Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-13
TAI kulifAK ExrNDEtIUk,
Results Of the ObsersatiOns-A
New Comet Near the sub.

A correspondent of the London
News, accompanying the expedition to
Egypt to observe the recent eclipse Of
the sun, says: This eventful morning
is the finest we have yet had, cool and
without a cloud. A great crowd of
natives in picturesque costumes lined
the road and the hill between the
camp aud Sohag. The shore Of the
Nile, except before the observatories,
was packed with dahabeeahs bringing
the Governors of the Provinces and
other notables to observe the eclipse
and do honor to the strangers. Thanks
to Moktar Bey, in charge Of the camp,
and a force of soldiery, there was no
confusion. Along a line of 300 yards
the French, English and Italian OBJ
servers were left in undistnrbed DOS
session of tents and observatoriep.
Nevertheless, while the sky dark
ened and assumed a leaden hue, the
hills bounding the Nile bathed in pur-
pie, the great silence gave way, and
from river and palm shaded slope
arose a shout of wonder and fear,
which reached its climax at the mo.
msnt of the suns disappearance; nor
ceased then, for, in addition to the
horror of an eclipse-which the ma
tives here, as in India, attribute to the
act of a dragoon-there appeared in
the heavens on the right Of the sun
an unmistakable scimitar. The
eclipse had, in fact, revealed the ex-
istence of a new comet. Despite the
short totally, many valuable results
have been obtained. 1 am permitted
to send a copy Of the collective tele-
gram sent to the various governments,
showing many new facts touching the
sun s atmosphere, though matters have
not become much simpler, which
means more work. The layer to
which much absorption has been
ascribed seems vanishing from exist
ence. The band K in the spectrum
Of the corona fully explains the
eclipse coloring. The collective note
is as follows;
Unprecedented facilities have been
accorded by the Egyptian government
for the observation of the eclipse. A
plan was agreed upon between the
English, French and Italian expedi-
tons. Among the results the most
satisfactory are photographs of the
corona and q completed spectrum
obtained by Schuster on Abney's
~lilates. II and K are the most intense
pnes. A study of the red end Of the
spectrum of corona and protuberances
was made by Tacchini. Acomet near
the u was a striking object; it was
photographed and observed by the
naked eye. Bright lines were observed
before and after t%otality at different
heights by Lockyer, with intensities
differing from Fraunhofer's lines;
by Lockyer and Trepied an absolut,
determination was made of the
place Of the coronal line 1873 in
Kirchhof's scale; by Thollon and
Trepied the absence Of dark lines in
the oaronal spectl UNI was noted. lac
chini and Thollon, with very different
dispersions, noted many bright lines in
the violet. Thollon observed spectrum
of the corona, and Sctaster photo
graphed it. The hydrogen and %caronal
line we're studied in the grating
Of the spectrosoope by Buisiens, and
with direct vision prism by Thollon.
Rings we're observed in the grating by
Lookyer, of the first, second and third
order. The continuous spectrum is
fainter than 1873, stronger than 1871.
An inteLsifcation OF the absorption
lines was observed in group B, at
moons edge, by Trepied and Throllon.
Signed by LOckyer, Tucchini and
Throllon.