Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-08-11
The Eclipse Total ina North
CarOlina-ResIaIts of ObserVa-
tons. ,aa 4.taA.- n

Raleigh, August 7, 10 o'cl'k
p M. "A Washington party,
consisting of VIM. S, limiting
ton, Col. Magruder, Hallet
Kilbourne and Porter Morse, of
the Washington Express, ac-
companied by Hon. D. R.
Goodloe, of North Carolina, ar
rived here at five o'clock this
evening to observe the eclipse.
They were received by Cover
nor Holden, members of the
Raleigh press and others, and
proceeded at once, to the State
Insane Asylum, adjoining this
icity, to take observations from
the cupola, which commanded
an extended and unobstructed
view. Prof. ~ J. X. Burr, of
Newark, N. j., and J. M.
Buckley, of the New York
Evening Post, and other scien-
tifc gentlemen were present.
! The sky was clear and bright,
and all the surroundings were
propitious. II eaj 10 a.5a
The scene at the time of to-
tality was magnificent beyond
description. At sos the
eclipse began, the shadow graz
dually covering the disc of the
sun until complete. At 5.444
the sun was half obscured, and
at 6.024 the eclipse was total,
and remained so for one hun
dred and eighteen seconds. A
thermometer which was placed
in the sun stood at ninety-three
degrees at sos; at 5.441 it fell
to seventy-three degrees, and
at the time of the total eclipse
it fell to sixty-eight degrees,
the air growing rapidly colder,
while the whole atmosphere as
sumed a hazy and leaden APP
pearance. SO Il eti D. l~7s' III
Immediately succeeding the
total observation the corona be-
came visible and brilliant.
Corruscations seemed to flash
and radiate from the circum-
ference of the moon. Undula-
tions of soft white light burst
out brilliantly and repeatedly,
until the close, when Venus,
Mercury and Mars shone out in
magnificent splendor. A pecu-
liar gloom spread like pail
over the landscape, while
changing tints of black, orange
indigo, and leaden hues covered
the heavens, near the horizon,
north and SOUTH The specta-
Gle was magnificent and sub
lime, and the crowd about the
cupola spontaneously burst out
with praise God from whom
all blessings flow. During
the totality two blades of Grim
son light seemed to cut the
moons circumference, and
curved lines were visible across
the disc of the moon, resembl-
ing the groined projections of
the top of some Gothic cathed-
raj. No point could have Of
fered better facilities for taking
an observation than this, and
the circumstances were all that
could be wished. Every faci-
lily was extended by DR.. Girls
som, Of the asylum, and to
whom the Washington party
are much indebted.
Wilmington, N. c., August
1.-The streets and houses
were crowded with people to
witness the eclipse OF the sun
this evening. The following
observations were taken from
the top of the Dawson Bank
buildings, Washington time
being the standard: The time
OF the greatest observation
was six and 10 quarter minutes
past six. The duration of the
total eclipse was one minute
and thirty seconds. The time
of the beginning of the total
phase was five minutes past
six, and the end of the total
phase was six and a half min
utes past six. The beginning
of the eclipse penumbra was
five minutes past five, and the
end of the eclipse penumbra
was fifty-four minutes past six.
1t was the grandest spectacle
ever beheld here. During the
observation the stars shone al
most as bright as at night,
fowls went to roost three-quar-
tiers of an hour earlier than
usual, and business was almost