Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-05-10
From the National Intelligencer.

| From the National Intelligencer.
! Total Eclipse of the SUN, July Is, 1s6O.
The total eclipse OF the Sun, which will occur on th
18th July next is regarded by astronomers the mos
important which will be witnessed during the presen
century It will be visible partial eclipse through
ont the United States but will be total only in sma
part of Oregon and Washington Territories The cen
trail line of the moons shadow will strike the coast fl
teen miles north of the mouth of Columbia River (at
46 deg. % NJ after sunrise, and the breadth Q
the shadow there will be eight miles. Moving thenc
in northeast direction it will pass to Olympia
the southern extremity of Fathead Lake, ant
north of Lake Winnepeg to York Factory, in latitud
81 deg. North and the southeast side of Hudson
Bay At Fort York the breadth of the shadow will
be one hundred and five miles. 1t will leave this con
tinent at Cape Chidey, Tor Chudleigh the northeas
point of Labrador, in latitude 50 ~ deg north and
bending first eastward and afterwards to the southeast
after traversDg the Atlantic Ocean, it will reach Spair
near to Santander, on the Bay of Bscay The shadow
will next pass over the entire surface drained by the
waters of the river Ebro nearly all of the BaleariC
Islands, except Minorca strike Algeria Cape Car
bon pass to the south of Trpol and finally, at 10 h.
46 min. A. NJ, (mean time Washington it will leave
the earth at Massowa, the Red Sea- The end of the
eclipse will be about an hour later.
At Astoria the duration of the total eclipse will be
81 s.. at Cape Chidey, IN. 80 s.; in Spain m 80
s.; and in Algeria M II 1t is during this phase
and when the whole of the direct light is cut off from the
Observers that protuberances sometimes rosecoored
sometimes black, and on other occasions resembling
%
To determine their true character object of the most
earnest interest in physical science and at every recur
renee OF total eclipse astronomers undertake long jour
neys for the purpose of placing themselves the
trail line OF the shadow from whence on the phe
nomena visible. AT the last total eclipse visible On this
continent astronomer went from France to the nor
them part of Brazil second from this country under
the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution traVersed
the desert to the northern part of Peru and third went
from Chile also to Peru. The two former were success
ful the last encountered cloudy morning
But apart from the study of the solar physics for
which the next eclipse in comparison with that just re
erred to- will be favorable in the proportion of three to
one, its range entirely this continent and part
OF Europe, whose longitude has been carefully determn-
ed affords 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 Sanander, and other parties will accompany
MN ththef to occupy stations at Portugalete Bilboa
Fampel0na, DC. The Bavarian Astronomer p1 opposes
to place himself near the mouth of the Ebro On the Med
lterranean, and the French will occupy Palma in Ma
Jorca, and Bugia in Algeria that there will be near
hundred European observers stretched along the CEN
tire OF the shadow in Europe and Africa force ample to
gather very rich harvest of physical results we'll as
OF corresponding data for geographical question
we hear nothing of preparations by American as
tronomers but having ample evidence of their enter
prise and seltsacrfce other occasions we must at
tribute ther silence TO the difficulty they orsee of OBJ
tanning transport at the proper time Cannot this be
obtained Tor them In addition to the strictly scientific
matter our country has direct practical interest in the
occasions for the thousands of ships that frequent our
coasts remmediaey benefited by every approximation
to accurate knowledge of the longitude So earnestly is
this ever present to the mind of the distinguished Super
ntendent of the Coast Survey that he spares no efforts
which may add to the security OF our commerce
md we doubt not Coast Survey party will be
instructed to make the necessary observations in
oregon There his co operation must cease; for
cape Chidley is beyond territorial limits and
Without special authority, presume he could not
end party thither. Will not Congress, or the NAVY
Department. or merchants whose vessels FREQUENT
hat coast furnish the means to charter smaller vessel
Or the conveyance of observers?