St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-03-24
A Dark Day Coming.


OF the sixth OF May. The sun and
moon, the chief actors in the grand dis
play, regardless of'the convenience OF
terrestrial observers, have located the
scene OF operations in the Southern
Pacific Ocean. The line of totality
sweeps over q vast extent of watery
waste, including in its passage only Two
small islands. where the eclipse can be
seen to advantage. These two islands
are Caroline Island and Flint Island.
The former is a out ten miles in cir
conference. and is inhabited by thirty
natives of the Malay race and one white
man. The latter is five or six miles in
circumference, and is, we believe, un-
inhabited. Both islands are out of the
beaten track of those who go down to
the sea in ships. But small as the ISL
ands are, and difficult as they are to
reach, the wise men who wish to study
the eclipse, and all others who desire to
witness the most glorious celestial phe-
nomenon that ever takes place, will
have ttcongregate on these two little
Islands. Thousands OF miles of ocean
must be trayersed, and all manner of
privatons and hardships must be en-
,dured in order to behold the aWe-inspir-
ing spectacle. But never yet in the his
tory of the human race have any diff
iculties in the way prevented jealous men
iof science from attempting to fathom
thu mysteries that enshroud our celestial
neighbors.
Two, French expeditions are being
equipped. one to observe the eclipse at
Caroline Island and the other at Flint
Island. The British Nation will not al
low their neighbors across the channel
TO Guido them in scientific research, and
will, doubtless. send an observing party
ito Caroline Island. The Americans are
now strongly agitating the question of
sending some OF the best astronomers
to the same fortunate island, and there
is little doubt that the means will be
forthcoming Amateur astronomers
are debating the question of joining the
expedition, and the prospect is that
when the sixth of May daWns a colony
of scientists from many quarters OF the
globe will be assembled in this lone
island Of the Pacific to find out what Sc
crets they can discover while the face
of his majesty, the sun is yelled from
mortal view.
The eclipse of May next is especially
favorable for Observation ON account of
the long duration of e6tality, which will
amount in some localities, to nearly six
minutes. The longest THE a total solar
eclipse can last is not cutie seven min
ntes. The eclipse observed last year in
Egypt lasted only seventy two seconds.
and it is a rare event for an eclipse to
last nearly six minutes, as will be the
case with the coming eclipse. Caroline
Island is situated in seventY-three degs.
twenty min. west longitude from
Washington, and in nine dogs. forty
min. south latitude. The duration of
totally there will be five minutes and
and twenty seconds. Flint Island is
situated in seventy-three dogs. forty
min. west longitude from Washington,
and in eleven degs. thirty min. south
latitude. The duration Of totality there
will be five minutes and thirty-three
seconds.
The approaching eclipse is therefore
a very important one, on account of the
unusually long continuance of the total
phase; for the law is, the longer the
totally the more favorable the condi-
ton for observation. Astronomers will
do their best to increase their stock oil
knowledge on three important points,
two of which are connected with the
surroundings of the sun, never revealed
except on the rare occasions of total
solar eclipse They hope in the first
place to add something to what has al
ready been learned during previous
'eclipses con erning the corona. espec-
tally in regard to the immense appen-
dages which branch out from the corona
in all directions; to find out whether
they are dependencies of the COR
onaI atmosphere, Or whether they are.
swarms of meteors circulating
around the sun. III the second place,
they will make a study Of the zodiacaI
light and its relation to the suns sur
roundings. In the third place they will
carefully search for the small intra-
Mercusial planets that probably circu-
late in the immediate neighborhood of
the sun. aud which can. only be seen
when making a transit over his disk, or
during a total solar eclipse. The spec
troscopist,th photographer, and the OBJ
servers with the naked eye will do their
parts in the difficult and deli
cate work. The tropical locality of the
places of observation is favorable for
clear weather on the momentous occa-
sion, and there is reason to hope that
discoveries will be made and observa-
tions confirmed that will render illus
trious the astronomical annals Of 1883.
- roUtdence r. 4. journal.
Play Your Hand for ALI It's Worth.
There is no greater barrier to a mans