Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-29

LECTURE, LAST NIeHr.-Prof. Alexander, OF
Princeton College, N. j., delivered lecture last
mig to large audience, at the Smithsonian, on
Solar Eclipses In his opening remarks the
speaker said that while the laws Of nature were
Incorporating and everywhere the same their
effects were widely different The animals and
plants OF the Western Continent were not the
same as those OF the Eastern; but the laws which
wrought out the strange phenomena Of Europe
were the same laws that caused the flow of MI
agara, the swell of the tides upon our shores, and
the movements of the planets The laws of nature
Were self-executing. Their nature excluded the
possibility Of transg resson and IL WIS In benevo-
lence az well as infinite wisdom that they were
not made subject to human power and caprice
=, The sun was the center Of the solar system, yet
III was not one Of our own system. Its surface was
covered with mountains, and ten thousand oceans,
each larger than the whole of ours together; and
had We started with Columbus for the sun, ard
Travelled ever since at the rate Of thirty miles per
hour, we should not more than have reached IL
now. And yet through this immense distance its
rays pass to us in eight minutes and seventeen
seconds. There were vast plains upon the surface
OF the sun ten thousand times as large as the Pa
CHIC ocean, in constant commotion. and as the
waves swept along large spots or openings were
seen. Il be sun was surrounded by three envelopes
or coverings, Of dazzling brightness, the outer Of
which furnished US with our light In viewing
the sun 1t was necessary to cover all the rays ex,
cept those from the spot to be observed and in
order to get true and faithful observations It was
necessary to station astronomers at various points
AAusdoAhk Wy VIC pucuOmSnd OF sunrise
and sunset the manner in which the shadow Of an
eclipse passed over the earth, the lecturer took I'D
the appearance Of the sun during an eclipse II
mad been found that there was bright halo or
ring about the sun which was Independent of it.
and which had been mistaken for the outer edge
OF that luminary. When the moon was passing
over the face Of the sun, and had nearly hidden Il
from view, there appeared fist bright rim like
a stream OF mercury around the moon, then a
little spot Of light as the rays streamed through
some valley on the moon then brilliant corona
or haloj while the whole sky wore an unearthly
nue. OF notified green. When the moon was 80
near the sun that there appeared a bright rim
around 1t, IL was called an annular eclipse There
often appeared around the moon series of beads
and stems of light with intervening spaces of
darkness These were caused by the rough and
Jagged surface and the various degrees of tenn
perature OF the moon. There also appeared bright
red spots around the moon, very beautiful and
dazzling, with all the intensity Of the solar spec
These red spots were first observed in 1733. In
IoVo they occurred again, and though seen I'm
salem, Mass they were invisible in Albany In
1854 tney Were seen by nearly every astronomer I'm
Georgia, while no person saw them In South
carolina thus establishing the theory that in GER
taln condition Of the atmosphere, they could not
De seen. In 1860, on the coast of Labra dor, four
red lights were visible. In 1893 German astron-
oner, travelling over the wastes of Sweden was
oVertaken by the shadow Of that great eclipse
de described the scene as being awfully sublime
From the elevated position of the German astron
omer he could see the mighty shadows as they
swept over the earth at the rate Of 900 miles an
hour, while the whole heavens seemed filed with
gigantic volumes Of smoke that rolled away with
the speed Of the wind.
In 1906 the shadows swept over the earth nye.
