New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-23
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE.
THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC ExpEDTIoN-REPoRT
ORAIlfIINO SUCCbSS - lhPOhIANI ADDi
TONS TO ASTRONOMICAL KNOWLEDGE.

Or TIE OBSEEN AIlONs Al JEktLy d nv
GRATIFYING SUCCESS - IMPORTANT ADD
TONS TO ASTRONOMICAL KNOWLEDGE.
TO the EditOr Of The Tribune.
SIR: BY the courtesy of PrOf. Winlock, l
permitted to communicate the general results OF our
observations the eclipse. think may say that on
the whole, expedition has been highly successful
though more might have been accomplished had tue
weather been better We SEEM however, to have been
more favored in this respect than any Of the En-
gsh parties observing i'm Spain From those in Algeria
and sicily have not yet heard.
The day and night previous % the eclipse were very
fine hut carly in the morning it couded over, and when
the prospect gloomy. II even rained
ever and before first contact uO:5 a. m local time)
there many patches OF partly clear sky. but there
was always, when eli Arrest, enough haze Of frost
crystals To- the to be surrounded 10y consicu
Gus Aao of Z2' radius.
allow good observations "a be- made in the usual method
attempted to the spectroscope upon 1t IN the same
cloud which most OF the time entirely oblteraied the
between the time 'of first contact and totay, there
several Intervals OF moderate cearness, IN when
photographs OF the partial phases taken. Just
before ojality the clouds became much thicker and we
tbr direct nfrpoiifi5n OF providence a. II would seem
q small rift in the heavy clouds passed over the
and pcrnittod To observe the Sublime phenomenon,
m not In all the beauty and subity OF last year, yet
satisfactorily and most gratefully. Within I'VE minutes
after the ed 80 to'ality the SKY was wholly clouded
and did thr again uut near evening AFTER
q heavy storm 81 wind ANA rain.
Du.n- M. totally, one rood photograph Of the
WIS obtained vita The t-nch glass with exposure OF
= minutes T. IT, Of course. by no good as IL
would have been had the SKY Dte1 truly clear nut u
show, great deal Of detail curved tamentS and radal
.6ofirr FAR better taln cyer before obtained The pie
turc produced with tue snch glass injured by not
being removed until the sun came ont No attempts
wore mad. 90 photograph ts prDmiur which he
and studied at any time. All efforts were conccn-
In -poct 10 the polarization observations there Is
reason to suppose mat there must have been some
Ic lar dc.eci in The prurhgr HsFiinent fFol flch-
CrS used lat year. his assistant, Mr. Ross using 1t
on us occasion oDt Aed Tie same un' Jfy result
But, ppaTeaiy similar instruments used ms year. To-
gcrcr win other, Quc dE'rut IN constitution ihdI-
Gated radal polarization oil tho CORONA Inc appeaI
aun". u TIE in,ir untlJs were nlcA '0nlcaltu ny te
cloud and haze, but believe Prof. Pickering, and Prof
Laur v, both thar She corona certainly has cob
siderable proportion or rs Eght riuialy polarIed'
Car 'troeopc results onpietey confirm nose OF
saw between ana J. last year, and suspected TO be
lines wen 14f, not seen 10 al this time;
l,i traced by Prot Wnlork 70 distance OF nearly
~ rom he suns .ln Traced IT lc ON thc Ho't, - on
the North tie EI-t, and about iV on the S0lih.
The principle chrono>phere INES were also visible visible
and my eif both agree in atrhuug this to the reec-
OF the haze around the sun. am more confident az
to this because last year, in clear atmosphere, the
line certainly sharply terminated at the upper limit
Mr. Abbay MS pectrU>cOpe only the l41i line aId
the + ne-the former considerably the brighter OF
the wO. He continuous spectrum
Bat most interesting sp' ctrpscopic observation or
the eclipse appears 20 me ~ be The asceriang at the
base of the chrome, ieIc, ana, or course 3D. Immaculate
contact with the lOtos phrrC, 0 thin layer III whose
tie dark lime, of the ordinary solar spectrum
all reversed Just previous 10 totally had care
toit Were the serond contact would take place and
was wat ming the gradual frightening OF 1874 and the
magnesium lines. As the crescent grew narrower no
tiecd fading 10 speak OF all the dark lines In the
fold Of but not II all prepared Tor the Deat
phenomenon which presented itself wnen the moon
finally covered the whole photCspherc Then the whole
field was at flied with brilliant lines. which sud
denly dashed into brightness and then gradually
faded away unul,s ia les than two seconds,
uotLlrg remained hut the lines / had been watching.
Tire 81 t was very close and the definition perfect OF
course positively assert that ali the bright lines
held exactly the same position that hai been occupied ny
dark ones previously but feel very sure of IT, "a par
tcuary noticed several groups and the whole arTn ge-
meut relative intensity Of the ems struck me as per
lccty familiar. Mr. Pye the same thlug, Tor an IN
slant only Prof NnlOck did not, his telescope at the
tine IN accordance with his directions was pointed 70
sp0i distance from the suns limO neither did
MI. ADbay see II.
nous spectrum az the -c of the SUM- and think tends
t. tenabC the original theory of hrchOn as To the
con ttuiOn Of the and the origin Oi the dark lines
I'm the ordinary solar spectrum.
cordially acknowledge the courtesy and Kindness OF
TIE Inhabitants OF JercZ. Everything possible was done
T. assist Us and make our stay agreeable.
C. A. YOUNG.