The National tribune., 1888-12-27

IN IKE manner we nnd bnab Ene ecllpSe III
New York city begins at sunset, and that it is
invisible to the inhabitants of New England
and northeastern New York. The sun will set
eclipsed at all points embraced in the right
hand loop, and rise eclipsed at all places within
the left-hand loop.
OBSERVING PARTIES.
AS far as my information extends, the expe-
ditions enumerated below will take up their
stations on or near the central line. In choos-
ing station number of conditions are sought
to be fulfilled, and failing to realize them ALL
the most desirable are combined as far as pos
sible. few of these may be indicated.
station should be situated near the central line
to get the full benefit of every second of total
ity, and near the west of the belt as possible,
for the same purpose, the duration gradually
decreasing eastward; the station, especially for
spectrOscopic and other nice observations,
should be an elevated one where the rarer at
mosphere will less interfere; meteorological
conditions must be consulted. Near the coast
of California fogs or rain are liable to be en-
countered; likewise on the coastrange; east
of this, however, perhaps in the valley, per-
haps ON the higher land still further east, sta
tions will be fixed. The station, finally, should
be easily accessible, although astronomers do
not shrink from such obstacles asinconvenience
and fatigue; the enemies they fear are the
weather and the atmosphere.
The total solar eclipse may be said to be to
the astronomer what the Line is to the sailor.
Many young scientists will, we trust, receive
their initiation Jan. l, 1889.
Unfortunately, the Lick Observatory lies
south of the zone of totality, otherwise its fine
equipment could be most advantageously
utilized. But it is reported that expeditions
will be sent into northern California.
Mr.. Chas. ID. Rockwell of Tarrytown, N. Y,
a member of the eclipse expedition to the
Caroline Islands in 1883, will observe at some
point in California
At Nelson, Cal, the well-known observer,
DIR. Lewis Swift, of the Warner Observatory,
Rochester, N. Y, will be stationed.
Mr.. Chas. Burekhalter, of Chabot Observatory.
Oakland, CAL, will lead party it is said, of 20
amateur photographers to some station in Cali
fornia.
A dstine lished party will assemble at Win
nemucca, \ ev., consisting of a number of scien-
fists from Harvard College Observatory, headed
by Prot. w. II. Pickering who observed the
eclipse of 1886 in the island of Grenada West
Indies; Mr.. John A Brashear, the competent
telescope and instrument maker of Allegheny,
Pa, and the Messrs. Davidson, sons of Prof.
Davidson of the Coast Survey.
Prof. Pritchett, of the Glasgow MO- 0bser-
vatory, has obtained from the Naval Observa-
tory the loan of large Photographic telescope,
and will photograph the corona.
Many private observatories throughout the
country will observe at least the partial phases.
Besides, some astronomers will go on to Cali
fornia and Nevada only to see the phenomenon
at convenient place; among others, DR.. W. L.
Elkin, Director of the Yale College Observatory.
Nor must the thousands of observers who
have greater or less interest in things astro-
nomical be forgotten, who all over the United
States will swell the number of those gazing
on natures grand Inauguration of the New
Year.
Congress not having made an appropriation
for fitting out an expedition, the work of the
Naval Observatory must be limited to watching
the small partial phase to sunset.
1t will be readily gathered from what has
preceded that in a century we can possibly have
| an hour or two at most for the study of the
phenomena revealed by solar eclipses. The
astronomer, leaving home to utilize the results
of years of study and preparation, may after a
long journey find cloudy weather, or at best
| will have only few moments of time for his
scrutiny of the sun and of his surroundings.
| Yet such is the good natured rivalry that ex-
| lists among scientists, that even these meager
| opportunities are eagerly embraced, and Ma
| tional Governments have time and again wed
| with each other in providing means for the
| equipment of expeditions to distant stations,
where private resources would have failed.
The line of totality in solar eclipse is place
| of meeting where nationalities are waived and
| where astronomers of many climes gather to
contribute each his share to discovery and re-
search in branch of astronomy, where as yet
more mysteries have been revealed than ex-
| planned"