The New York herald., 1874-10-25
THE ECLIPSE.
Diana's Total Observation This
Morning.
THE SHADOW OF THE WORLD.
Glimpses at the Lunar Orb's
Topography.
ANCIENT FEARS VS.. MODERN KNOWLEDGE
The Moons Nature-Her In
nuence on Earth.
THE PHENOMENON PHOTOGRAPHED.
Six Views Of the Passage Of Pale
Cynthia Through the Shades.
The Celestial Scene as Performed
Before the Herald Critics.
ANCIENT FEARS VS.. MODERN KNOWLEDGE
The Moons Nature-Her In
fluence on Earth.
THE PHENOMENON PHOTOGRAPHED
Six Views Of the Passage Of Pale
Cynthia Through the Shades.
The Celestial Scene as Performed
Before the Herald Critics.

Before the Herald Critics.
Al forty-eight minutes past eleven O'Clock last
might faint shadow passed over the surface OF
she moon and little while alter her fair face be.
came totally immersed in shade. She had not
dOnned 80 thick o veil before In eighteen years.
and while she wore it she became all the more In
teresting because OF her dusky and somore cos
tune We can well imagine the anguish and ter
Tor OF those, ignorant OF science and the laws
which govern the movements OF the celestials,
upon behOldng one Of hem gradually disappearing,
whlrling from brilliant radiance into total obscur.
ity changing the aspect at once OF both earth and
sky and then rushing back to light and brilltancy
again from behind tho gloomy barriers. We can
well understand how the barbarians are wont
upon such occasions to crouch IN :error-strcken
groups, and, while tearing their hair and mutilat-
ing their bodies, CRY aloud upon their imaginary,
impotent gods to deliver them; even to u.s. among
whom the printing press has rendered science
popular and universal, sight SO extraordinary
and phenomenal as that which occurred Q few
hours ago is one calculated to fill the spectator
with wonder and awe, even though he be a savant
and understands that all he sees proceeds from
natural causes and after certain fixed, unchange-
able laws.
The dinerent aspects ana phases Of the moon at
different periods were source OF great per-
plexity to the ancient astronomers, but the mag
nincent instruments OF modern science have re :
moved all these and enabled us TO map out the
moon and gain q clear conception OF every thing
shat appears upon its surface.
WHAT IS THE NOON
assessing, as we all do a great deal OF curl
Oslty," says the able and eloquent Professor 0.
n. Mitchell, mo subject has excited deep an
interest as che actual condition OF the face Of the
moon. Every one desires to know whether the
other worlds are like our own. Have they oceans
and seas. lakes, rivers, islands and continents ?
Does their soil resemble our own Does vegetable
life there manifest itself in every variety OF
grass and flowers, and shrub and tree? Are there
extended forests and spicy groves, filed with
Mullitudinous animals in this far on vorlds And,
above all, are the bright orbs we see over our
heads Inhabited by rational beings like mang'
Concerning this latter question science theories
and presumes, but it does not actually know.
"The moon. destitute OF both water and atmo-
sphere" says the modern scientist, 'as destitute
also Of any form OF life imDued with the faculties
which distinguish men, II person could be
waited the chilly surface OF the moon tsupposing
him to be enabled TO survive the loss OF our terres
trial atmosphere and TO withstand she dreadful
temperature OF 460 degrees below zero which pre-
walls through the space beyond the regions OF our
atmosphere) he would lind not man. woman nor
enid no animal life OF anv description; rush.
ing OF rivers, no rustllng Of forests moaning of
winds. No songs OF BIRDS no sound OF any de-
scripton would ia upon hts ear. Everything
would be bleak and still as death. He could not
near the sound OF gun, though 1t were fired OF
Ut hts ear, ior there Is no atmosphere along whose
.spapitating bosom" it is possible to convey
sounds to the brain. All the oxygen gas which
once enveloped It's fa,r surface has long since
been devoured by the elements existing thereon,
and there is no longer any OF the vital nuid re-
naming. The change from day to night Is nstan-
sancous, there being no twilight. II ever water
rushed through her dark, deep valleys it is now
transformed into colossal glaciers which can
never melt, and whcn, even II they eould
be dissolved, would fail TO rush downward with
the terrific fury SO common to the Alpine masses
OF ice and snow because standing the moon
objects have only one-si.stn or the Weifht they
would have when placed on our own flobe. A
man OF 40 pounds, avordupos, would find that
he only weighed twenty pounds on the moon In
addition TO this advantage OF DIMINISHED gravity
he would find that 1t took the sun io.rteen and a
half days TO rise and set, thus furnishing day OF
sis length and night OF the same duration
During this long night he could view the EARTH
which never rises or sets. but Is constantly WIS.,
towards us. The earth wou.d appear as vast
moon, thirteen times srge as our moon
seems TO us, and would furrsh light during the
commencement and end II the night. At the
beginning Of night our eaph would be a hair moon
on the wane gradually diminishing, until at mid
night IL would oe a dsrfglobe encircled by faint
ring OF light, which by Aegrees would develop into
a.crescent and advaice to the half moon stage,
when the sun would again rise. Hence the earth
would presenf the ,ame phases to an observer at
the moon that wold be presented to us by the
moon II the diurial rotation OF the earth were SO
retarded and adjusted leave the moon con-
stantly visible 70 one OF our he mispheres But as
che same hemisphere OF the moon is always turned
coward the ,arth, it foHows that person remain
fng on the remote hemisphere could never obtain
q view OF the earth and could not witness the
cCncealnent OF the sunlight which took place this
morning. II he could bring q locomotive into
requiation he would De enabled TO leave hls
posinon on Thursday night and, at the rate OF a
miH per minute. travel round 70 the middle or the
tlaminated side In time observe the eclipse thls
uornlng. II he were then to take his departure
for this awful world OF ours, traversng space with
the same velocity, ne would not land here Tor the
next SIX months, for the moon is at a distance OF
237000 miles from us. The famous telescope OF
Lord Rosse IN Parsonstown, Ireland-the most
powerful In the world--reduces this tmmen sc dis
tance to such degree that the nnar orb seems
only forty miles OFF; and there are telescopes IN
chis country through which we can view it as wen
as though we were within 100 miles Gift. Thc
actual diameter OF the moon s about 900 miles.
RESULTS or TELESCOPE OBSERVATION
Through our telescopes we can see that her sur
face is diversified with hill and dale, lofty noun.
1alns and mighty cavities, with broad plains ana
towering isolated peaks, very similar TO the fea-
lures presented upon the surface OF our own
earth. Nay, so Tar has human science been de-
veloped that Luna's elevations and dcpressions
have been exactly modelled, her mountain eleva
tiOns measured and tbe dopth 81 the mighty cavi-