Nebraska advertiser., 1869-08-05
Written for the Advertiser.
The Great Total Eclipse Of Au-
gust the 9TH.

The Great Total Eclipse Of Au.
gust the 9Th.
1t wiz be remembered that our globe
revolves around the sun at a mien dis
tanee Of 81 500 miles; that the moor
reyolves around the earth, nearly in
the plane of the earth's orbit, st &
mien distance Of 2SS, coo miles; thai
though the sun is 625 times larger
than all the remainder Of solar system
taken together, it is 400 times farther
from us than the moon is; so it will
be seen that when the moon comes
between us and our luminary, it will
easta great shadow, though not suffl.
cient to cover the entire illuminated
side Of the earth.
Total eeIipses are of very rare Oc-
curFenee. For instance, one has not
been seen in London since I715 and
prevfoae to that time, none had been
seen for five and half centuries.
The earliest account of an eclipse is
found In the Chinese annals. 1t is
thought to be the solar eclipse of Oc-
tOber 18th, 2l27 B. g. On May 18th,
5S4 b. c., one occurred which had been
predicted by Thales.
Early English writers often refer to
eclipses. William of Malmesburg
thus writes of the eclipse of August
I'd, 1888, which was generally consid-
cred as a presageO of calamity to Henry
4: "The elements manifested their
sorrows at this great man g last deDar-
ture. For the sun on that day, at the
sixth hour, shrOuded his glorious face,
as the poets say, In hideOus darkness,
agitatingE the hearts of men by an
eclipse. And on the sixth day of the
week, early in the morning, there was
90 great an earthquake thatthe ground
appeared absolutely to sink down; an
hOrrid noise having been first heard
under the surface"
Speaking of the total eclipse of
March 10th, 114O, the same writer
says: t'During this year, in Lent, on
the 18th of the kalends of April, at the
9th hour of the 4th day of the week,
there was an eclipse throughout Eng
land, as 1 have heard. With US, in-
deed, and with our neighbOrs, the
observation of the sun was so remark
able, that persons sitting at the table,
as it then happened almost every
where, for it was Lent, at first feared
that chaos was come again. After
wards, learning the cause, they went
out and beheid the stars around the
sun. It was thought and said by
many, and truly, that the King
(Stephen) would not continue year
in the government.
Among the HindOOs, when, during
an eclipse, the black disk of our satel-
ite begins to advance slowly over the
sun, the natives believe that some
terrific monster is devOuring it. There
upon they beat gongs, and rend the
air with most diScOrdant shouts of
vengeance. For a time their efforts
are futile. At length, however, the
increasing uproar reaches the mon
ster; he appears to pause, and then
gradually disgOrges the frey mouth
full. When the sun is quite clear Of
the Dragons mouth, q shout Of Joy is
raised, and the deluded natives dis
perse, extremely self-satisfied on ac-
count of having saved their deity
from his late peril.
Very singular appearances some
times attend q total eclipse. Around
the sun is seen beautiful corona, or
halo of light. Flames of q blood red
color play around the disk of the
moon, and when only a mere crescent
Of the sun is visible, itseems to resolve
itself into bright spots, interspersed
with dark spaces, having the appear
ance of a bright string of beads, called
Balie's Beads. Every one should
look for the zodiacal light. Although
It has not been seen in late eelipses,
yet AragO says" Marian asserts that
this species of light had been already
seen BY the ancients. 'NicephOrus,'
saws the author of the treatise on the
Aurora Borealis, relates that after the
capture of Rome by Alarack, q great
eclipse occurred, during which there
was seen in the heavens light which
had the. appearance of q cone. The
Greek historians treats as ignorant
persons those who pretend that the
light was the tail of acOmet.'" From |
which 1t would appear that the zOdi-
acal light has been seen during an
eclipse. IF seen it will probably be in |
The form of cones of light, the bases
Of which are toward the sun. The |
.otal phase will last but two or three
minutes; therefore every one should |
be ready and watch close. The effect
1n men and animals will, of course,
be closely noted. and it should be OBJ
served to what extent flowers and |
plants are effected.
The general appearance of all nature
will be grand, beautiful, and sublime.
Red, yellow, and orange tints, scat
.ered in rich prOfusiOn, make every |
hing look strange and unearthly. |
The planet Venus will be to the east of
he sun about 40 diameters. A little |
70 the right of Venus, and nearer the
Iun, may be seen Regulus, q star Of
he first magnitude. Other stars, per-
maps as small as the third magnitude, /
will be visible.
J. I'll. THOROUGHIAN.
BrOG01aUille, ,ltLy 81.