, 1860-07-20

The recent event Of most interest," especially
to scientific men, throughout the world, was the
eclipse Of last Wednesday morning. AstronO-
merS have come to Oregon and Washington Ter
ritory from the Atlantic States to witness and
note the peculiar character Of this the most iIE-
portant eclipse Of the present century. The in
terest felt in regard TO it has not been confined to
private and obscure individuals; the Govern
mcnts Of the United States and Of Europe sent
their chief astronomers to all the most favorable
points, in Europe and here, to take observations
Of it. We INDUCED the hope Of being able to
present to our readers in this issue the result of
the observations taken by the astronomers at
Fort SteilacoOm, sent hither specially by our
Government, but we have been disappointed.
The following sketch, from the Washington
National Lnteltigeneer, conveys information of
the course, duration, &C., Of the eclipse:
II twill be visible as partial eclipse throughout
the United States, but will be total only in small
part Of Oregon and Washington Territory. The
central line Of the moons shadow will strike the
coast fifteen miles north Of the mouth Of Colum.
bia River Qat 400 26' NJ soon after sunrise, and
the breadth Of the shadow will be eighty miles.
Moving thence in . northeast direction, It will
pass near TO Olympia; across the southern ex.
tremity Of Flathead lake, and north Of lake Win.
nipeg, TO York Factory, in latitude $40 n, and
on the southwest side Of Hudson's Ray. At Fort
York, the breadth Of the shadow will be one hun.
dred and Eve miles. Il will leave this COZ tinont
at Cape Childley, Tor Ch1dleigh) the northeast
point Of Labrador, in latitude 81 10 n, and, bend
ing first eastward and aIlefward to the southeast,
after tTaversing the Atlantic ocean, ii will reach
Spain near to Santander, on the Bay Of Biscay.
The shadow will next pass over the entire surface
drained by the waters Of the river Ebro; nearly
all Of the Balcaric islands, except Mnorca; strike
Algeria near Cape Carbon, pass TO the south Of
Tripoli; and finally, at 10.46 AM, (mean time
Washington Il will leave the earth at Mass1wa,
on the Red SEQ. The end Of the eclipse will be
about an hour later. At Astoria, the duration
Of the total eclipse will be mintite "a seconds;
at Cape Chidey, . min. 30 sec. In Spain, 8 min.
80 sec. and in Algeria, 8 min. 12 sec. Il is
during this phase, and when the whole Of the
direct line is cut off from observation, that pro-
tuberances, sometimes roNe-colored, sometimes
black, and on other occasions resembling lumin-
Gus clouds, are witnessed as apPendages appa.
rently 10 the sun.
Il Is known that the astronomer royal Of Eng.
land will go to Santander, and other parties will
accompany him thither, to occupy stations at
POrtugalete, Bilboa, Pampeluna, etc. The Ba.
vaTian astronomer proposes to place himself near
the mouth Of the EbFo, OH the Mediterranean,
and the French will occupy Palma, in Majorca,
and Burgia, in Algeria; so that there will bs near
a hundred European observers stretched along
the center Of the shadow in Europe and Africa:
. force ample 70 gather rich harvest Of physical
results as well as Of corresponding data for our
geographical position.