Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-25

street, has been reitted and supplied with
the best machinery, and Its proprietor is now
prepared to purchase all the good wheat that
may come to Memphis. The attention of
wheat-growers Is directed to Mr.. Birds card.
"A grand temperance picnic will be given
to-day at the Leath orphan asylum grounds.
A splendid time Is promised all who attend,
good music and dancing being the chief fea-
lures. Street cars aud omnibuses will run
until twelve o'clock at night aud every ar
rangement be made for the comfort of VS.
itors.
The thermometer at the signal service
Office registered yesterday at seventy two de-
grees at seven o'clock IN the morning, and
eighty degrees at nine O'Clock at night. At
Cairo, eIShty-two degrees; New Orleans,
ninety-two degrees; Vicksburg, nlnety-seven
degrees ; and Evansville, sixty seven de-
grees.
AT the meeting of the chamber of com
merce, yesterday, Mr.. Hanauer, chairman or
the committee on freightS, asked for further
time In which to make his report. Mr.. Goyer,
of the elevator committee, was not ready to
make a report. and was granted further time.
No ether matter of importance was transact
ed, and the chamber adjourned.
The APPEAL returns thanks to Colonel
II. G. Myers, secretary of the Autry Rifles
of Holly Springs, fer an invitation to be pres
Il
them on the fourth and fifth of September
next. 1t Is the intention of the gentlemen
engaged ID getting up the affair to make 1t
an event that shall surpass any thing OF Its
kind in the State of Mississippi. Knights
are expected from all sections of the country
The first prize will be one hundred dollars IN
gold, with d number of other valuable prizes
to be awarded to successful knights.
An eclipse of the sun will occur on Mon
day. July 18th, which will be visible from
every part of North America, weather per
hitting. 1t will be total along a narrow belt
of country extending from Behring Straits to
the Gulf of Mexico, and partial outside that
zone. The causes of an eclipse of the sun are
so well understood by the majority Of our
readers, and text book explanations are so
easily accessible to those who do not under
stand it, that we shall not attempt an essay
on the subject. We merely remark that the
distances Of both sun and moon from the
earth are continually varying, the orbits of
earth and moon being ecIpses. The apparent
sizes of both vary lnversely with their actual
distances. At the time of new moon the
shadow of the moon is projected toward the
earth, but the axis passes to the north or
south of our globe unless the moon be at tie
same time near the point (node) where her
orbit crosses the plane of the ecliptic. When
the last named circumstance occurs there is a
solar eclipse, the character of which depends
upon the relative distance of the moon and
sun. If the ratio of the distances be greater
than the average, the moon s shadow sweeps
across the earth, as in the present case; and
the direction of the movement of the shadow
in this instance shows that the moon is near
the south woodworking from north into
south latitude. The ratio of distance being
equal to the average, the apex of the shadow
just about reaches the surface, and the
breadth of the path of the shadow is reduced
to a mathematical line. If, on the other
hand, the ratio of the two distances be less
than the average, the moons shadow does
not extend so far as the earth, ard the sun
appears to be larger than the moon. In this
case, to the observer who is situated on the
central track, the sun shines out all around
the moon for short time, forming ring of
sunlight all around the moon. This is called
an "annular" eclipse.