Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-03
Reports of Expert Astronomers Who
Witnessed the Great Eclinse

WILLOWS, January 2d.-The SIN was perfestiy
clear during the period of totalty of the eel pse
yesterday. over ffty photographs were secured.
Inc party consisted OF four observers from Hsr
ward and twenty-1ine local assistants. Four
teen telescopes ard cameras were employed
and eight spectroScoPes, besides miscellaneous
apparatus.
The first contact was lost through clouds:
The other three were observed. The duration
of totality was l,lS seconds. Eight photographs
were secured with thirteen-inch telescope,
giving images swo incSes in diameter before
enlargement. Nine weSe taken with the eight
inch camera enc being one Erythros plate
through stained gelatine~
Twenty-Five negatives were taken to measure
she brightness osthe corona and surroundings.
I'VE negatives 70 search for intramercurial
planets and twenty 10 study the spectrum of the
corona sIo 10 determine its composition. These
VIII reach from the yellow rays to the extreme
ultra violet. For he latter purpose the spec
troscope was employed with lenses and prisms
composed exclusively ofquarz
Seven observationswere masie with the phC-
tometer TO measure the general illumination
during totality. Ii was found lighter than dur-
ing she echpses of 1878 and gSS6. The corona
was similar TO those OF 1858 and 1875 but showed
much more detail than the latter Ii was an
exceptionally fine corona, extending usually on
one side to two solar diameteTs Its striking
characteristic was two forked wings of light
The polar rays were well defined and consider
ably shorter.
ACROSS THE SIERRA NEVADA
WINNEMUccA New J. January 2d.-The weather
was perfectly clear during the entire day yes
terday, and the observations of the eclipse were
entirely successful. Several parties were sta.
toned at different points near the town. and
one at she Signal Office in town.
Professor Howe, of Denver with five assist
ants, made accurate observations of the times
of the contacts, drawings of the corona and
photographs by the corolal light
Mr. Davidson, under instructions from the
Harvard Observatory, made several photographs
of the corona.
Professor Elkin, of the Yale Observatory, dis
covered two comets near the sun.
Mr.. Brashear, of Pennsylvania, made draw
ing of the telescope appearance of the corona
near the south pole of the sun.
MIR. Blinn of East Oakland observed the time
of contacts.
Mr.. .Yanhartingen, of the Signal Office OBJ
served the time of the contacts and made draw
ings of the corona at the north pole of the sun,
and several assistants made drawings and pho
tographs.
special series of meteorological observations
were also made.
No appreciable change Of temperature was
noted, and no fog or clouds formed during the
period of totality. The Photographic negatives
have not been developed and results are not
known.
Mr.. Marett made an accurate observation of
the shadow bands, which, so far, have never
been satisfactorily explained.
The corona was similar in general appearance
to that OF 1878. The streamers extended from
three to four diameters and the red protuber-
ances were strongly marked.
More favorable conditions were not possible.