The New York herald., 1869-06-20


Demonstrated, next 10 Omnipotence," o,ce
said the philosophical Abraham Lincoln, ~
the greatest word In our language and the
great truths Of the science of astronomy are
demonstrated In the precision with which for
months and years ahead eclipses OF the sun
and moon are predicted, and the line Of the
moons shadow across the earth or Of the earth s
shadow over the moon. or course these cal
culations all depend upon the precision Of the
sublime clockwork of our solar system, which
has been demonstrated as absolutely infallible.
No human chronometer, for instance, has yet
been made to run within its small compass the
circuit Of the year with the precision with
which this rolling globe we iuhabit completes
its yearly circle Of six hundred millions of
miles around the sun. The delicate perfec-
tion Of such stupendous machinery is simply
inconceivable; but it is demonstrated, and we
must work from that point, because we can go
no further.
And so, on the 7th Of August next, we are
promised that sublime phenomenon, when the
sun
In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations and with fear OF change
PerpleXes monarchs.
The eclipse will be a total one, beginning at
sunrise of the Sth in the Pacific Ocean. east of
Japan in latitude thrty-sx degrees and fifty
three minutes, and the line of the total eclipse
crossing into Alaska runs thence southeast
wardly across this Continent, ending in the At
lantic Ocean off the North Carolina coast from
Beaufort at sunset 1t will be the sunset
of the 7th on this coast, while it will be
sunrise of the 8th on the Pacific, near
at twelve minutes past five P. NJ, and will
end at sunset. Extensive preparations are in
progress by company of government officers
for an expedition to Iowa under Professor
William Harkness for the purpose of observing
the eclipse; for very interesting and important
demonstrations are made from these eclipses,
reaching even to the materials Of the sun
ITSELF Professor Harkness will set up his OBJ
servatory near Des Moines, and will be pro-
vided with all the necessary instruments, in
cludng three telescopes for Photographic,
spectroscopic and meteorological observations.
Various colleges and observatories of the
different States along the line will also take
part in these scientific observations, and we
expect some savans from Europe to assist on
the occasion. A general storm, however,
may spoil all these arrangements between
Iowa and North Carolina, and so the govern
ment should have an observer stationed well
back on the lofty dry plains of Dacotah, where
the sky is almost certain to be clear. AS for
Alaska, "where it rains and SHOWS always"
the chance will be very slim.
Last year, on the 18th of August, there was
a total eclipse of the sun in the Eastern hems-
phere, crossing India to Alden, on the Red
Sea, and thence over the Continent of Africa.
Very gratifying results were obtained from
the scientific observations made at Alden,
Bombay and other points, and from those ex-
periments and the new instruments employed
therein still more valuable and instructive
facts, it is expected, will be established from
the more elaborate preparations for the coming
eclipse. The government at Washington has
the instruments and the astronomers, and in
their behalf every possible precaution, with
the surest localities for an unclouded sky and
pure atmosphere on the line of total OBJ
scuraton, should be adopted to insure for the
observations the fullest attainable success.