The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-08

SUMS limb 81 which the last contact with the
moons limb takes place." This weLtlmed and
judieious advice Influenced quite . number
or persons TO ascend to the roof Of the
Astes House yesterday afternoon to have free
md unobstructed view OF the observation
OF the days great lumnary by the modest tributary
Of the earth. Here was also stationed Professor
thatcher, with telescope and "comet seeker" with
vew the better 70 observe the great phenomenon and
enrich, " possible, the sum Of human knowledge Dy
any discovery he Might've 80 fortunate as to make.
Here were also assembled, in answer to special In
visatlons numeronsy Issued by the Professor, mot
ley crowd Of tho representatives OF the PRESS" the
wandering Bohenian and the recognized journalist,
the compiler Of sensational paragraphs at penny
line and the writer OF ponderous editorials which
mould the public opinion Of the times. AT about
nve O'Clock the platform the roof was well oiled
With these. each she representative Of class, and
Professor Thatcher was busy bringing his nssru-
ments into position IN the centre Of the fencedon
square. .3.., e s,i
1t is always an interesting spot from which 70
take . hook q our city and Ito environs. Looking
down, from tsiss Nutude upon Broadway and Park
row beneath. upon the green end waving foliage ana
spaykltng jets ~ tho fountain In the Park, soon to
be seen no more OF nortal man. Is indeed pleasant
sight. Lifting ne eye end passing Its glance across
the houserops y the cast there looms up the ascend
Brooklyn andfwRne here and there glimpse s
caught OF the smooth bright waters OF the East river,
s 4 sy he gery 81
the city, and then the view Ollered Oh the pay Win
Its lets and islands, and the Jersey shore and the
North river between With its steamers and saishps,
the faint appearance Of the Passaic and the range
OF hills TO tine farther west closing In as 1t were the
Ss Se ROUTE = .sSsSa so1 the roo
particularly now, SINCE the '.ver!ical railway"
tl,o srS1S1 mt fSf m
this spot is an honr we'll spent; for It gives one
BIRDS Eye VIZ n 2.E Masnincent city such as no
But the eclnse I. Professor Thatcher's instruments
We're IN resdpess Inc hour Of ten minutes past i've
had arrived sno but tew minutes were wanting d,s
e2sa ea99 Ss A. this time Sn lq% the
ing with the general state Of the atmosphere during
the whole day: Everybody was now on the qui cioe,
and watched The sun. though not with dread anxiety,
bits Of glass; pocket telescopes and opera glasses
DSgS % S placed tool 70 the Eye as &c svS s
sSn ~ the mOnen. w ssOu the moons
Dnery Of tine nsry ORB: TINS was announced
the university The CITY Of New York at Oh. 12m.
s9s r. NJ, meaa tme. The hands Of the clock on the
iii they should point 70 the twelfth minute alter five
O'Clock; but 10 cloud darkened the SUMS face at
% an and na q on
would % nvasDle. But just at twelve minutes after
i've there was slight break in the clouds, showing
the liberated fame Of the surrounding clouds, and
come. 90 seeSe..n pal and at once EXCLAIMED,
mot yet gentlemen; not yet, "A, Again tho
It's radiant rays were shining forlh as bright aud
piercing IS ever and at last at 5h. 15m Toe. by the
cred through the telescope on the edge Of the SUMS
disk, caused BY the moons approach. The DIFFER
sdvsnce Dy he astronomers may be ascriSed either
to the impereetion Of the eye the reracJon OF the
atmosphere or the deviation Of the clock by which
the observation wns made from actual mean time,
From this point the dark, black spot visibly IN
even CIV with tho aud Of stained glass only, how the
surface Of the moon grained upon that OF the
81 s aGSa 81 On ns
mercantile palaces we're already assuming darker
the sun, or onefourth Of his surface, had been
covered by the moon, everything around shone IN .
tee hue Of dawn nor that of clear sunset. il had
near resemblance to that ashy paeness visible &C.
thunderstorm when the waning clouds allow the
brightness ofhs SUMS light partially to pass Win,
the vision but only for few seconds When again
visible, at 6h s7m., nearly SIX digts or about
half Of the sans dsx - was Ss 9 s e
Increased in intensity and was remarked by all
present.
before It, OF two mighty WORLDS, one Is tempted TO
say. passing In contact before its eyes, could re-
Some youngsters would, II they could, make Jest
Of the most molly things and some would drag tn e
Infinite 10 their level and make Il an object OF tner
roof Of the Astor House. Just as all sensible men
were silently viewing the progress Of tn, the grand
men brought several lengths of an old stOvepiDc
upon the platform. erected stand In imitation OF
the stovepipe upon it ike q telescope, pointed it
heavenward, and aillxing an indecent picture at
one end invited the bystandeas 70 nave ~ pese at
lowed their invitation, and these belonged to the
same class with the orlglnators Of what they proba
bly, believed be capital fun yet what was nothing
else but an rreverent exhibition OF youthful reck-
lessness.
was covered by the moon. Just at this time a dock
OF birds, some thirty In number, and closely mud
died together were seen n 1sa soa1nward at
beautiful sight az the feathered navigators emerged
from the dark shadow OF the moon and passed the
fiery crescent Of the sun yet visible. At OH 59s the
SUMS appearance had assumed that Of a crescent,
rather Soy the, and resemDled the first quarter OF
Intense light. At 6h q, when the point Of
greatest observation was about to be reached ana
the upper rim Of the sun, still visible. had fully as
sumed the form Of q scytae, already noted there
were observed occasional shafts OF light piercing
thr0ugnl tne SKY ~ suoit uis.ances anu ~
and named such In astronomy-corona. But
again q cloud interfered with the vision,
and but few except those at the telescope, di OBJ
serve this phenomenon On account OF the clouds
passing in front OF tue sun and moon, with occa-
sonal openings, the time OF the greatest obscuraon
Oh l0m. and Oh. 12ui. p. NJ. according to tue St,
Paul clock. AZ thg time Ile tlerpometer mad
the eclipse. From this the moon began TO recede
and left the SUMS disk entirely clear at precisely
H. l0s., as Qb.erved BY the Same Clock The iuil
time yet and 10 was not for some minutes that tie
lover edge Of BIS disk touched the ridge Of hills south
0i TIE P96saI0 river.
II may be 81 Interest to many to know that what
IL called spot No. on the suns surface calculated
to be some 3, 900 miles In diameter approached
BY the moon al Oh. 2Sm. p. NJ; that II was first
touched by the moons disk at OH conn.,; that the
SPOT was half covered at 5h. som. 30s., showing an