The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-09
Observations at Springfield aad
Nation, Illinois.
STARTLING AID SUBLIME PHENOMENA
Fall Of the Mercury Forty-two
Degrees at Nation.
Frost Visible 1T White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia.
Tho Observations 1t sprinsdeId and DIatteso,
Illinois.

Illinois,.
CHICAGO. August 8. 1909.
The eclipse q Springfield, Ill., was startling and
sublime phonomenon. rho sky was perfectly clear.
Professor Pearce. Of Harvard, had charge OF the
observations which wore made near the city reser-
voir. One hundred photographs Of the eclipse were
taken by Mr. Black of Boston When the total
observation took place the heavens and the earth
presented scene Of awful submity. A bril-
liant amber coiorsd corona appeared around
the sun and moon, shooting rays OF
light outward In all directions. when the
whole horizon was Illuminated with light Of
tho same color. The planets Mercury and Venus
and number OF dxed stars were distinctly visible,
but no planet orbs between Mercury aud the sun
were discovered brilliant rose colored fame or
pr0tuberance was noticed on the western limb OF
the sun during the period OF total observation The
phenomenon know % 'Bailey's Bo0ds" was also
distinctly Witnessed THIS phenomenon, Professor
Pearce thinks. is 0ccastoned by tie refractiOn Of
light. He 10 also sat,sded that the corona or halo
at the time Of tho total observation was accustomed
by the SUMS atmosphere.
At Nation observations were made by Professors
@. W. Hough OF Dudley Observatory, Albany. N. Y;
David Murray, OF Rutgers College. New Brunswick,
N. j., and others. The instruments made use Of
were the ordinary telescopes. One OF them, how
ever, was provided with means for accurately mea-
suring the diversions Of the protuberanees on the
sun. and the corona or surrounding halo A chrome
graph was employed 10 note accurately the time Of
the different phenomena. The time was obtained by
tegrsphto communication with Dudley Observatory.
at Albany N. Y. At ten minutes and fifteen seconds
past four the eclipse commenced the moons first on
ract With the occurring when the former nine
teen degrees south ofthe solar equator On the west
side the thermoAster. which few moments before
had risen to t02 dsareos began to fall rapidly. A.
eleven minutes and seventeen seconds past i've
O'Clock the sun became totally obscured. The
darkness was equal To that Of q moonlight night,
and the temperature was forty-tw0 degrees cooler
tban one horr before. The eclipse ended at nine
minutes and twenty-five seconds past six o'clock
In the observations taken the phenomena oorre-
sponded precisely with the computations previously
made ok spots were visible on the surface OF the
sun before the eclipse, yo of which were very pr0mi
nant aud the others much less. The cusps on the
moon had ragged and blurred appearance. AS the
eclipse progressed towards totally the form OF the
moon became visible. Near the cusps OF the phe-
nonenon OF to,aity "Baileys Beads" were seen dis
tnctiy by Va the observers, extending through
an arc of az least fifty degrees. The moment the
eclipse became total tue name-like protuberanoes
were seen with wonderful distnctaess, one very
large tho lower limb Of the sun, and three nearly
large on the upper limb. while OF least seven or
eight OF tbem IN all were visible. The one ON the
right hand or lower limb had somewhat the appear
OF fuli-rigged ship with sails set In Its part
nearest the moon were two three et-black spots.
To the rased,sys IL seemed as though there were
openings v e.. iaoon. two the east side and one
on the southwest side. Just after the total eclipse
through the openings tue larid glow Of the sun was
distinctly visible. The corona was not, as generally
described In books, &C., Q halo OF light sur
rounding the moon; but was distinctly seen
In the shape Of asive.pointed prong on the lower.
and two prongs on the upper circumference Of the
moon. These points presented q radiant appear
ance. Tie generally received theory regarding this
corona that is the atmosphere of the sum- docs not
seem to be sustained by observations mado at this
point 1t Is conJectured that the corona is In some
way caused by the phenomenon Of light passing
through tho atmosphere. Although search was
made, no planetary bodies we're observed between
Mercury and the sun. During the tOtaty phase
Mercury, Venus, Regulus, Mars, Saturn.
Denebata and oher stars were visible. The tempera-
ture in the shade at the beginning Of the eclipse was
sevcntyseyen degrees during totauty. f0rtyfve de-
grees aud at the end of the eclipse It had risen to
seventy degrees. At $40, IN tho sun, the grass,
the thermometer was at 100 degrees. few minutes
after four o'cocklt to lO2 degrees while during
the total eclipse 1t fell to sixty degrees, but subse
quently rose TO eighty degrees.
Sudden Fall OF the Mercury at White Sulphur
Springs, w. ya.-Frost Visible.
GREEBNRIER WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va
August 3, 1862
the eclipse yesterday caused the thermometer
suddenly to fall with great rapidly. and the
weather turned colo that frost was visible this
morning.
Tho Eclipse as Witnessed as Fortress Moaroe.
FORTRESS MONROE, August 8. 1859.
The eclipse commenced here &C about i've O'Clock
and lasted nearly an hour. About two thirds OF the
surface OF the sun was covered.
ER0OkLYa NrELLiaEagE.