The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-05-31
Tho Eolipse. last Friday.

| latter gentleman mas given particular at
tcntion to this eclipse, (having made it a
study for months,) and visited this place
last week, as most eligible point for
for making observations. Though some.
what cloudy, he was able to observe three
contacts,viz at the formation and rupture
of tho ring, and at the closc--thc sun
not being visible at the commencement
of the eclipse.
We are not now able to give more
complete account Of the results, but
may do SO hereafter. Generally, tho
day appears to have been uufavorabc for
WITNESSING this rare phenomenon.
\ At Chester, the forenoon of Friday
was cloudy, with slight showers. until
about eleven O'Clock, when the clouds be.
gan to break in the northwest. After
noon,until about four o'clock the sky was
nearly clear in tho uorth and west, with
occasional floating clouds, which seldom
obscured the sun. The remainder of
the sky was more cloudy. There was
considerable wind during the afternoon,
from the north and northwest. At about
twenty minutes before four uclock, the
clouds began to thickcn in the north and
I west, and at four o'clock the sun was Oh.
titely obscured behind mass of clouds.
There seemed now little prospect of its
temperance, unless at raro intervals,
drought slight partmgs of the hurry iug
clouds, which moved on steadily from the
northwest. They were occasionally
broken, however, by transverse cur.
rents of wind, and after an hour. tho
sun was visible much of the time until
the end of the eclipse.
After four o'clock, tho sun did not ap.
peat until 4h. SIM, when the disk seem
cd about ono fourth covercd-bcing the
lower or western part, with slight var.
iaton to the right or northward. The
progress of the eclipse could now be
watched at intervals, continuing to be
longer and moro frequent, until about
oh. 30lm., when the ring commenced
Fortunately the sun remained visible,
with but slight intervention of clouds.
through all this most interesting period
of the eclipse AT 5h. 32lm., the ring
appeared 2'cy1cct-contrary to what VIC
had expected ut that lace, latitude
about ~ 5om.,)-therc being,to our
perception, no appreciablc diversity of
breadth in any of its parts The sight
was beautiful and thrilling, beyond any
power Of words to describe. Four minutes
and half after its first formation-thc
sun having been obscurcd for about half
a minutc-the moons shadow had touch
ed tho upper edge Of the suns disk, and
this celestial wonder, never to be seen a.
gain, probably, by any who now witnessed
1t, was at an end At Oh SIM, We
could no longer discern any trace of the
dark shadow whose course wo had 80 in
tently watched.
Such was our own observation, in a
very ordinary way.-on tho spot where
We happened to be-with the naked eve
smoked glass, and common pocket time
plece-of this remarkable phenomenon
Such an event certainly deserves some
memorial, and the moro facts can be
gathered, from various points of obse,.
walton, the better.
We cannot conclude without saving.
that this eclipse has tended to confirm
the secret misgiving we have always had
as to the thick darkness at mid day.
through which stars were visible, the fowls
retiring to their roost, amid falling dews
the common traditional accompani
ments of the moro striking solar eclipses
Unless these reported scenes were more
real than any to be witnessed on FRIDAY.
the Goth inst, they arc little better than
myths, A total observation, Though,
would give different results.
In Boston, the cclipse-which had OK.
cited unusal interest-almost entirely
eluded the gaze of the unlucky citizens
and o portion Of that excitable com.
munlty tried to console themselves in
the evening with the rescue of fugitive
negro, in which attempt they were
doomed to like disappointment
Two of the young Mcssrs. Bond. who
arc connected with the Cambridge Oh.
servatory, went as far as the White
mountains of New Hampshire for sure
view OF the heavenly phenomenon. Per.
sons passed through Portsmouth. N. H..
On Thursday, on their way to Mount
Agamenticus, in York county, N. Ii. where
th,ey were to noto the phases of the
eclipse, for astronomical purposes-one
OF which was to test the tables by which
tho eclipse was calculated.
a telegraphic despatch from Dart.
mouth College gave this report of the
state of things on that day at Hanover
Cloudy all day only momen,ary
glimpses of the eclipsc-Grst when one.
fourth obseured, next ton minutes before
the formation of the ring, next eight
minutes after the rupture of the ring.
aud last fifteen minutes before the end No
. telescope observations of either contact
County CoNvENroN.-Tho time for