The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-27

Observations from tho Top OF tine Herald
Buildings.

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Observations from tho Top OF tine Herald
Buildings.
In accordance with the announcement u the astro-
nomical world the annuiar eclipse the took place
yesterday For several days before the predicted e,
looked forward with no ordinary degree Of curl
oshy, and, a. might be expected, every whocoud
spare an hour from the urgent demands Of business de-
voted 1t to an inspection Of the In fact there ap
peared to be general cessation Of all kinds OF work
the city and every who had eyes the best ys
Of them, with the aid of smoked glass There was an
extraordinary demand for this particular article aud
where it scarce the supply increased from win
dows broken expressly for the purpose On nearly every
corner might be crowd Of wondering spectators
specuating the of the eclipse listening to
the scientific explanations Of would-be
tronomer. 1t was, ought to be At least, a
great day for the with the telescopes those walk
ing observatories who continually Offering to an
unapprecistive public view Of the heavenly bodies for
tho small charge Of six cents They out in full
FORCE and appeared to be doing heavy business the
large numbers that gathered around them might be
taken fair indication. II is a wonder that some
shrewd specuatng optician did not take advantage of
the occasion to get up at cheap rate prepared glass
for the purpose. An enterprise Of this kind If properly
carried out would have realized handsome for the
inventor thousands would have provided themselves
OF smoked glass resortcd to by those who
fortunate to possess the necessary instruments for
a more scientific observation Of the eclipse.
For at least quarter of hour before the appointed
time thousands of impatient observers had cambeed to
the tops Of houses to watch tho first approaches
OF the moon upon the SUMS disc and by the |
time the lunar shadow entered upon it, the |
roofs were as populous the streets with
The Astor House. the City Hail. the Irving House. and
nearly every public building in the city that afforded
fair view of the eclipse, occupied in the same man
ner. Taking our position the roof Of the Herald
budipg, which afforded fine prospect any other
in the city prepared ourselves to give full report of
the proceedings of two great lumnaries Not |
cloud obscured the sky and the appeared to shine
with more than his usual rcsplendence light breeze
served to moderate the heat and rendered the day par
ticularly favorable for observation
At fifteen minutes past four the first indication which
had that the eclipse had commenced was the appear
Of slight linden tation the southern part OF the
SUMS disc, which gradually advanced till about ten
minutes after when-to the graphic expression of
spectatorit looked like small lite out Of very plump
apple.
At this timo there did not appear to be any change
either in the intensity of the solar heat light but
could distinctly perceive illuminated band bordering
the moons Disc somewhat like the halo which oh
serve in the pictures of saints.
AT quarter to Eve, half hour after the
ment Of the eclipse, about third of the SUMS disc
obscured by the lunar shadow and slight oimnution
in the solar perceptible. The thermometer then
stood at Sc in the SUM- exhibiting yet variation.
At five O'Clock, half Of the suns disc covered
and the thermometer sank to 81, showing ayariaon of
four degrees in fifteen minutes. Clouds began to gather
at the east, and the horizon began to ap-
pearance like that which observe twilight ap-
rroeches.
At twelve minutes past five the thermometer indicated
rs degrees and tho eclipse could be with the naked
eye, though the light Of the still too brilliant
to allow the spectator to look at long with mpunty
At twenty five minutes past FIVE the thermometer had
fallen degree and at half past Eve the presented
the following appearance about eleven dgits of its