The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-30
The solar ECLIPSE.

! ~ ts Gutt0F % ne London Times:
SIR am desired to inclose the copy
OF letter from the captain of this COM
pany's steamship Carnatic, containing
report of his observation of the
eehPse OF the sun on the 18th ult., In
the belief that the description may in
terest some of your readers. am, sir,
your obedtent servant.
G. w. HOWELL,
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navi-
cation Company, 100 Leadenhail
street, September Il.
STEAMSHIP CARNATIc,
SURz, August %.
Gentlemen-I have the honor to for
ward you the following description of
the eclipse of the sun, as observed on
board this ship on the morning of the
18th of August:
1.-THE position of the ship atlhe time
Of the first contact was latitude 16' NJ,
longitude 64o l5N E., being thus twenty
miles north of the nbrthernmost limit
OF totality in that meridian. The
eclipse was with us only partial, that
portion of the suns disc remaining
unobecured, being, however, only
| about 1-16th part of its diameter. I'm
fortunately at the .ime of the first con-
tact, the sun was obscured by clouds,
which threatenedsto deprive us entire
lysof- seeing any part of the eclipse.
at intervals. however, we got very
hasty glimpses of its progression,
though so short as to prevent reliable
observations being taken; at length the
bank of clouds dispersed, and left a
perfectly clear view of the eclipse at
that stage, the sun having about two
thirds OF its diameter eclipsed. at 7:10
"A. NJ, the nearest point of totality had
been reached, the altitude being 220 10y;
1t was at this time our best efforts were
directed for observing the phenomena
presented. That portion of the sun re-
manning uneclipsed consisted of a mar
row streak, in shape like a crescent of
Its upper left limb, in size about one
sixteenth part of its diameter. The
light emitted from this was of very.
peculiar character, and difficult to de-
scribe, being at the same time extreme
ly brilliant, and yet most remarkably
pale. The high.sea running appeared
like huge waves of liquid lead, and the
CHASTITY paleness of the light thrown
upon 1t and all around revealed scene
which, for Its weird-like effect, it would
be as impossibleto depict us II ia to de.
scribe. The eclipse not being total
with US, the corona was not visible.
The first appearance noted by the spec
trescope was that of several dark lines
in the spectrum of that portion OF the
sun visible at its greatest observation,
which was examined through a narrow
Chink with the instrument, as Tecom-
ended by Lieutenant HeTschel. The
next appearance was roughness on
the concave edge of the crescent ofsun-
light left visible. This was well mark
ed, and seen very ploinly with the I'M
armed spectrescope, the rapidly in
creasing brightness of the sun preven-
ted the prisms from being of much use
except during the darkest part OF the
eclipse. Throughout, the rays between
red and green predominated over those
between green and violet. A small
black spot was observed on the SUMS
disc, situated in its upper right limb,
distant about one,eighth part OF its d.
ameter from its extreme edge. Con.
tact ceased at 10 hours, 43m. 29s.,
Greenwich mean time. The only
were that the temperature the day be-
fore the eclipse was unusually low,
being 74o at noon, while on the preced-
ing day and that of the eclipse 1t was
so and 100 respectively. The direction,
or force, of the usual monsoon wind
was not apparently affected; the two
only noticeable features being the ex-
treme hsZineSs of the horizon, with a
clear sky, and the highly luminous APP
pear Gnce of the sea at night. The daily
tidal range of the barometer was consid-
erably greater in scope than have ever
remarked before upon the day preced-
sea during the eclipse was 75o, that of
the air TO, and barometer steady at
29.7Oe.
al have the honor to be, gentlemen,
your obedient servant,
"CHAs. G. PERKINS, Commander.
ITO the Managing Directors of The Pc
7linSuLGr and Oriental Company"