The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-11
The Eclipse.


Harvard University. So wonderfully Is the
science of astronomy confirmed 10y these as
tonishing phenomena that the mean time
for Raleigh might have been accurately DC
termined by the beginning of the obscura-
ton, which took place at precisely thirteen
seconds and two-tcntls of a second after live
O'Clock. Great interest has been felt in this
eclipse, as many very interesting questions
yet remain unsettled. which were started by
astronomers in the observations made of the
great eclipse of 1884 and particularly the
memorable one which occurred in India last
August, and which was total for nearly
seven minutes.
Before giving the results of observations
made here on Saturday, we will state III
few words just what causes the eclipse: 1t
is tie moons getting exactly between the
earth and the sun, and therefore, instead of
the suns light we get the moons shadow.
Now as the earth is moving and that in two
ways, in its orbit around the sun and on its
earth and also with the earth around the
sun, it is easy to see how nice
and intricate are the calculations which
must be made to predict with such infalli-
BILE accuracy the occurrence of an eclipse.
As the moon revolves in its orbit from West
TO East, so the shadow of the moon moves
over the earth from West to East, at the
rate of Al miles a minute, the moon itself
moving at this time about forty miles
minute and the shadows a few miles faster,
because it moves over the curved AMI irreg-
ular surface of the earth. The shadow of
the moon-made as we said by its being
between the Earth and the sun just as hat
or dish held he,wen .he eye and lamp or
candle, will eclipse the light-struck our
earth at Siberia at sunrise. and travelled
across to our continent and so on in gen.
eral direction from West to East, until it
ended at sunset, near the Bermudas, in the
Atlantic Ocean, having travelled in all
about 6,600 miles at the rate of A miles "a
minute, and the whole time taken being two
hours. twenty nine minutes, and thirty-nine
seconds and nine tenths of IL second.
The following will show how it travelled
from our Northern boundary IN Latitude
40 deg. min. 0 sec. Longitude 1O7 deg
AZ min 4S sec to Raleigh and the time it
began to be visible at each place
The eclipse began at Boonsboro 3h. 40m.
23:9s. p. NJ; Des Moines, 3h. Ann. OBS P
NJ; Burlington, 3h. 55m. 22:1s. P. NJ;
Macomh, Ill.,, 3h. 5Sm. 6Ss; Springfield,
Ali. 5m. 10:4s; Louisville, KY, An. 24m.
57:S; Raleigh, N. G., oh. ON. 1925, travers-
ing. rs we said, the whole 6,600 miles in
about two hours and 4 half AT exactly the
time calculated a party of gentlemen, in
GLIDING many of our citizens and severa
members of the press, and gentlemen from
other cities, together with a party of OBJ
erverss from New York, who came prepared
to make accurate observations, through
the courtesy of DR.. Grissom, of the Lunatic
Asylum, were stationed upon the roof of
that noble institution near our city, pro-
vided with smoked and painted glasses,
and other necessary instruments. The moun's
disc impinged upon the sim exactly at the
time computed. and as the sky was cloud
less and the atmosphere remarkably pure,
the spectacle was "ne of surprising gran
deur. As the eclipse progressed, remark
able changes took place IN the temperature,
as will be seen by the following table,
At 5h. lin. the mercury in the sun stood
93; at oh. IAN, 81; at Sd. 154m., 81, hav-
ing, in minute and a half, fallen 10 de-
grees.
At 545 it was.7o deg, having fallen II
deg. more.
At $50 it was SO deg, and at GAS it
sank to IS deg, where it remained until the
observations were concluded.
The darkness, meanwhile, increased and
seemed of an unnatural and melancholy
tinge, totally unlike the ordinary approach
of hight. The cattle grazing in adjacent
fields were seen to begin their journey to-
wards home. while the ordinary songsters of
the day disappeared, and here and there a
night bird could be seen flying rapidly
about
At about minutes before the eclipse
became total, and Il spectacle which no man
here ever saw before, and probably few will
behold again, entranced all who beheld it.
Now, the body of the moon came full into
view. and the sun, excepting the brilliant
corona, which shone out in dazzling splen-
dor, entirely disappeared; while the stars
came into view. This scene continued just
minutes and seconds, when the rays of the
sun burst forth like a rocket, causing the
face of nature to smile again. Gradually
the moon passed away, and at $50 the last
vestige of it disappeared. This occurred
just minutes before sun down ; and the OBJ
servers descended from their elevated posi-
tion expecting all things will go on as usual
until May 2stli, 1900. when another total
eclipse will occur visible in this State.
: An enthusiastic Radical exelaims: "Gve inc
! Thad. Stevens" The has thanked YOU on
| THAT, old fellow.-N. Y. Democrat.
This is the first tire we ever heard that
| Brick Pomeroy ever ianked Stevens.