The New York herald., 1868-08-20
TOTAL ECLIPSE CT TIE sun o. AUGUST
IS, lSeS.


SUI part OF Africa, Asia and OF the great islands
shadow touched the EARTH sunrise Of the place in
Abyssna, In latitude IL deg. north, longitude IS x
deg east thence crossed British India In about iati
tude 10 deg. north to the Gulf OF Siam, where in
,atitude l0h deg north. longitude 1927 deg. east
o ,no ecpse was central at noon with the sun and
southern part Of New Guiuea to the New Hebrides;
east 1t left the earth at sunset having occupied in
crossing 1t hours 24.9 minutes.
Ihe greatest possible duration of ''totaity" in q
tota solar eclipse Is nin 30 sec. but II inay be
salely said that such an eclipse never happened as
II could only occur about the lat OF July, when the
moon at its least possible distance from us las was
Tor an hour on the 9th OF January last after an In
terval OF many monthsl, and also quite at or very
near the node, that the eclipse where central at
noon, may take place with the moon the zenith,
at which the augmentation Of its horizontal dame
Ter Tor altitude Is the greatest and its apparent mo-
| tion from the sun In longitude Is the least.
But although these circumstances. necessary for
causing the longest possible tOtality did absO-
lntey concur at the time Of the eclipse OF this morn
| Ing, all OF them did so to very great and remark
able degree and therefore the duration Of totaity
along the central line was IN British India from Ave
to near SIX minutes and In the Gulf OF Siam at
! OF the place o min. 4S Sec, which may be con-
] sidered about Us long as 1t ever will be in any
future eclipse Indeed SO great has been the DESIRE
on this and other accounts, amongst British and Con-
tinental astronomers, to observe this eclipse, that
two purties have been sent from England under the
patronage OF the Royal and Astronomical societies
for this purpose amply provided with suitable in
and examining the red flames or protuberances which
sometimes during tOtalty, have been seen around
the noon, who, with many other astronomers, have
been scattered along the central line in India, with
the hope that the weather will be favorable at least
at some of the stations. TWO parties OF savans,
have also 1t is said been sent from France and
or two from Germany for the same purpose. The
observations Of these astronomers ON this eclipse,
and especially on the red flames (Which have been
supposed to be part OF the extensive highly heated,
atmosphere Of the sun itself, VIII be looked for with
the highest interest by the scientific world, as 1t is
hat a m ar hnS han
so carefully and generally observed.
We have above remarked that the duration Of
fotay in this eclipse where central ut 20 min.
Is sec) was long probably it ever would be in
any similar eclipse, but in recent communication
German astronomer says ''fhe result OF the cOnci
dence OF all the favorable conditions, Is an eclipse
which to its size belongs to the largest that
happen In general, and has indeed In the annals OF
mankind no rival, since in the records OF ancient
ecipses there are TO be found only two which may
b9 compared with that OF August Is, 1868, but
In which the totality lists 80 long The first OF these
is the eclipse OF Thales (ay 2S, $50 b. C which Is
minated bloody between the Lydans and the
Medes the second was visible ON the 18th Of June,
143 in Scotland and the time OF its occurrence was
long remembered by the people or that country as
the black hour.'r
This statement we believe is not strictly correct,
but that without examining other eclipses we shall
find that the Oality (where central at noon) Of two
three and perhaps more OF the series OF eclipses
to which the one OF this day belongs was quite
long rs 1t was In the Gulf OF siam this morning.
or the returns OF this eclipse on July g. 1885, when
the SUMS diameter was minimum, and on July 10,
1914, we have no account, but on that Of July II.
