Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-24
SUNDAYS ECLIPSE.
Seventy Good Photographs Taken By
Prof. Todd's Party.

II
The New York Herald has exclusive news
from Prof. David p Todd direct from 81 Paul
de Loando in regard to the eclipse Sunday.
Prof. Todd says: The weather was clear durine
the first part Of the eclipse, but the shy was OBJ
scured about the time Of totally. The direct
view with the photoheliograph Of forty foot
focus proved an entire success, and the equs-
torial mounting for il worked very successfully.
This instrument was managed by Prof. Bige-
low and the new circumpolar plates Of twenty
| two inches in diameter were handled without
difficulty. Each plate has ten images Of the
partially eclipsed sun on it and the measure
ment Of each image will give accurate correc-
tions to the position OF the moon relative to the
sun
We obtained seventy Of these pictures before
the middle OF the eclipse and ten after totality
There was no hitch in the working Of the APP
paratus. which was all automatic, and with an
extra Photographic assistant il would have
been easily possible to take twelve or fifteen
hundred pictures Of the eclipse in all its partial
phases, had there been any object in 90 doing.
THE CLOUD RECORDER
Professor Pickering's cloud recorder, for Civ
ing complete pictures Of the eclipse, was
mounted on a secure foundation and operated
in connection with other apparatus.
The beginning Of the total eclipse or the
second contact was lost in the clouds and could
not be observed, and the third contact was OBJ
scured by clouds and was not observed. The
end OF the eclipse, or fourth and last contact,
happened in the clouds. Neither Photographic
records nor optical observations Of il we're pos
slDle. The pneumatic movements of all the
photographs apparatus we're thoroughly &C
curate. Not only were the durations Of the
exposures regulated with entire precision. but
the exact time of the beginning and ending of
every exposure was automatically recorded by
the same apparatus.
1t is demonstrated that the principle Is cor.
rect, and with pneumatic valves it is shown to
be possible to operate five telescope cameras az
easily as two or three have been managed in
eclipse work heretofore.
THE PESsAcoLA's PARTY.
The United States ship Pensacola has re-
turned to Cape Ledo from her trip out at sea
to observe the eclipse. The ocean party was
only partially successful and they bring back .
few pictures Of the eclipse, some of which will
be serviceable. The longitude Of st. Paul de
Loanda will not be determined by the exchange
OF cable signals with the royal observatory at
Cape Town.
THE LAND AND SKY AaLow.
The colors, . few minutes before totality,
both on land and in the sky, we're magnificent.
The moons shadow when approaching our sta
ton at Cape Ledo, swept over the ocean
toward us with q velocity actually terrifying
The water, which in the sunlight had been Of o
lovely indescribabie peacock blue, or green,
assumed dark hvid green, almost black and
the comb of breakers. snow white in ordnar y
day light, under the gloom Of the eclipse broke
into foam Of lurid purple.
CLIMATE OF THE AFRICAN COAST.
The health Of all the members of the party
has been good throughout, and the popular
idea Of the dangerous character OF the climate
of West Africa has been proved entirely wrong
by the experience Of our party.
There was no marked change in the daylight
until the sun was nearly covered. Then
strange portentous, pallid semi-obscurity
spread over the earth. The sky turned Iivid
gray, inducing the feeling that some terrible
catastrophe was near at hand.
The instruments are being dismounted an
packed for transport preparatory to breaking
up camp. Everything will be ON board the
Pensacola in a few days.
The atmospheric conditions varied very much
during the eclipse. alternating with cloud and
sunshine. but the results are not Disappointing
During the total eclipse several promineuces
attained great distinctness and brilliancy The
air temperature fell slightly below its normal,
the lowest temperature occurring several min
utes after totality.