Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-03-15
Total Eclipse of the Sun, July IS, 1880.
Gro BE Continually


The total eclipse of the sun which will occar
tie 18th July rtxt, is lCgu1d,d by astrono
mers as the most important which will be wit
messed during the present century. 1t will DO
visible as partial eclipse throughout the UNI
ted States. but will be total only in small part
of Oregon and Washington territories. The
central line of the moon s shadow will strike
the coast fifteen miles north of the mouth of
Columbia RIVER (lat. as deg. Is NUT. n soon
after sunrise, and the breadth of the shadow
there will be eighty miles. Moving thence in
q northeast direction it " i'll pass near to Olyn-
pia across the southern extremity of Flathead
lake, and North Of lake Winnipeg, to New
York Factory, in latitude 81 deg north, and
on the Southwest side of Hudsons bay. At
Fort York, tie breadth of the shadow will be
one hundred and FIVE miles. It will leave this
continent at cape Chidley (or Chudleigh,) the
northeast point Of Labrador, in latitude 81 IL
deg, north. and, bending first eastward ana at
forwards to the southeast. alter traVerslng the
Atlantic ocean, it will reach Spain near to San
lander, on the bay Of Biscay. The shadow will
next pass over the entire surface drained by the
waters of the river Epro nearly all Of the Bal
carlo islands, except Mlnorca strike Algeria
near cape Carbon pass to the south ofTripoli;
and, finally, at 10 h 46 IN. a M. (mean time
at Washington,) it will leave the earth at Mas
sowa. on the Red Sea. The end OF the eclipse
will be about an hour later.
At Astoria the duration OF the total eclipse
will be l h, "a IN at Cape Chidley 2 h. 3d.
in Spain 80 M; one Algeria h. IL IN. 1t is
during this phase, and when the whole OF the
dlrect light is cut off from the observers, that
protubdrances, sometimes rose colered, some
ii n,s black, and on other occasions resembling
luminous. clouds, are witnessed as appendages
apparently to the sun. To determine their true
character is an object of IN Jst earnest in interest
in physical science, and at every occurance OF
total eclipse astronomers undertake long jour
neys Tor the purpose of placing themselves near
the central line of thesnad)w, from whence on
ly are the phenomina visible. At the last total
eclipse visible On this continent one astronomer
went from France to the northern part Of Brazil
a second from this country (dnder the auspices
of the Smithsonian InstitutiOn) traversed the
desert in the northern part Of Peru ; and
third went from Chill also to Peru. The two
former were successful the last encountered
cloudy morning.
But, apart from the study of the solar physic,
for wnicn the next eclipse, In comparison with
that just referred to, will be favorable in the
pronortion Of three to one its range entirely
across this continent and part OF Europe,
whose longitude has been carefully determined,
affords an opportunity to fix the geographical
position Of both the east and west coasts OF
North America with precision which will not
again occur during very many years.
1t is known that the astronomer royal OF
England will 60 to SAntander, and other par
ties will accompany him thither, to occupy sta
Hons at Portugalete, Dlboa, Pampelon, ETC.
The Bayarian astronomer proposes to place him
calf near the mouth Of the E5rO, on the Medi-
terranean, and the French will occupy Palma,
an Maiorca, .Rpd Bugia, in Algeria so that
there will be IpssF hundred European obser-
vars stretched along the centre Of the shadow in
Europe and Africa, force ample to gather
rich harvest Of physical rssslts as well as of cor
responding data for our geographical question.
National Intelligence l6th.