Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-06
THE ECLIPSE EXPEDITION.
Prof. Todd Says the Yacht Coronet
Is Large En;ugh.
viii Sail. Dec. 7, for San eranciseo-A
Splendid Outfit.

Nev York. Dec. 5-Professor David P.
Todd of Amherst College, was aboard MI.
Arthur Curtiss James schooner yacht
Coronet at her South Brooklyn wharf,
Wednesday and Thursday, attending to
the slowing away Of the astronomical ap-
paratus which he and his associates will
make use Of In their observations OF the
total eclipse Of the sun on Aug. next,
from Akeshi, on the japanese island Of
Yezo.
The greater part of the apparatus which
the Coronet Will carry around the Horn
on her trip to San francisco, where Mr..
James and Prof Todd and their friends
and fellow workers will board her. was
put away In the hold and the rest Of IL
was placed in the cabin.
The schooner will sail from Tebo 4
wharf probably tomorrow, and when a
dispatch comes from San Francisco that
she has arrived there, the mem bers of the
expedition will leave the East ny rail 10
start from the Golden Gate on their cruise
OF several thousand miles over the Pacific
ocean.
Professor Todd said, speaking Of some
editorial remarks in an evening news
paper OF Monday, that it was beside thc
point for paper to speak Of the Coroh@t
~ a little vessel" and not the sort OF
vessel that should have been chosen 10
convey the American scientific expedition
upon such an occasion.
"In the first place Prof Todd said,
"the Coronet IL the largest sailing yacht
in the New York fleet. Does that make
her out very little vessel. So far as
have observed she Is capable CT meeting
every requirement Of the expedition She
10 not only able to carry the instruments,
but her cabin accommodations are q every
respect ample for our enterprise. We will
carry on this voyage more apparaiu than
I have ever taken on any previous expedi-
ton Of this kind Threc.quarters Of the
apparatus Is already aboard.
"In the next place there is just as much
opportunity as ever for persons to fit out
larger expeditions and choose larger ves-
sells. We shall observe the eclipse only
from one place In the long track Of the
shadow across the earth. All We shall
use Is several hundred square feet of land
in the shadow, and there are several mil
lion square miles OF 1t. Amherst has not
n monopoly Of the eclipse. We have not
arrogated to ourselves the title of the only
American scientific expedition.
1T has been mistakenly said that the
government was appealed to to send out
this expedition and that the excuse given
for not aocednR to the request was the
low state of the treasury's funds. The
government has not been asked 10 send
the expedition. The expedition is an Am
herst College enterprise and Mr.. James
sends his yacht for love Of his alma mater.
His father, ID. Willis James, n part owner
of the yacht and one of the trustees of
Amherst, and some others OF the trustees
are interested in the expedition and have
provided some of the apparatus.
1t is partly true, but largely false, the
statement that the governments of other
countries send their representatives In
their own ships to points of observation.
The English government, of course, with
it's enormous navy represented In all
parts of the world, will sometimes give
orders through the commissioners of the
admiralty for vessel TO attend astrono-
mers sent to make observations. Rarely
has this been done by any other European
government or any other government.
1T Is q fact that our own American
government has more often sent out
scientific expeditions in it's own vessels
than has any other government except the
British, and our government can now send
rs many rs it pleases to Japan, Nova
Iembla or Norway for the coming eclipse.
SO far the only other expedition from this
country have heard talked of is one from
the Lick observatory, but that has not
been decided on.
The Coronet has bad new masts put
IN and ne steel rigging and has been put
into the most seaworthy condition posi-
BILE, so that she can withstand the toughest
kind OF weather should she meet it in go
ing around Cape Horn.