Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-14

| - Va AhbCICSb " our EGdQGfS as
showing the wonderful accuracy of
modern astronomical science in reach
ing into the future, and seizing hold
OF Its profoundest mysteries. Though
this letter was written more than ei02t
gears ago, the description is made up
with all the flrmness of conviction
and accuracy of detail (as results have
shoWn) that could be expected fEoEa
the reports Of observers made after the
event.
tSihce | came home | have been
engaged upon calculations of a re-
markable solar eclipse which will Oe-
cur August :, 1863, some eight years
hence; reLnarkahle FOR the great num-
hlc5er OF cities and large towns where il
viii he total, aad for the immense
extent of popuIous territory in the
United States where the eclipse viii
be very large; that is, where eleven
diglts or more of the suns disc viii be
obscured. The center of the moons
shadow will first touch the earth In
Northern Asia, latitudA ho' az -, north
and longitude 1ISo 70, east of Green
wich, at which point the suA viii rise
centrally eciipsed on the morning of
August 7th. The shadow then sweeps
nOrtheasterly around the head of the
sea of OkOtsk to about latitude 64'
north, crossing into Russian America
little south of BEHRING'S Gtl4,its.
Here it, YelQcity IS about twenty-five
miles per minute. Hence; curVing
sdutheasterly, it sweeps down through /
Russian and British America with In
creasing velocity, and enter t..e State
of Iowa e. is ppgtBYest corisr, I3t'
4a!a N,. and Ton. s5isW. It trayerses |
the State In almost 9 direct line, |
and crosses the Mississippi (
river five miles north of Burlington, 1
thence nearly in the same direction /
through Illinois, which State it leaves |
at the northeast corner Of Crawford /
county. Passing over the southwest |
corner of Indiana, it strikes tee Ghiu
river at New Albany, which city and |
Louisville are directly on the general |
track, Thence through Kentucky into
Southwest Virginia, It passes a few
miles north of Abingdon, SuG nearly /
in the sane direction through NoFth
tarolina, it sweeps off into the Attain
fic ocean about twenty-five miles
aQFth Of Cape Fear. The central
eclipse will terminate in Lat. 81 dec. y.
md long. 674 deg. W., at WhIGH EhiSf
the sun viii set centrally aeIipsec.
4he above is tue linA "a, s.-r:as,yersed bv
ne ecnt0r IL ii the moon's shadow. A
breadth on each side of this line 8
miles wide in Iowa and Illinois, and
slightly narrowing afterwards, will be
covered by the shadow as it passes, in
of course, all places where the
eclipse will be total.
The velocity Ofthe shadow increases
after it passes into America; in Iowa
being at the rate of about forty-five
miles per minute; in North CaT0Iina
t attains a rate of about seventy miles
Der minute, The central eclipse will
inter the United States in the after
loon, and VIII arrive at the following
points at the times indicated, being
he local time at each p0inti
Entrance into Iowa at IN. 23m. p. M;
.FOsses the Mississippi into Illinois at
III. 52m.; crosses the Wabash into In
llama at oh. Pm; arrives at New Al
)any, on the banks of the Ohio, at oh.
,lm.; passes about eight miles north
If Abingdon at 5h. S3m. and passes
,tf ipto tAe Atlantic ocean at ah.
ON. pm.
The moons shadow, if it could fall
lpon the earth's surface perpendicu-
arly, would be circle of eighty-three {
niles in diameter, but as it passes
,ver the inclined surface OF the earth,
which inclination increases after t ca
ers the United States, tAe shadow
vill BE- en- eilipss, with a short diam
Ter of eighty-three; the transverse
diameter increasing as the shadow ap-
the verge of the earth.
This eclipse will be Differently in
lined to the GENITAL path at different
)ciutS Of its progress. In Iowa the
nadow viii be 1870 miles long due
asst and west; the course Of the eeR-
raj path being east 324 south. The
transverse diameter swings rapidly
Sdnd to a conformity with the CEN
raj path, and in Western Virginia
md North Carolina it lies almost ex-
Ictly upon that line, having a length
# 400 miles.
In Memphis the sun viii le eleven
lights eclipse9, s.Ed In the capitals Of
r.6 folcWing States there viii be
.leven' or more digits eclipsed, to-wits
<ansas, lowe, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Illinois, Esiss21ti, Tennessee, Ken
ltky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Nir-
,inia, Maryland, Delaware, North
larolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
On the track of total eclipse, in the
Jnited States, are not less htan twelve
olleges, besides many seminaries of
Ugh rank. No like opportunity will /
ecur in the present generation for so
.reat Durnhcr Ct savans in America
2 observe the various phenomina of
otsl solar eclipse. Doubtless the Gp.
'ortuntty viii be duly improved.