The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-07
The Solar Eclipse To-day.

The Solar Eclipse To-day.
Since eclipses were first observed by
mortal eyes they have been sensa-
tons. In early times they came on the
world by surprise. Mortals naturally were
put to their wits end. The course of nature
was disturbed. Darkness burst in upon the
light. 1t was the seeming triumph of evil
either the world was at an end or the God of
nature suffered. Later, even when solar
eclipses have taken place and the true cause
has been known, it has not been possible to
eliminate from the minds of men the idea of
direct supernatural agency; and the all but
universal feeling has been that If nature was
not in condition to inspire US with alarm
she had at least claim on our sympathy.
Among the Greeks and Romans it was
commoa on such occasions to rush to
the temples Of special divinities and
by prayers and costly offerings seek to
appease their wrath. To this day it is common
in China when eclipses take place to beat
drums and brass kettles, believing, as the
Chinese do, that such noises will brighten
away the monsters which are devouring the
sun and moon. We know something more
than our rude forefathers, and believe our
selves to be little better educated than our
barbarian contemporaries; but we cannot say
that eclipses no longer create either alarm or
interest They are known to occur much more
frequently tha2 Was at one time believed; but
they are so seldom experienced on one and the
same point of the earth's surface that when
they do occur they are felt to be sensations Of
no ordinary kind.
In another place in this days HERALD
we give full and detailed account of the
eclipse as it will be seen to-day. To this
account we refer our readers. 1t is pecu-
| liarity of the present eclipse that it will
| be seen all over the United States. In this it
| observable only from certain parts of South
! Africa and South America. For at least two
| hours tomorrow the inhabitants Of Canada
and of the United States, all along belt
which will run from Alaska to Whining on,
will witness this strange and startling phe-
till about twelve minutes past six the eclipse
will be visible in New York city and neighbour
hood.
II is natural that scientific men should be
| considerably excited by what is this day
expected, aud that there should be made al
different points all along the belt such arrange
ments as are likely to secure full and accurat e
observations Of the entire phenomenon. Al
Sitka, at Nortons Sound, at Sioux City,
at Burlington, at Des Moines, Iowa
at Springfield. Illinois; at Shelbyvi,le,
". at Abingdon, Va, and elsewhere,
scientific parties have located themselves,
and provided as they all are with com.
plete apparatus for observing and photo
graphing the strange sight, it is generally ex
pected that something substantial will be added
to our stock of astronomical knowledge. At
tention on this occasion will be generally
directed to the luminous protuberances which
at one time were supposed to belong to tn
moon, but which are now satisfactorily PROVED
to belong to the sun. These protuberance
were observed as early as 1905 They wer
seen in l7l5. They were seen again in 1924
when, however, it was noticed that the
luminous corona of which they formed par
was not concentric with the moon, but with
the sun. At Gottenburg, in the year 1873
these red protuberances were seen more dis
tinctly by Vassenius, and since then they
have been noticed on the occasion O
every eclipse. They were seen in 1878 and il
1906, and in 1912 Arago, the celebrates
French astronomer, saw them with his make,
eye as well as with the telescope Seen aga
from the Sandwich Islands in 1850 and iron
points of observation on the coasts Of Swcdel
and Norway in 1851, they were naturally tn
great objects Of study on the occasion Of th
eclipse Of last year. Some Of these protube
RANGES were visible, and photographs taken a
different states reveal them with great distinct
ness. NJ. Janessen, who made observations a
Guntoor with the stereoscope describes thes
protuberances as follows 1.-THE total obscu
ration occurred instantaneously and the spec
trail phenomenon also changed Immediately In
very remarkable manner. Two spectra
formed of Eve or six bright lines. red. yellow