The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-09-27

and the sun peeped forth. But L failed
to see the first encroachnent Of the
moon on the suns limb. A cloud pre-
vented that, though almost immedi-
ately after I could see the advance of
the moon and thus learned that the
eclipse had actually commenced. For
an hour we had one glimpse after an
other of the resistless march with
which the dark moon entered straight
ON the brilliant disk. Beautiful, indeed,
were the cusps of light as they grew
steadily narrower. For a long time
there was but little appreciable effect
ON the general illumination of the
earth. 1t was not until about four
fiiths of the suns disk We're obscured
that L became conscious of the increas
ing gloom of the landscape, and felt as
if some tremendous thunderstorm was
approaching. Gradually the interest
and the excitement augmented as the
solar crescent became narrower and
narrower It was still only to be seen
occasionally. and even then only to be
seen through clouds. At last the creS-
cent had become perceptible, as a thin
line, and some hopes were INDUCED
that 1T would remain visible up to the
supreme moment of totality. But alasi
just as the crescent began to shorten
and approach the vanishing point, the
clouds through which my vision was
straining closed in again. 1 found it
impossible to distinguish this eXtinc-
tion of the light from the extinction of
tUtality itself, and thus l was led to
believe that totally had been reached
some seconds before the actual mo-
meqlt. Those who were not engaged rs
I was at the telescope, had more ac-
curate method of determining its ad-
vent by the advance of the shadow.
Miss klumpke was, however, so FORUM
ate as to be able to note the exact mo-
ment through her telescope, and this
lis, at least, one valuable observation
which is doubly acceptable amid the
almost. universal failure. Of the phe-
nomena Characteristic OF total eclipse,
namely, the CORONA and the prOnin-
ences, not a trace was to be seem Not
until after the precious 106 seconds had
long expired, was the sun again seen
as a crescent on the other side. The
plates were duly exposed, no doubt,
but as the sun itself was not able to
pierce the canopy 1T need not be eX-
pected that it's family luminous APP
pendages could send d single ray to a
plate. 1t has thus to be admitted that
4 the object with which the elaborate in
strumends were transported With so
much trouble to Vadso has been en-
/ tirely defeated. But there are certain
phenomena of a total eclipse, which Go
not depend on the corona and pro
/ minences. and these other phenomena
! are in themselves so interesting and
striking. that 1 feel heartily glad that
! T came to witness SO sublime an event.
The approach of the shadow is spec
! tacle of UNPARALLELED magnificence, and
| from our situation at Vadso, many OF
the party were most favoraDiy
! placed for its observation. The
! eclipse took place when the sun was
! east and the shadow advanced from
the west. To reach US, it had to travel
within sight of the observer at Vadso,
| for many miles over a mountainous dis
| trict and then for many miles down the
ford. Mr. Crommelin succeeded in
| finding the commencement OF totally
| by the approach of the mighty shadow
! as a dark curtain drawn over the sky,
while the end of totalIty was sufficient
Nv manifest by the sudden tightening up
which so many observers in this, as IN
! other eclipses have noticed. Other OBJ
servers testify to the artistic beauty
of the phenomena of totality, they were
struck by the indigo-purple color of the
clouds and the amber yellow light be-
| tween. while at the horizon tints re-
sembling those of the setting sun were
: extremely beautiful. 1t must be con-
! fessed that the results OF scientific inter-
est are very meagre. but to many OF us
/ the occasion has been one of much In
terest and profit in an indirect way. The
attempt made to observe the eclipse
has been a gallant one. and if so much
well meant effort has not borne all the
! fruit that we might have wished, 1t
has, at all events, tended to show thai
astronomy was never before cultivated
with the same vigor that it is at pres
ent. We must hope for better luck next
time. Shall 1 add in conclusion, that
the morning after the eclipse was one
of cIoudless beauty" (Such is the irony
of fate!-M. p
In Japan, the astronomer Royal and
the Savilian professor, were in charge
but they met with no better success and
the philosophers were exposed to the
double disappointment of learning on
their return from a select elevation
where they had seen nothing, that me
simple folk who remained in Yokohama
or in Toxic obtained what they describ-
ed as a good view of the echpse-ont
which was, at least, satisfactory te