New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-17
THE LECTURE.

THE LECTURE.
LADIES AND GETLEMEN Il think-lndeed,
feel very surethat there Is no natural phenomenon
more interesting more beautiful than an ecipse-es-
pecially total eelipse-of the sun. There are some
others that may, perhaps, claim 10 outrank II IN soma
respeets-a tornado, earthquake. for Instance
but such times those the element Of personal ter
Tor present and an observer 10 In condition to note
and admire the phenomena Of nature taking place
around him. In the OF total eclipse OF the sun
there is nothing of that sort All things conspire TO
make 1t an occasion of extreme interest
and TO reach the sensibity OF man.
The slow but predicted and exactly
timed att ok Of the upon tho sum- the swift and
nexorabe passage of the dark disc of the moon across
the disc of the SUM- the gradual darkenng the unnat
ura tnts that dscoor the landscape the coming OF the
shadow the fright of the birds and beasts and Their sud-
den fight and them all at once the instant blaokening
sky and the outburst OF the stars and the corona
rudiating out from behind sort Of silvery
star In sky perfectly calm and unchangeable ana the
ruby gems that stud the disc OF the moon; ana then
after 1t 10 over, the sudden flash OF light
from the sun-all these things, L say. taken
together, constitute something which one VINO
has seen 1t can possibly forget An
Impression is made that is lost. And then, be-
sides that may add the great scientific interest OF the
event such times have the opportunity ofreach-
ing d. obems that cannot touch at any other time or
IN any other way When the is thus covered up and
the illumination OF atmosphere hidden from us
DO that we study the surroundings Of the sun and
the space about it, have the means OF investigating
the suns upper atmosphere the question of bodies cir
cuIang around to 1t than any other
planets with which are acquainted and these are OPP
portunities that get at any other time.
Pardon If refer to experience of my own at the
time OF the eclipse Of August 1862 1t was bright
clear afternoon following rainy day before so
that we proportionately exutant on account OF
having been saved defeat by the sudden outcomng
of the clear sky IL bright clear summer al
ternoOn when party observed that eclipse MY sta
ton was Burlington. la little outside OF the CITY,
Eastward was the prairie, westward the Iowa plains
Just about O'Clock, at the predicted time almost TO
second. three mountains on tho edge OF the moon
struck the SUMS disc, and all noticed it at the
same moment In less than half an hour the suns DISC
was half covered and the landscape began to take on
the appearance OF dark, cloudy day. although the
shadows were still bright and distinct. little later 1t
seemed as a thunder storm was about to come upon
US The air became stiller and the birds and beasts
allowed signs of fear and discomfort. little later
everything assumed unnatural nts from the fact that
the light from the ouor portions OF the suns disc IA
different In color from the central portions ana
when the suns disc was covered up and
there was nothing but the outer strip and the
outlying corona Of purpsh hgnt, something Ike
the electric light in the evening, changed things very
seriously, and very curtously. Every little shadow
formed by the leaves of the trees. instead OF being
round circular spot usual little crescent moon
on the ground little later somebody called attention
TO the gathering backness in the west, and before we
knew it fairly burst upon US, rushing upon uS with
speed of about 1000 miles hOur-twee as fast as
cannon bail from the mouth Of gun traves-and DARK
ness cano upon with fash, and the stars were
Visible Instantly, with the corona shining
with the pearly light have mentioned.
Our eyes, of course very soon became accustomed to
this so that when the light broke out about two minutes
later the contrast was Impressive when the dark
ness came upon remember the fact specially from
this 1t was my business to observe with the spectre
SCOPE and my instrument so placed that my back
was toward sun, and just as the shadow came upon
us applied my eye the instrument and did not take
1t of until had finished the examination On one side Of
the SUMS disc. My assistant took notes for me,
as 1 told him what saw and what hs
should set down his notebook and then told him to
bring other side OF the sum- or the edge OF the
noon-for there both and moon, one covering
the other / told him to bring the other edge OF the
dso TO the slit OF the spectrOscOpe turned and looked
over my shoulder. 1t the only glimpse which had
oft don't remember to this day anything that hap
pened within the fifteen minutes preceding Ny notes
nre in the book and know such and such things.
but don't remember it at all The impression was
such as completely TO overwhelm and blot out every
thing that had happened for some time before. L
think that something like that is the experience OF every
one who for the first time sees this event
ECLIPsEs OF THE sun AND MOON.
Now need tell you that the way In which echpees
come about simply by the nterpositon OF the moon
between the earth and the OF the earth between
the moon and in the Of an eclipse OF the
moon. As the moves around the earth once "a
month she would pass between and the sun at every
new moon IL it not that her orbit was little
inclined to that OF the earth. Usually she
masses a little above or a little below the
centre Of the SUM- and II the sun happens
Go be In that part of the sky where the moons orbit
crosses the path OF the what is called the ecpc
then the moon will encrOach upon the suns disc, or
cover il entirely and we shall have an eclipse These
points where the moons orbit the eclptic are
called nodes. There Those are, of course met
at opposite parts OF the year. that If we have eepses
In the course OF the year half OF them will be In one
month and the other half will be six months earlier or
later Moreover, the inclination OF the moons
orbit is so slight-only about five degrees to
the ecliptic-that If the new moon comes
at any time within about fifteen days side or the
other Of the time when the sun is at the node exactly
we shall have an eclipse. In fact there are but thirty
three days part Of the year-two opposite por
tons year-within which the new moon Is sure 10
bring eclipse and the month sonly thirty days long
the cannot pass without eclpsins the sun twice
There are two thirtythreeday spaces in the opposite
portions OF the year in which eclipse must
occur when occurs, and as
o new moon occurs every thirty days there
must be ecupses Of the every yeBr There may
be four eclipse might happen at the first part OF
the thiryhree days and another might happen at
the latter part OF the hiryhree days. and SIX months
later there would be another pair In fact there might
be FIVE eclipses of the sun in year. The way that
comes about is this These points where the moons
orbit crosses the eciptio-and the ecptc Is 40 named
because II is crcularare not perfectly stationary points
bnt m owe slightly They change their place in the sky,
gradually crciug around it about nineteen dsys
If the fret tbirty-three days space begins Ia
january and extends day or two INTO feprusry, tne
next thirty days space Will include the atter part
OF Nav and June and the thrythree days space that
ought follow the year after Instead OF being thrown
entirely in the next year. will begin in Drcemberi so
that you may get fifth eclipse IN December. Inat
actually happened In 1928. You must then, nave Two
eclipses of the every year. aud may have nVe
In q somewhat similar way we may nave two
eclnsea OF the moon in year, put we