New-York tribune., 1878-07-19
TO SEE THE Solar ECLIPSE.
ARRIVAL OF J. NORMAN LoCKYER.

ARRIVAL OF j. NORMAN LOCKHER
A PASSENGER BY The BALTIC, WITH W. FOSTER RkA
--rHE ENGLISH ASTRONOMERS PLANS.
The steamship Baltic passed through the
NarrOws last evening just the sunset gan oooneo
from the easements Of Fort Richmond Health Officer
Thompson boarded the steamship mmeSfateiy, ana was
loudly cheered by crowd Of happy passengers on ths
maia and huEreane decks. The Baltic WAS consequently
enabled to steam to the White star whaFves and tSse
passengers who ehSse 10 60 ashore without tEeH uS
gage. did so soeu after O'Clock.
Among the passengers were Mr.. ]. Norman LOckyeF,
the celebrated English astronomer and eiIteR Oh the
scientific weekly BGtaess aud MF. W. Fraser hss. or
th Leu6ou re, The object OF their visit this tine
Is to witness the coming solar eclipse, 80 near
at hand that they VIII find it necessary TO depart
for Denver by ths Pennsylvania Railroad at O'Clock ts
evening This Is Mr. LOckyers first VISIT 70 Americi,
visit which would lave been postponed owing TO De-
reavement II his scientific ard0r would have PerAltted
him to forego special opportunities for sonar oDaef
vxtisns which this eclipse expected to aford IS S
his stay VIII be limited to two months.
Nr I0ckyer who is a Fellow Of the R0Yal Society and
Corresponding Member Of the Institute OF France, has
his own private observatory at bis residences In Ken
singtOn and years has led the English astROom
ieaI expeditions. The remainder OF the British paI'y
precefed him q week ago, the Brttannte, AMI
coestsrs Of Dr. seauster leader OF the cclipae
party to sIam in 1875, Professor Sharpe,
f. r. g. Of the Yorkshire College OF Science
and Mr. Penrose a devoted student Of science, and at
present Surveyor Of st. Paula oiee formerly held
by Sir Christopher Wren, and or two asssssntz Ar
Fraser Rea, well known by bis recent books
Columbia and Canada and westward by
Rail- and other works. iHcluding his trInsiss-
ton Of n TaiBs's English Notes." Is lit
erzry azaoeiate LOekYeF, and in accompanying
te party viii ga.her material for several etters and for
an additional chapter 10 his Columbia aad Canada"
This expedition is private, and at their in6yd'ial ex
pense tho British Government not beng directly cor
cerBed They hope join Of the several American
expeditions bet which Ohe hss NOT jet been deter
mined.
Mr. Lockyer and Mr. Rea hard at work last even
n IN their cosy deck cabin placed at their disposal for
The voyage hroagh courtesy Of the captain Of the
Battle AF. LOckyer said tine VOyage had been rendered
exceedingly enjoyable. They did not feel tae heat
wave until the OF yesterday afternoon met them
OF the coast and which seemed 20 bring blast OF gath
cred hot air. On trip W tho baEbOr he made study
OF the electric display the northwest with tina aid OF
small speetroseope.
Mr. LockyeT said hts present purpose was to 90
st1Aizht to Denver aud open communication with the
American parties- lie had already been IN cOmmun-
eaiion with Dr. Youmans and Mr Rutherford, in the
houe Of being able to get some photographic
assistance for his observations. he had brought
over some Of tho eOlOdion prepared BY
CAPTAIN Abney vhich, with good luck, would
enable them 10 obtain Photograph Of the Ee end Of the
sol Ar sDectr nun fer the first durng eclipse But
INDEPENDENTLY Of that his special work. be SAID, 70
compare the solar corona az she minimum spot period
win tbe corona at the maximum spOS period, the
latter being observed by him IN India in 1871. He
wishes further TO see II ii Is possible to trace In the
outer corona any Indications OF the existence OF other
ehemieol elements than tEose known 10 exist further
down He alaO hopes detsrmine the exact position Os
tfe bright line m the PTOminences, which was
observed in 1873, but the exact position OF
which could nos then be determined He
had left home with very little preparation,
having made up his mind to come at she last mauent.
And Of the caief things Wneh ndNced hih % eole
The hope OF having Llfis enOush 70 oDSefNe Ihe
various arrangements made BY the American astron0-
meFs for whose scientific attanments and methods ne
had the highest respect .,,,.
graphs OF the blue end we'll the red end OF he SOAR
spectrum and q new form OF the spectrO8e0Pe. which
appc Mr. RutherOrds dracton gratings Tor the nFst
tine TIE eueFtains the greatest hopes u the success
OF an appIieatiOn of these grItmgS. lie ha e0mmuni-
Gated Professor Newc0mb snd others plan Tor using
the gratngs. and hoped 70 would be adopted by them
De cOuld not apply the gfatigs hhiset Oebs Nlthoat
As general result of observations OF this eclipse he
thinks that will bz0S mch more about tue
suns re, both "a 70 its changes AZ naxi ana
minimum periods OF solar activity an "a 10 its chemical
constituents When he went % india ia ISL the tDta-
ty or length OF time for observations was 10 SecOnf
vantage OF more than thlTu n point Of ume.
In Tada she greatest height at which ObseFVatons were
teken was 900 feet He suppOses that higher attues
will hs found available M COlOrrdO. me host ODsefNa-
uns are obtained IN raYefe atmosphere, and the more
rare the atmosphere the lesser viii be tho terrestrial
earoua which II always supeTpOsed upon the solar
This twofaced nature or the carona was SHOWN
by Dr. GOuds observations IN 1869. Mr.. LoGkyer ls
provided with Haydens OF tho survey or the forty
ninth parallel which calls she finest geological maps
Obtainsbie. "