Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-05-21
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THE EuLIPSE or THE Sun.
An American Observation Party Improbable
owing to the Delay of Congress


owing to the Delay of Congress.
In the regular course of business last week
the Senate took up the bill reported from the
naval committee on February 10, TO appro-
pirate $4,000 TO cover the expense of an eN-
pedition to Benguela, on the Western coast
of Southern Africa. 10 observe the total eclipse
of the sun on August the - Mr.. Allison
was inclined 10 have the bill go oyer, but
Mr.. Edmunds urged that 1t would Oe a great
pity to stop the eclipse of the sun, the Senate
passed the bin without further objection. 1t
is now before the House, where 1t is likely
10 be buried with the 100 other bills that
will never emerge from the committee rooms.
This Will probably cause no great q isappOint.
meut to scientific men. AS long ago as No
vember of last year, President Barnard, OF
Columbia college, and Professor y. Graham
Bell, j. ID. Dane, :. =. Langley, Theodore
Deman, r.. &, Pickering, and c. \. Young,
committee OF the National Academy OF Sci
ence to which this subject was referred, made
a report in which they said:
" The secretary of the navy inquiries as To
the eXpedenCy of asking Congress for an APP
prOpriasiOn to provide for the observation of
the total solar eclipse OF August 1856 No
class OF celestial phenomena has furnished
more valuable contributions to our knOwl-
edge OF the physical condition OF the sun and
OF the stellar universe generally than il at
fOrded by these eClipses. The eclipse of Au-
gust %, 1855, will be total only in the torrid
zone, aud the path OF the total phase will tall
mainly in the open Atlantic ocean. But at
BeHguela, on the western coast OF Sou thern
Africa, 1t Will be observed at about O'Clock
of local time i'll the afternoon. As TO the
meteorological conditions Lieutenant &. G..
Cornwell, U. :. ~, who appears to have been
instructed to make inquiry in regard to them
reports that the probability of good weather
at p. m, the time OF the eclipse, is AS Is to
B. not much more than an even chance but
IL is added. If il tn hg rpnpm bpTpt that the
conditions at the end OF the month are much
more favorable We're the proposed observ-
ing station within moderate distance, the un-
certainty as to the favorable atmospheric con-
ditions would be OF comparatively little con-
sequence. The question becomes more seri-
Gus when the station can only be reached by
a voyage of 7,OOO statute miles. With any
vessel likely to be assigned by the govern
ment to transport an observing party, the
transit could hardly be accomplished
in less than a month. The situation
of site and the necessary preiin-
mary operations would occupy not less than
fortnight, 80 that the expedition, in order
that il may have reasonable prospect
of success, should leave New York not later
than the middle of July. 1t is doubtful, in
case Congress should respond iayOrably to a
request for an appropriation, whether it
would take action early enough TO allow time
for the proper outfit of the expedition and
the necessary drill OF the observers. 1t would
probably be necessary to construct instru
ments for, in addition to the observation of
the sun itself and the luminous phenomena
attending the eclipse, it is desirable to obtain
Photographic maps of all the surrounding
region to the distance OF at least lO- or I5o
from the sun for the purpose of 6nally set.
ting at rest the still mOOted question OF an
intra-Mercural planet 1t is true the astronO-
mical world is at present disposed generally
to discredt the existence of such a body vet
the evidence on such a subject up to this
time Is mainly negative, as 1t must always