Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-02

be entered upon. which has boon q year
or more in contemplation, of making
complete survey Ofthe southern heavens.
The solar total eclipse invites renewed
attempt to solve various problems con
corning the suns corona by means OF
photography, and other problems rela-
ting to the amount and intensity Of he
light emitted by the sun Gnder the con-
dltions suggested. This work will be
under the personal direction OF W. II.
Pickering, chief OF the department OF
photography Of the observatory.
The eclipse will take place about +.
NJ. on the coast Of California, and during
the remainder of the afternoon, If the
sky be clear, will be visible in totally
over a strip of this country about 10
miles wide; and will be visible as sun
set phenomenon, also total, in Canada,
short distance north of Lake Superior AS
partial eclipse it will bcseen oyera much
wider expanse, and IN New York State
the sun will set in partial eclipse. The
Harvard Observatory party will take b
position near the town Of Willow, in the
Sacramento Valley the observatory sta
ton being at an altitude OF two thousand
feet above the sea-leyel. Many lnstru-
ments Of subordinate service are COM
prised in the equipment. Amongthese are
a fve-inch and a four-inch photograph
ing camera OF the ordinary kind. one
of the instruments is for measuring the
brightness Of the corona, and IS al IN
genious piece of apparatus, a primary
feature OF which is a perforated plate,
having perhaps thousand minute aper-
lures for the passage of separate Shafts
of light, any one Of which may be used
for the purpose OF observation. An i'm
portaut part of the work will be the pho
tographing of the spectrum, for which
complete apparatus IS provided. There
will lie two other important observing
stations established 10 the pathway Of
the totalty. One of these will be that
Of the Lick Observatory. Professor
David, of the National Coast Survey,
will have charge Of an expedition fitted
out at private expense, and will occupy q
station in Nevada.
With the ending Of the eclipse a part
OF the apparatus Of the Harvard expedi-
tion-t the I3-inch and S-inch BoyIen
telescopes will DO continued in service
in California. Friends OF the University
of Southern California propose to set up
an observatory which shall rival the Lick
Observatory, and shall excel it in having
larger telescope. The great Lick in
strument is OF 36-inch aperture. The
telescope to be made for the university
named will be 40-inch aperture. The Sc
lection of site for this purpose is Of
great importance. As contributory to
this end, the two Harvard instruments
mentioned will be operated experiment.
ally for a year on Wilson's Peak, height
5000 feet, in Southern California, ter
which time they will DO taken to Peru
and placed in the permanent observa-
tory of Hartford there. This obserya-
tory will cooperate in the southern
hemisphere with the work OF the lar
vard College Observatory.
W. n. Pickering, chief Of the party
from the Harvard Observatory, Of whom
we give a remarkably good Likeness, was
born February 10, 1865. He was born
to be a scientific man. and at twenty as
sisted in the observations made in Colo
RADIO of the total eclipse OF 1878. The
next year Mr.. Pickering was graduated
at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology. In 1888 he was made q fellow
of the American Academy OF Arts
and Sciences He went TO the Island
of Grenada, off the coast of South
America, in 1886, where he took
charge OF party of observers
ct the time OF the total eclipse Of that
year. In 1880 Mr.. Pickering became as
sistant in tue department Of physics Of
the Massachusetts Institute OF Iechnol-
ogy, where he established a course in
photography which later led 10 the
formation of Photographic laboratory.
This, it is believed, was the first institu-
ton in the worii at which instruction in
photography was given on large scale.
Several hundreds of pupils had received
this instruction early in 1857 when Mr..
Pickering left the institute and became
connected with Harvard College Obser-
vstory, where he was put in charge Of
the newly. established Boyden Depart
ment In the summer OF 1887 he Jed a
party to Colorado, 10 study the atmos-
pheric conditions among AMI upon the
higher mountains, with reference to the
establishment OF an observatory at con
siderable elevation. This winter, after
the work OF observing tho eclipse shall
be over. similar observations will he
made in Southern California, and next
winter in Peru.
Fer sieepiesaaess
USE HOKsEPoRD's AcID PHOSPHATE.