New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-06-06
APPLIED SCIENCE.


receiyed in this country. IL will be remembered
that in order TO assist in the observations OF this
;mportaut eclipse Profs. NewcOmb, Hall, Hardness,
and Eastman were sent, ut the expense OF the Gov
ernment from the Naval Observatory at Washing
ton to occupy proper stations in Spain and Sicily.
Their reports were promptly published by our own
Government The Italian Government, on the other
hand, represented by the numerous astronomers OF
that nation among whom the names OF Sccchi Do
natl Denza and Tacchini are well known In Amer
ica occupied two stations, each manned, AS we may
say by six of the most experienced astronomers OF
the nation, and by number OF assistants. The OBJ
servatiOns of these stations were divided INTO those
preliminary to and succeeding the eclipse, and those
made during the eclipse, to which should be added
the magnetic and meteorological observations. Dur
ING the eclipse proper, beside the exact observa-
ton of the time of beginning and ending of
each phase special interest centers In the appear
ances observed during the few minutes of total OBJ
scuration The attempts to photograph the various
features of the eclipse to have been quite sue
cessful, having been accomplished by means OF an
instrument by Dallmeyer of large dimensions, the
same which had been used by De La Rue in Spain,
in 1860 BY virtue of the necessity 1or SUBDIVISION
of labor during the brief interval OF the duration OF
the total eclipse the chr0nometrlc determination OF
the time was assigned to Prof. Donati; the photo
metric operations were COnuucttu ny i'oi' ooOhi'
The poarzation of the solar was observed by
Prof Baserna who made use of Sayart polariscope,
| in which the tourmaline plate was replaced by
N;cbo,a nr;sm His results were among the most inter
| estinp that have been recorded inconnectlon with
| the solar pbenomena He states that the influence
of tbe terrestrial atmosphere feeble that the
solar corona was strongly poarlzed; and that the
plane of polarization was In the directon oi TAN
gent to the limb of the These positive results
iron fhn apIG of an
cialIy valuable in consideration of the numerous
contradictory and iruitess observations made by
many Others The observation OF the protuberances
| seen during the period of tOtality was especially
cared for by Prof. Denzd, who was armed with
spectroscope attached to drgG %s aS
| ologca and magnetic observations were also IN,
der the general icare of Prof penza, and
embraced every element of terrestrial and atmo,
snheric nbysics that could he observed 1t is well
| known that he has recently deduced an apparent
dependence of certain changes IN magnetic Instru-
ments upon the occurrence OF TINS eclipse.
The preceding observations were maze M AUGUSTA
in Sicily The other station occupied by the Italian
astronomers was Terra Nova, at which place l'rof
Tacchini had general charge of the observations,
| assisted by numerous subordinates The spectra of
| the protuberances were observed by himself; OBJ
servatons on the corona were made IN dupiita,e,
of contact made, again in duplicate, by two others
| The drawings and photographs made by the italah
astronomers, reproduced IN the puDiished yol'e'
show the suns limb to have been remarkably 0ccu,
| pied by the familiar red protuberances, many OF
them nearly 100000 miles high, and OF strkngly
| characteristic forms The corona Is depicted as
| mass of white light projecting in spurs, OF which
ten or twelve definitely presented TO DISTANCE
of at least 100000 miles from the solar surface. In
the spectrum of the corona as observed IN Augusta
| two bright bands were, observed one III
| the yellow, the other in the green. correspond
| ing nearly with spaces No. ESQ ana no
1,465 of Frauenhoters scale: prot Legh aiSn
| observed bright indentatloD IN the euge Oh the
MOON as if the solar light shone through deep cieit
| i'm that body. similar phenomenon was also re-
corded by Tacchini from whose drawing of the ap.
pearance of Baileys beads it might be inferred ta
these are really only those portions OF the solar lno
last visible and separated from each other by the IN
teryeniDg projecting mountain peaks on the edge OF
| the moon. Accompanying the volume are some
very fine plates of the appearance OF the protuDer
ances as by of the spectroscOpe for some
davs before and after the eclipse in question, to-
gefher with a magnificent delineaion of the appear
f. as seen on the 10th Of Deeember
from all of which 1t would seem as If that month was
one of special activity on the suns surface
OK SOLAR RADIATION.-In regard to the use OF
thermometers for determining the intensity OF solar
radiation Mr. Stow has recently been making num-
her of observations the report on which is about to
| be published. He expresses his own opinion, In
| preliminary manner, as follows: Looking at the
subject attentivey there three different objects
which meteOrolOgists may propose to themselves IN
attending to measure the suns heat The first is
the measurement of the intensity of the solar rays
| irrespectvely of the duration OF sunshine, and OF
the angle at which the rays strike the ground This
should be measured by the excess OF the reading OF
| the thermometer, with blackened bulb, in rdcuo,
freely exposed to sun and air. above the temperature
of the air and shade. The second is the total
heating effect upon a large mass of earth or
water, also irrespective of the angle of the
incidence of the suns rays, but depending both
upon the intensity and duration Of the
sunshine This may be measured by inserting
thermometer into the center OF hollow sphere, such
| as a O8-pOund she'll which might be filled with
| water and should be elevated above the ground
| The third is the heating effect produced upon the
earths surface. depending upon the altitude of the
sun, as well as upon the intensity ana duration OF
sunshine not to mention moisture, evaporation, ETC.
| This NAV measured by thermometer, not IN rdcuo
placed upon the ground, or still better, perhaps. by
one buried just below the surface OF alevel sand bed
1t is to the first of these, viz, Actnometry that he
had directed attention; and while not saying that
| the other Investigations are not equally important
he thinks it best not to obtain figures which repre-
sent the action of variety of causes the individual
effect of which is unknown; but OF one cause only
and aferward to proceed to the investigation of two
| or more causes combined.
| DIURyAL VARIATIONS OF THE WIND AND BAR
| oMErER AT BoMBAY-C. Chambers, Director Of
| the Coaba Observatory at Bombay, brings to notice
q remarkable relation that has been found to exist
| between the diurnal variations of the wind and
| barometer at Bombay. Besides the well-known
diurnal variations of the wind known as the land
and sea breezes, the author shows THAT certain
peculiarities of the wndcurve due to the super
position of distinct variation having two maxima
| and two mnma, like the barometer variation and
he supports his views by a reference to the months
Of July and August, at which time the land and
cided double period. These variations are regarded
as indicative OF the existence of double diumal
4 ba md 81.
| aud Falmouth are also shown to exhibit a greater
| or less agreement with those of Bombay and the
| hair i'm daJu