The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-07
GheGttstIiqetrrer:
THE GREAT SOLAR EULIPSE.
Tho Astronomical Event OF the Age
where Il can be seen and how Il will
Appear.
PhenOmtna to DO Loolod for.

The grand and imposing celestial
phenomenon which takes place to-day
Is the greatest astronomical event oi
the age. II will be visible TO all parts
Of the United States, unless where the
sky may be clouded, and will be total
to large extent Of territory, the total
phase extending over q belt OF about
one hundred and flny.sIx miles 10
breadth, and stretching very nearly
half way round the globe, or about
II. lC0 miles. The area of the belt OF
total eclipse will, therefore, be In the
nelghborhood Of 1000. 900 square miles.
80 important an eclipse Is very rare.
There has been no total eclipse visible
In the United States siuoe the year 1891,
and none will be visible during the
present century after this year. The
event will, therefore, be witnessed with
great interest by astronomers, and ex.
tenslve preparations are made for OBJ
serving 1t under the must favorable
circumstances. Most OF our profes.
slonal Astronomers will take position
at different points along the path OF the
umbra (total eclipse), and many thou.
sands Of amateurs will witness the In
terestIng phenomena with more or less
OF intelligence, but with an absorbing
Interest In every case.
The central line OF the eclipse will
commence at sunrise In west longitude
l651f degrees from Washington, and
north latitude So degrees ~ minutes.
This point falls In Russian Asia, (Slbs.
ria). From this beginning, the line
will curve 10 the northeast, through
Behring's sea, touching the northern
coast OF st. Lawrence Island, pass east.
ward up the middle OF Norton Sound,
and BtELke the coast OF the United
States In north latitude 63 degrees 43
minutes, and some $40 miles north OF
the extremity OF the Alaskan Peninsu.
Ia. Thence 1t will pass inland, run
ming about 40 miles north OF Mount st.
Elias; thence nearly southeast across
the British Possessions, skIrting the
north side OF British Columbia, and
enter the United States In longitude 80
degrees 40 minutes; thence across the
northeastern corner OF Montana Terri.
tory, and through the middle Of its
eastern border, dIaEonally across Da.
kotA Territory, passing about IS miles
northeast OF Yankton; It crosses the
Missouri Ia latitude As degrees 20
minutes, into Minnesota, aud runs
across the southwestern part OF
mt 1oaHylHNDR NJ thLl tNan
ton of the Big Sioux and the 1nyan
souri, ~ iGs junction with the north
western corner Of Sioux county, Iowa;
thence diagonally across that State 10
the Mississippi near Fort Madison, at
It's intersection with tho northern line
Of Hancock county, Illinois, runs just
north OF Springfield, and crosses into
Indiana II miles northeast OF Vlncen-
mes; thence into Kentucky, passing
some II miles south OF Louisville /;
thence crosses the Cumberland Noun
tains at Crank's Gap into Virginia,
through the extreme northeast corner
OF Tennessee; thence over the Allegha.
MES and Grandfather Mountain,
through Carthage, In North Carolina,
and into the Atlantic Ocean, passing
some 20 miles south OF Cape Lookout;
thence across the Atlantic 10 east lonHt.
tude 0 degrees "a minutes, and latitude
81 degrees 10 minutes. where II ends at
sunset, at 40 minutes past 6 o'clock In
the evening.
The moons shadow will sweep over
this line at the rate Of about 2, 22O mil 8
per hour. The shadow will be- nearly
circular; Its seml>diameter at the
distance Of 80 degrees west from Wash
iugton will be TEX English miles.
The United States Naval Department
at Washington has issued list OF
cities and towns In the States near
which the central line OF totality will
run, among which the following are
the principle places: Leesburg, Lexlng.
ton and Boon, North Carolina; Blounts.
Vile and Union, Tenn; Estilville and
Bristol, Va; Louisville, Ky; Mays.
Vile, Ind; Springfield, ILL.,; and Bur.
lington and Des Moines, Iowa.
A total eclipse OF the sun, visible in
Southern Asia on the 18th Of August,
1858, was observed by the Prussian ex.
pedition at Alden, Arabia, and by the
French and English physicists at
points much further east, In India.
The period OF totality was unusually
long, for the moon had Just passed a
perlRee Of uncommon proximity, and
during the eclipse she reached the as
ceuding node OF her orbit. Under these
favorable clrcu instances, 1t was hoped
that the revelations TO be made
by the spectroscope and the lunar
photograph would furnish some
decisive evidence touching the
form and composition OF our
central luminary, since It is only dur
Ing such phenomenon that solar ema'
nations at right angles 10 the line OF
vision are unobstructed by direct rays,
1t is, however, to be regretted that, for
reasons which need not here be stated
the English expedition failed 10 throw
any new light on the question Of the
constitution Of the sun. The best pho.
toRraphs OF the eclipse were made by
Dr.. Fritsch aud his associates at Alden,
IWhere the time OF totalIty was much
shorter than ut the stations In India,
In these pictures two separate ranges oi
violet colored promlnences, each EN-.
bracIng about one-sIxth OF the moons
ciTcumferen were represented, while
on the opposite side was shown the pc
culiar hook shaped projection, the
hight OF which 10 estimated ut almost
ona- Rnn fteenth Of the suns diameter