The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-29
From the NelU York tribune
THE GREAT LCIIPSE lE LII V 1 6


To the Editor of the NetO York Tri5me-Sir: 1
suppose many of your readers will be equally inter-
ested with myself in the following particulars re-
specting the coming eclipse.
The centre of the eclipse-that is, the centre of
the moons shadow-will first touch the earth's
disk in the Pacific Ocean in lat. 45o, 81 NJ, long
1880 w. of Greenwich, on the morning of July Is.
This point is about 20 miles southwest of the en-
trance of Columbia river, and here the sun will
rise centrally eclpsed at "a minutes past O'Clock
or "a minutes past mean noon at Greenwich. As
the shadow comes up over the precptous side of
the earth, in three minutes from the moment of its
entrance, 1t makes stride of more than $50 miles,
passing directly over Astoria, and with gentle
easterly curve, northeastery through Washing
ton Territory, across the Rocky Mountains, to the
parallel of 500 north latitude, which it crosses in
Ion. l120 AS W. In eleven minutes more it reaches
the southwestern shore of Hudsons Bay, in lat $50
As, W. With lessening speed, in 10 minutes more,
it will have crossed Hudson's Bay and the main
land of northern Labrador and arrive near Cape
Chdley, its northern terminus lat 500 So. Thence
slightly north OF east it sweeps off into the North
ern Ocean with a velocity of 35 miles per minute,
and almost touches the Goth parallel of latitude
Then, gently curving southwardy, in % minutes,
it arrives at a point 96 miles southery of Cape
Farewell in lat 41o 30' W., and with an increas-
ing southery curve, in AZ minutes more re-crosses
the 50th parallel of latitude in lon. 16o W., at
o'clock 81 minutes P NJ, local time at that spot.
Thence passing southeastery into the Bay of Bis
cav, in % minutes more it strikes the northern
coast of Spain, in Ion. 50 W., at 2 hours 80 min
utes P. NJ, local time. 1t will be IL minutes in
crossing the Peninsula leaving its southern shore
in lat. 800 40 Crossing the Mediterranean sea in
10 minutes, it will reach the African shore in Ion
40 E. Thence passing southeastery, in 3SL
minutes more, it leaves the earth the western
shore of the Red Sea, in lat. 15o 49, N, Ion. $50
AS E., at which point the sun will set, centrally
ecpsed at hours 81 minutes P. NJ local time. The
central eclipse, allowing for the effect of refraction,
will cross the earths disk in hours and minutes.
The moons shadow, could it fall perpendicularly
the surface of the earth, would form circle of
70 miles in diameter; but it passes over the
northern verge of the earth, it will form eclipse
variously elongated and distorted according to the
inclination of the surface and the direction of the
central path. When the western edge of the
shadow touches Astoria, its eastern edge will reach
a point 450 miles eastwardv on the central track,
nearly to the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The
transverse diameter will then be about lao miles.
Where it passes the neighborhood of England, into
the Bay of Biscay, and through Spain, the shadow
will form eclipse IS miles wide on the central
path, but elongated 60 to 20 miles on each side,
nearly at right angles. At all points within the
shadow the sun will be totally ecpsed. On map
of North America, eleven lines, drawn parallel to,
and south of the Central track, at intervals of 200
miles, will indicate nearly the points where the
will be IL, 10, 8, &C., digits ecpsed. Similar
spaces on the Atlantic Ocean and in Western
Europe will indicate nearly similar phases. The
uneclpsed dgits represent the central width of the
suns luminous crescent in twelfths of his diameter,
at the moment of the greatest observation. As the
central track crosses the great thoroughfare of
European and American commerce, an interesting
opportunity will be furnished to those who may be
making the passage, and may happen to be within
the limits of the moons shadow, for observing
phenomena which many will have made long and
expensive journeys to witness. The distances men
toned above are in statute miles; the hours and
minutes indicate mean time.
st. Anthony, Minnesota. MOSES SPRINGER.
BARBAR1TY IN NApLEs-The means in use by the
darradpd Kino nf NaDlps for fnrturjnp susnartpd
persons among his subjects, as described by the
London Times, are most revolving, but the state
ment, we think, must be taken with some grains
OF allowance for exaggeration- One person, Tor
merely carrying a letter in cipher, was placed in
sack and kept beneath the water until he had lost
consciousness three times. The thumb screw was
used to extort confessions, and also an instrument
called the tournquet, which was applied to the
head, which makes the eyes start forth and almost
drop. Pontile, a Lieutenant of Manisealer, in
vented an chair, in which the victim is seated
on sort of gridiron, under which is pan of coal.
Another method was to tie the head of the victim
between his legs, and leave him in that position
until he confessed. Another instrument was the
sbiRi, or "angelic instrument" in which, by turn
ing screw, the limbs Of the victim are crushed
On one occasion man was suspended IN the ar,
his arms being tied to wall, and his legs to an
other, and in that position an ot1cer OF the ponce
jumped upon him and beat him.
TIE CRops IN THE WEsr.-The Chicago Press of
the 23d instant states that its advices lead to the
conclusion that the prospects for full crop all
over the northwest were never better. The breadth
sown was larger than ever before and with favorable
weather for a few weeks more, the harvest will be
secured, and our garners will be full. Kansas and
Northwestern Missouri were exception, but it is
believed the late rains have brought forward the
crops in that section, and will make them largely
exceed the fears entertained by the people few
weeks since. 1t is too soon to form any Judgment
in relation to the corn CROP but thus far it looks
WE'LL and it will doubtless largely augment the gen.
eral abundance.
A1R-rIGHT CoMPARTMENTs.-Theirv value is iustra-
ted by the cruise of the steamship Champion, Capt.
Fletcher, just arrived from San Francisco, via the
Straits of Magellan. AS the Champion was coming
through thu Straits, she struck rock-not laid
down in the chart-and stove hole in her bows
feet long by eight inches wide. The question
was, whether to lay to for repairs amongst the
Patagonians or take the risk of the homeward trim
in that condition. The decision was to proceed;
and by virtue of her air-tight compartments, she
arrived here as if nothing had happened-M Y
Post.
The appropriation made by the city of New
York, Tor the entertainment of the Japanese, was
$4,000. In the general desire to make great
display, the entertainments have been on so costly
scale, that it is now thought that the bill VIII
amount to not less than one hundred thousand dol-
lars. "Ten thousand bottles of champagne are
said to have been consumed at the bah on monaay
evening.