cisely as the waves Of the ocean roll after each
Other And during the eclipse of last year, while
Tie astronomers were in the CHASTITY, Pickering
gloom, far away over the snow they saw the sum
beams shining brightly. The first eclipse of
which We have any record took place SIS years
Up ratl,o
wears before the birth of Christ whose shadow
was but % miles wide. From the dates of the
various solar eclipse that have occurred and the
avs governing the time OF their appearance, it
was proved that we were abont five wears behind
IN reckoning time; and that, instead of its being
The year lo6l, 1t really was 1865 or 1866
SUPREME Court, MoNDAY.-Geo. NJ. Lee, ESQ
OF ONO, was admitted an attorney and counsellor
Of this Court
Nos. 81 and SIS The Washington, Alexandria
and Georgetown Steam Packet Company, plain
Tins In error, agt Frederick f. Sickles ct al In
Error 10 the circuit court Of the United States for
the District OF Columbia. Mr.. Justice Campbell
delivered the opinion of the Court reversing the
judgment OF the said circuit court with Costs
and REMINDING the causes for further proceedings
70 De had therein, in conformity to the opinion Of
No. 46 William Thompson ct al. plaint ifs I'm
error, agt. Lewis Roberts, ct al In error 10 the
circuit court Of the United States for the district
Va 4" Mf. JUSTICE Orler delivered the
opinion of the Court affirming the Judgment Of
the said circuit court in this cause with costs and
interest
= No. 10; VIM. H. Phillips, plaintiff in error, VS..
neorge Page. In error to the circuit court Of the
United States for the northern district of New
fork. Mr.. Justice Nelson delivered the opinion
Oh the court, reversing the judgment of the said
circuit court, with costs, and remandng the cause
win directions to award a venire facias de noyo
No. 10. Susan Vigil, plaintiff in error vs. Henry
Nayior, adm Illustrator Of George Naylor deceased
error to the circuit court Of the United States
'or the District Of Columbia. Mr.. Justice Catron
delivered the opinion Of the court reversing the
judgment Of the said circuit court, with costs
and REMINDING the cause with directions to award
a venire facias de novo
No Al. VIM: A. Hall, plaintiff in error. sgt
Joseph IL. Papln In error to the circuit court
Of the United States for the northern district of
illinois. Mr.. Justice Wayne delivered the opin-
on OF the Court, reversing the judgment of the
aid circuit court, with costs, and demanding
he cause, with directions to award venire facias
de novo.
No % John Almy, jr plaintiff In error,
agt. the people Of the State Of California In
error to the Court of Sessions for the CITY and
county Of San Francisco, in the State of Cali
fornia. Mr. Chief Justice fancy delivered the
opinion OF the Court, reversing the Judgment of
the said Court Of Sessions, with costs, and re-
handing the cause for further proceedings 10 he
had therein, according to law and justice
NO. 50. Franklin Moore ct al plaintiffs in En-
ror, agt The American Transportation Company
4 ne argument OF this cause was continued by Mr.
Hubbard FOR the defendants in error, and concIu-
ded by Mr.. c. J. Walker for the plaintiffs in er-
ror
No. 81. Chas. McMicken Perrin ct al. appel
lants, agt Freeman g. Carey ct al. The argu-
lnenf OF this cause was commenced by Mr. Head.
ington for the appellants. Adjourned
The LATE ACCIDENT AT THE CAPIroL-We
gather the following information in relation TO
the destructive fall Of the derrick the other dav
rom the dome Of the Capitol. 1t seems that the
boom OF the derrick, the chain and lashing which
secured the upper hosting block, and the wire
rope fall Were all broken by the accident The
lnvt stigatrg committee express the opinion that
The chain and lashing Of the block or either of
them were amply strong to have sustained any
strain that might come upon them; that they were
beyond doubt broken by tremendous Jerk; that
The boom presented the appearance of being
broken by cross strain. The wei ght which this
boom was expected to sustain was K tons and
1t was strong enough in the opinion Of the com
mittee to have borne that weight properly mt
upon 1t, IL having in many instances assisted in
raising IL 600 lbs. The evening before the acct
dent an attempt was made to hoist portion Of
the new apparatus with this derrick by itself
while the boom was resting on the blocking
whereby the guys and lifts Were stretched and the
boom left unsupported and thereby subjected
10 cross strain, which cracked IL. The crane
on the engine deck was then called into reoui
sitioI to raise the frame work up and land Il
on the platform above the engine deck The
inner topping Lift was then shifted to the end
he r..