1882, there was q partial observation OF the sun
throughout the UnitOd states. vZ-In Boston about
third and at Key West, Florida. about hve-sixths
The centre OF the shadow touched the earth in the
Pacific ocean in latitude IA deg. north longitude 90
deg thence passed over Mexico the southeastern
extremity OF Cuba, near Santiago to Africa, which
1t reached at hour II minutes local solar time. in
latitude ga deg. north, longitude II deg. west At
hour SO minutes Al SECONDS m. t. G 1t was central
at noon In latitude - deg. Al min. north longitude
2s4 deg. west and at hours minute SO seconds m
t. G.. in latitude "a deg 80 min. north longitude 27h
deg west, line with these places in.the Atlantic,
which are about midway between the Canary and
Cape Verde Isands), and with the moon at an alti
tude of IS deg, its augmented diameter exceeded
that of the by l44 sec which, divided by 2l.89
sec. he then apparent motion OF the moon from the
in longitude in one minute OF time gives for the
duration Of totally hours 4s minutes exactly the
same a. where longest this morning 49,
1850 there was very small observation only in the
southwest part OF the United states Texas, Cafor-
MIA, &C.,, but the eclipse was central at noon in the
| Pacific Ocean, In latitude II deg so min. north. Ion.
gitude 142 deg. west with the moon there only ~
deg from the zenith that the duration Of Otality
the next return on August 90 1885, the centre Of the
shadow will pass several degrees south OF Its course
eclipse viii hardly reach New Hampshire,
| and in Boston at half.past six A. NJ,
there ala, will the be only daSeer g az MsicS win
be about greater than this morning, thus d.
minshing the duration of totality where the eclipse
central at noon latitude 3Js degs. north, longitude
IL degs. west near Monrovia and Sierra Leone, In
AFRICA with the moons altitude "a degsl To about
min. IS sec but only IL sec less that OF this morn
TorAL EcLIpsEs OF THE SUN IN THE UNITED STATES.
| During the last ninety years the shadow Of the
states; in the next thirty-twO years, in the
mander OF the nineteenth century It will again pass
| over them twice and once over Texas.
The first Of the four occurred June 16, 1905, on
which day, short time before noon. the centre OF
the shadow crossed from Albany TO Boston, and pro.
duced here that most glorious total observation OF five
| minutes duration, well remembered and spoken
| OF with 30 much enthusiasm by those Of the fortu-
nate spectators yet living. The moon was near the
| earth and the sun so remote that the apparent
diameter OF the former exceeded that OF the IFS
sec, and the width Of lls The snaaow low, was was
of the central path. All OF the four contacts were
| carefully observed by the few astronomers then
among us, and especially by the tate DIR. BOwditci,
at his residence In our neighborng city Of Salem.
At the third return OF this eclipse on July is, 1850
1 the centre Of the shadow passed over Washington
Territory (at sunrise 20 Hudsons Bay and Labrador,
thence west OF ireland to the northern coast OF Spain
| where It was observed by many distinguished Eng
lsl and French astronomers. Az Its fourth return
| on July 20, 1873 the path Of the shadow WILL we be
| eye, be from British Columbia over Montana and
Colorado to the southeast part OF Texas aud the
The second Of the four was on November 90 1884
The shadow then reached the earth In Alaska until
deg. north, longitude 1875 deg. west, thence passed
to Kansas where, In latitude 40 deg, longitude 101
| deg, IL was central at n0on) and over Arkansas
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina
Al Beaufort s. c., where the eclipse central the
| minutes seconds longer than coInputedj, q shor
| time only, but long enough TO cause your CORE
spondent then and ever since TO consider this spec
| tac,e the most sublime and magnificent Of all pheno
| mena.
The third will take place next year In the afternoon
| of saturday August 7, 1859, when the shadow will
again pass over Alaska and western British Americs
to Montana and thence to North Carolina and 1t viii
leave the Continent near Beaufort, In that State This
eclipse will be central at noon, with duration OF to
tally OF minutes In latitude " deg, longitude Ia
| near Mount st. Elas. Near Des Motnes, Iowa. this
xUiII ha a mi md In .f
| Raleigh, N. O., 2minutes ~ seconds. This eclipse
will without doubt cause much excitement In Iowa
| Illinois, Kentucky &C., and many Of our astrono
sitons on the central line, for the purpose Of OBJ
serving It, IT In greatly to be regretted that the
lington, Iowa; Macomb and Springfield H.; New
Albany, Ind: Louisville, KY, DC. (al located neal
| the path Of the centrel should not be more accu
rately known, as the very nearly exact geographical
position Of any place IL absolutely Necessary for thu
computation OF solar eclipse therefor. AT Boston