New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-10-27
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LITTER IRON LIEUT.. GFBEfss.


we have been favored, says the National gatsltf.
gsncer Of The loh, with the following ietter from
Lieut. Gilss to Professor Henry Of the Smithsonian
Institution in which Tire former briefly relates M
success Of bis visit r. South America to take oserva
tions Of the late Solar Eclipse
PAYFA, September u, 1888
Ny Dear SIR When the steamer left tI,ie MACS
the Both ultino, seriously apnfeherjtaa MA NM
journey to Peru you'd prove fraitless, because 81
clouds almost every morning until near D o,ei6ek
Nine days experience in this city satisfied Y, f r
must leave the coast and therefore, aftar f0ynisbfr
the commander of the French war steamer I7Yeisgg
with instruments suitable for making the ohseTva-
tons satisfactorily, and leaving him to proceed n
the ship to point on the coast (Punta de IA a9na4
where the central line of the shadow would first touch
the Continent set out for Pufa intending to proceed
from thence to q station near 0imos, a town sixty
leagues distant from PaYta by the road selected.
The journey thther was made 10 five days, across
sand desert and under a nearly vertical sun.
At this time will only say that the journey proved
successful The morning was quite favorable though
at the instant of total observation there was
ceedingly delicate and gauZe-ike yapor between me
and the sun. To it attribute the fact that the four
prominent prOtuberances which appeared at the con-
mencement Of the total eclipse were not r0secoored
but bright, Illuminated Clouds They were plainly
dlstngulshabe by the unassisted eye and continued
Visible Tor second Or two after the western limb of
the sun had emerged. The form and graduation Of
brillanCy in the corona light which appeared stimuli
taneously and obIiterated at the same time as the
apparent solar clouds, are probably attributable to
the same cause.
My report hereafter will be in detail. I write to-
day greatly fatigued from the exhausting Journey,
ana only because know shat you viii be desrous 10
learn the result at the earliest date When tell Won
that during the three days preceding the eclipse
vas Frustrated by agues and constant and intense
feyera, you may judge of the effects Of travel
q Peruvian desert. Ny young companion, MIC. H.
Raymond, bore the Journey better and was Of the
greatest assistance. Indeed on the day preceding
| the eclipse was wholly unable to sit up and he
| mounted the telescope and meteorological ilstru
! ments. At night was strong enough 10 adjust the
former that everything was ready for use on thi
following morning, and make observations for Iati
| tude
DR.. Moesta, the Director of the National Observa
| tory at Santiago de Chile, landed ct Iambayeque
twenty-five leagues south of 0lmos) but was so de
ayed that he reached within five leagues of the latte
town only on the evening preceding the eclipse. HI
made a station there, but the morning was cloudl
until after the close Of the phenomenon On the sci
he came to Omos to see me.
The officers of the French steamer were more for
tunate. AT their station las at minel the ECLIPSE
began before the early morning clouds had passed
away but at the instant OF t0tality there was per
fecly clear sky. They saw three principal protabeE
ances of a T0secoloT two Of them In the position
seen by me, but the extended chain constituting h
third was almost Numerically opposite to where i
was visible from 0lmos. The duration of totalit,
observed by them was SOS. mine 6As.5. The OF
server with the telescope lent by me was unable t.
perceive the corona light Che says) because Of tn
moon occupying nearly She whole field of view. Th
COmnaudant of the Urejer left a copy of all thei
observations for me- Che sailed from here the 10th
and this will form part of my report to you hereafter
WIN great regard 'siis's always '''tj KY Glfss
Secreiary Smithsonian Institution Washington