New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-26
SCIENCE Al ST. LOUIS.
REPORTS ON rae SOLAR ECLIPSE.

REPORTS ON TIE SOLAR ECLIPSE.
PAPERS BY PROFESSORS BARKER AND REES-EDl-
sons TAsIMETER ANn-TOLTAMETER.
lFRoMAN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUEE.l
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 23.-In Section of the
Association the Advancement Science this after
noon, Mr. Edison read his paper on The Use Of the
Tasimeter for Measuring the Heat of Stars and Of
the Suns Corona" Mr. Edison described the tas-
imeter an instrument for measuring minute differ
ences OF pressure by means OF his welkDOwn carbon
button The electrical resistance Of this varies with the
pressure aud when, by means OF the expansion OF D
rubber bar, the button Is compressed, the current
strength is increased and the galyanOmeter detected
For the purpose Of solar measurement, the tasmeter
placed in side Of Wheatsone bridge, In the op
pose side Of which variable resistance. A
Thomson galyanometer in the bridge was shunted by
IN ingeniously contrlyed rheostat-simpy piece OF
stoveppe wire wound alternate tacks in board
aud the reflections OF the needle thus controlled
The taslmeter had slit, one-eighth OF an inch Wlde
through which the heat reached the piece OF hard rubber
TO be expanded. This was placed in the focus OF
fOur-inch telescope leus In the preliminary exper-
mens the Arcturus gave constant reflections five
times in succession OF 1902 The Draper Eclipse Exped
ton had assigned 10 him the task Of determining the
cOrOnal heat. And when the brought tho
slit the detection enOrmous-the spot of light pass
ing completely of the scale fve seconds Hence 1t is
clear that the heat radiaed from the solar
OF the FIRST magnitude Professor Barker who at
tached to the Draper party at Rawlins, T., read
paper The Results OF the SpectroscOpc servation
OF the Solar Eclipse OF July 30 1873" The instruments
useI, he said fOur-nch Jones telescope equaOf-
Tally mounted, with Merz specroscOpe having direct
vision prism OF Ave clements, equivalent only to two
heavy glass prisms OF 500. a needle micrometer was
used for position. On the beginning of totally these
points were 1474 X, and on the region near G. but
the only thing visible there continuous spectrum
Repeated trials gave the same result The whole spec
rum was passed in review three times but bright
line discernible. The slit then widened and
narrowed with no better effect With the narrow SLIT
the Fraunhofer lines appeared distinctly, extending for
hal; solar diameter from the limb. Taken IN connec-
ton with the other observations the hypothesis Of re-
fectcd light for the corona seems fully established.
Professor j. X Rees. Professor Of Astronomy In the
Washington University, 81. Louis, made to the conven-
ton the following report Of the work done by the Fort
Worth solar eclipse party, OF which he was member:
"The party was composed Of Leonard Waldo, Of the
Cambridge Observatory r. W. Wilson, Of Harvard Col
loge; W. II. Pusifer OF st. Louis f. +. Legrayes, Of
Providence and the author The station chosen be-
cause the probabilities OF fair weather better than
at most points in Colorado The totally camo to Fort
Worth some fifteen minutes after 1t occurred at Los
Anmas so that there any great changes in the
coma the photographs compared with those OF the
northern parties would show them. We the only
The preliminary work OF the party began about
Jmy IS, by an exchange of longitude signals
between Fort Worth and ST. Louis. AT Fort Worth a
transit had been up by Mr. Wilson and at St. Louis,
in the observatory OF Professor Rees, was another
transit set up by the party under the direction OF Mr.
waldo On July 16, Waldo Leagraye5 and Rees departed
for Texas Subsequently Mr. Pulsfer Joined the party
al Fort WORTH The days before the eclipse were used
in making time. latitude ana meteoroosical observa-
tons Invitations we're 10 influential persons in
Texas asking for cooperation and assistant 0DserYers
were established at Dallas-nearnc, Mckinney, Allan
aud Cleburn class OF twenty sketchers was trained
under the direction OF Professor Waldo.
"On the day OF the eclipse. the morning the weather
was very cloudy. Just before the eclipse the clouds
broke and separated leaving the beautifully clear
Mr. Waldo had charge Of the Photographic work Five
photographs were obtained during totally. Mr. Waldo
with his back 10 the dractiOn shadows Hitting
swiftly over the ground The time of c5t contact was
Oh lin 2gs duration Of totally, On. 2S7ios;
lime ~ fourth contact Oh. ION. los Mr. Wilson
made general observations, using 3lnch Telescope
He reported that the corona was lrrtEhar III hhupe'
several prOminences were observed, one some
what OF sicAle shape; others, all small, gave
| tbe immersion Of hollow cylinders. The color was
similar To the corona, and not OF the distinctly rosy
Lur tbof was cxpccrd In Professor Recess Ouserya-
tons the moons limo was AFFECTED ny an unuuihIoIy
noipn which did not seem b. be communicated 10 tue
cusrs Dots or brushes Of light were seen many times
an the cusp points. The cusps were very sharply de
specirum crossed by the dark lines G aud j, were
This latter observation II singular huu
worthy OF note. SIR. Pulsier was very fortunate III
obtaining the reyeraOn spectrum ana ana not SEQ any
continuous spectrum. Mr.. Legfayes saw continuous
spectrum OF the corona, with one bright hhe l,4'4
gncn was measured. . ,---- -.
deciding what really seen at the iOta echPse as II
confirms certain statements made by the observers
The temperature Nll IL degrees during tOtality Inc
ua WORK al the consisted IN another exchange OF
signals between 81 LOUIS and Fort WORTH
Mr. Edson's new yoltameter Is an ingenious moditca
top Of the yoltameter IN which, ordinarily con-
strncted the current strength Is measured by the
amount OF gas evolved In graduated tube. Mr. Ed
son device consists OF vessel OF acdulated water In
b,b two electrodes are placed, one OF carbon, the
otber of uatuum wire, the latter being Enclosed IN
,,tta nerrha covering. Through this IL pierced a
minute hole with fine needle. Inc pOsiuNe wire Il
connected 10 the carbon, aud the negative 70 the pau
Unrn wire Minute bubbles or gas form on
The platinum wire, aud escape through tue
uerfnratiou with snap audible over large
room BY placing rheOstat IN circuit the now Oh gus
NAV be perfectly regulated the bubbles succeeding each
nthsr at one "A minute 100 per second as desired
The current strength may be estimator ny counting te
number OF bubbles per second, or better OJ putting IN
restapce MI but bubble per secOuu IL eFONtu' anu
,bon nnting the amount. III the bubbles are frequent
cnougb a musical note Is produced Dy the ptch Oh
! which The current strength - determined
prof-ssOr Barkers paper on Anew MethOd Vi De-
terutuipg the Pitch Of Tuning Fork was very inter
eating Tue determination OF absolute Pitcu Il no au
the fork and TO ybrate IL close 10 tine electromagnetic
tbrougb which feeble current i passing Inc induced
waves are nsed mark upon prepared paper Tue tA-
uerimeut may made either by Vibrating an unnaghel-
cansiE magnezed fork TO ybrate before an electro
maOueI and thus generating IT'S own current Of DOM
manctzrd forks ana currents may be used The results
are accurate.