Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-22

rHE COMING EcLIPs. OF THE Sun. -"Dp-
u.onstIatrd, next to OmnipOtcnee, once said
the philosophical Abraham Llncoln, is the
greatest word in our language, and the grclt
truths of the science OF astronomy are demon
rtraied in the precision with which for months
and years ahead, eclipses OF the sun and moon
are predicted, aud the line OF the moon 5 shadow
arru>s the earth or OF the earth = shadow over
the moon Ot course the calculations all de-
mend upon the precision of the sublime clock
work of our solar system which has been de-
,,oostfated as absolutely infallibe. No one
,hronometer, for instance, has yet been made
10 run within its small compass the circuit Of
the year with the precision with which this
fo!ilng glabe we inhabit completes its yearly
c,rele OF six hundred millions OF miles around
10 sun. The delicate perfection OF such stu
ne,.ious machinery sslmpiy lnconceivable; but
# is demonstrated, and we must work from
i,,at uoint, because We can 90 no further.
And so, on the eth OF August next, We are
promised that sublime phenomenon, when the
sun
In dim eclipse, disastrous. twilight sh6ds
On half tho nations, and with fear OF change
Psrplexes monarchs.
The eclipse will be total one, beginning at
sunrise of the sth in the Pacific Ocean, east OF
Japan, in latitude thirty six degrees and fifty
three minutes, and the EneO OF the total eclipse
aross,nG into Alaska runs thence southeast
warlly across this continent, ending in tho At
iantic Ocean of the North Carolina coast from
beaufort at sunset 1t will be the sunset OF
the 9TH on this coast, while il will be sunrise OF
the Sth on the Pacific, near Japan. In this
city the eclipse will be begun at twelve
minutes past five p. m,, and Will emu
II sunset. Extensive preparations are IN
nroeress b. company OF government oincers
lar AN expedition to iowa under Professor
William Harkness for the purpose OF observing
.Ln ecLpse : for very interesting and important
,ie,,onst,o,ions are made from these eclipses,
reaching even 10 the materials OF the sun itself.
,,rolessor Iarkness will set up hls observatory
near Des Moines, and will be provided with all
the necessary Instruments, including three telc-
scopes for Photographic, spectroseopic and
meteorological observations. Various colleges
and obseryaior.es of the different States along
the rnewill also take part in these scientific
obServaiions, and we expect some savans from
r,urSpo 10 assist on the occasion. A genera !
storm, however. ~ay spoil all these arrange
mcnts between Iowa and north Carolina, and
~ Inc government should have an observer
stationed well back on the lofty dry plans oil
Dacotsh where the sky is almost certain to be
aar As for Alaska, "whcre it rains aud
.naws alvays," the chance will be very slim.
Last year, on the 18th Of August, there was
3, total eclipse of the sun in the Eastern henis
phcre. crossing India to Alden, on the Red
,.e. and thence over the Continent OF Africa.
NeIy gratifying results wero obtained from the
scirntite observations made at Alden, Bombay
aud other points, and from those experiments
and the new instruments employed therein, still
more valuable and instructive lacts, 1t Is ex
pelted, yill be established from the more elao-
crate preparations TO, the coming eclipse The
government at Washington has the Instruments
and the astronomers, and IN their behalf every
possible precsuton, with the surest localities
ior AN uncloudcd sky and pure atmosphere
on tue line OF total observation, should be adop-
ted tn insure for the observations the fullest
attalnahe success -NOo York Herdtt.