to the north and to the
south, the earth was black and the lower part Of
the sky clear. The obscurity which extended to
the horizon in those points, seemed like a canopy
over our heads, adorned with figures Of lighter
color, so that the upper edges Of all the hills, which
! recognised perfectly by their outlines, formed
black line ! sawperfecy that the n.erval between
light and darkness, observable in the earth, was
between Martinsol % and st. Anne; but to the
south 1t was less distinctly marked.
81 do not mean to say that the line Of sha dow
passed through these two hills, which were twelve
miles distant from US, but as far | could dis
tinguish the horizon there was none behind, and
for Ibis reason my elevated position enabled me to
that yeliowish green line Of light saw was broad
or towards the north than towards the SOUTH whore
IL was Of tan color. At this period, II was too |
black behind u.s. that TO the east looking towards
London, TO enable me to see the hills beyond An
dover for the interior extremity of the shadow lay
beyond that place. The horizon was then divided |
into four parts, differing in extent in light and in
The broadest and most black was TO the |
northwest. The only change could perceive during
Tic whole time tho phenomenon lasted, was that
he horizon divided into two parts. one clear, the
'thtr obscure: The northern hemisphere thea 40
luired more length, brightness and breadth, and
COul n Ia ha hal. |
the beginning OF the eclipse, the light approach
ID from the north and fell on our right shoulders.
could not indeed distinguish on that side either
iehned light or shadow on the Garth which satch-
ID atentively; but 1t evident that the light re-
ufntd but gradually, and with oscillation. IL re-
eded little, advanced rapidly, until at last at the
l,s, brilliant point that appeared in the sky saw
'lainy enough an edge oflght that grazed sides
OF considerable time, or brushed our elbows from
'et TO east Having good reason, therefore, to sup
,ose mat the eclipse ended for us, ! looked at my
'ateh and found that the hand had travcrsed three
minutes and a half. The bill tops then resumed
heir natural color. ! saw the horizon at the point
previously occupied by the centre ofthe shadow My
ompanions cried out that they again saw the steep
I'LL toward which they had been looking attentively
still indeed remained black 90 the southeast bu.
will not say that the horizon wa difficult to dis
over Presently, We heard the cong Of the larks,
slilng tho return Of light, after the profound
lunged. The earth and shy appeared then A. they
. ID tht morning before sunrise. The latter was
! greyish tint, incliniug 10 blue. The former, !
Tar az my eye could reach, was deep green or |
usset.
p" As soon as the sun appeared, the clouds grew
enser, and for several minutes the light did not
'cresse, just a. happens at q cloudy sunrise. The
stant the eclipse became total, till the ascension
! the sun. We saw Venus, bu, no other stars. We
erceived ut this moment the spire Of Salisbury
'tbedrsl The clouds not dispensing, we could
Dt push our observations farther They cleared
,, however, considerably toward evening. !
have FASTENED home TO write this letter, 80 I
,ep an impression has the spectacle made on ny
ind that shall long be able 10 recount all the (.
Icumstances Of II with as much precision as now.
fter supper made q sketch OF IL from memory on y
e same paper on which had previously drawn q
ew Of the country. I
81 will own to you ] vas, methinks. the only '
rsoh In England who did not regret the presep q r
clouds; they added much 10 the soemnity Of the D
ectacie, incomparably superior, in nv opinion, y
that u i7IJ, which say perfe.tly from Ia. ton y
he Lolrrr 90 &C.,. 4. 4 irr~Ir.IIy % Wv W Y