The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-08
OBSERVATIONS OF THE ECLIPSE ELSE.
80 WHERE.
Washington.

WASHINGTON, August I, 1859.
The solar eclipse here to-day, 80 far as scient6
observations are concerned has been rathe fail.
ure-pot on account Of defective prepara at ions on
the part Of the naval authorities. but wing to
causes entirely beyond the control OF human agency
The weather was rather uncertain all the forenoon
and up TO about three O'Clock, when the sky
frightened up and gave promise of clear and unob-
structed observations OF the dissertations; that is
to say unscientihc people, unfamiliar with meteor.
illogical manoeuvres, believed there would be no
difficulty about viewing the eclipse. but the learned
folks, astr0nomically wise, knew better. and
sagaciously remarked that there were exactly
ten chances to one that the sky would
be CLOUDY just at the critical moments
when important observations might be taken. And
In truth It turned out When the expected instant
OF first contact arrived On ugly black cloud that had
been sailing along the southern edge Of the solar
disk rushed over the face OF the sum- apparently with
O malicious purpose to thwart scientific pur-
poses. and renamed long enough TO pre-
vent the astronomers ON the LOOKOUT from
taking their much desired observations. The
moment OF mpingement was therefore lost. Through
similar nebulous perversity the nstants of greatest
oDscurati0n and final contact were also lost here,
and all the preparations made for exact scientific
observation were therefore 80 muc b labor lost.
Commodore Sands, Of the Naval Observatory, had
made thorough preparations, In the hope that the
sky might at the desired moments be uuclouded, but
scarcely anticipated Professor Yarnall had
charge Of the observations through the big tele.
ecope mounted on the dome OF the Observatory, but
any satisfactory Investigations. lie will, how
ever, write out q report OF his imperfect
examinatiOnS which VIII be submitted TO
the Secretary OF the Navy next Monday.
AT the Observatory only . few persons
oil ha
but even among those few were some who had Oh.
tanned admission under false pretences, and mate
rally interlered with the labors Of the scientific
observers. Everybody on the dome Of ths Observa-
tory mad q piece OF smoked glass, aud at several
Stages, 81 the oeicuraton mad chance TO
telescope. A number OF chickens had been placed
about the grounds Of the Observatory for the purpose
OF noting the eject 0i the eclipse upon them the zen.
eral suppositIoD being that towards the m6nient OF
greatest observation here they Would be overcome
Win 0rowsness and drop or to sleep; bat no sucn
per q .4s ICON p@s5ss eyer ias great SOLAR orb,
as II nothing unusual was happening, So
with the dogs, horses, cows and other animals
None were in the least Affected. Indeed even ut the
instant when eleven tweftls o! the solar face was
supposed TO be shut out from view there was nothing
strikiney rcmarkaoio Ia the appearance OF things
here beyond the consequent decrease III light which
clothed the earth with shadOwy aspect
very much like that observed lust before
twilight Al various points throughout the city
groups were assembled making observations, but
with no satisfactory results. On the dome OF the
Capitol were few benighted individuals strIyIna to
take notes but the best points were the Observatory
Meridian Hill, Howard University ana Mount Wash
in9ton. "