The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-10-13
Mabel LOOMS Todd Tells What
Was Done in Japan.
EXPENSE WITHOUT RESULTS.
Valuable Instruments Used in the Scientific In
vestigatiOn - Some Loaned by the Great
Universities-The French Parry and Their
Village Watching the Condition Of Weather.
ESASHI, Kitami, Hokkaido,

August 10 1896.
The quiet sound of rhythmic surf
from the Sea of Okhotsk, beating upon
the sand and rocks Of Kitami coast.
comes this evening through the little
sliding window beside me, where a
semicircle of faces is gathered against
the dark background OF the street The
faces, always indicative of interest and
curiosity, but unfailing amiable and
friendly, are quite as much a part of
this remote region as the surf itself,
and no more intrusive. Ever since the
arrival of the expedition, the kindly
inhabitants of the town have done
everything in their power to facilitate
the work of setting up instruments and
establishing the station as convenient
" as possible. The chief officer" i'm
mediately placed the school-house-
just vacated for a new one-at the dis
posal of Prof Todd and his assistants;
and one of the lading citizens, who
spends half the year here as his sum-
mer resort from Hakodate lent large
piece of land adjoining for the tents
and portable house covering the ap-
paratus Other favors from officials of
the region followed rapidly, and when
the less scientific members of the Coro-
net party caught the expedition, after
a curious and interesting journey along
the Yezo coast, it was found to be in
fine condition for the eclipse, and with
a fair prospect for clear skies on the
eventful 9Th of August.
From July 10 until August 5 there
had been ten perfectly clear afternoons
and four only partially shaded. The
Hokkaido, in its northern portions, of
fers better chance for cloudless skies
than the main island but along its
southern coast fogs prevail almost con-
stantly.
Reference has been made before to
the excellent pamphlet issued by the
Central Meteorological Observatory
giving the observations at this season
for three years past at all available
eclipse locations. From careful sum-
ming up of all results, Esashi, on the
northern coast, showed a larger pro-
portion of clear skies than any other,
and accordingly Prof. Todd selected it,
as did the French expedition and that
sent out by the Imperial University al
Tokyo, while the Lick Observatory
party. under Prof Schaeberle, and the
English expedition in charge of the as
tronomer royal, Mr.. w. H. NJ. Christie,
with his assistants, Prof. Turner and
Capt. Hills, R. E, chose Akkeshi, on
the southeastern coast, as their loca-
ton. There were thus five fully equip
ped expeditions in the Hokkaido, all
awaiting the moons shadow to reveal
oil oY,I Cniarrifip fDppn nc
hitherto unknown.
Prof. Terao, in charge of the Tokyo
mission, established his camp about a
half mile south of the little town and
back short distance from the beach,
where the wreck of a small steamer
lying in the sand gives a picturesque
accept TO the scenery. He was well
prepared TO accomplish excellent pho
tographic work, among his instruments
being an especially fine Photographic
doublet of eight inches aperture, by
the well known optician, Brashear of
Allegheny. 1t was constructed for this
eclipse and arrived only few days be-
fore, having been delayed by the diff
ficulty in obtaining the finest quality
of glass from Germany needed for the
lenses.
The French party, under Prof Des-
landres of the Paris Observatory, was
established near the western end of the
town, in a large, open square of land
where the various tents and houses
the brick piers and large instruments
made almost a little village in them
selves. The outfit was very elaborate
and was intended quite exclusively fol
work in spectroscopy. the speciality Of
this celebrated astronomical physicist
who has added to the fame of the al
ready famous Paris Observatory by hi!
successful and brilliant work in physi
cal research, in photographing the so
lar prOminences without an eclipst
(the same line of work that is pur
sued by Prof. Hale of Chicago. and b.
his discovery of the rotation of III,
corona with the sun at the Senega
eclipse of April 16, 1898. Assisting Prot
Deslandres are the brothers F. and ]
NIittau and NJ Millochau. The Frencl
man-of-war Alger brought these gen
tlemen to Esashi from Yokohama. an
very valuable cooperation was give
by its officers. These gentlemen wer
assisted by a detachment of sailor
from the Alger, and their presenc
quite revolutionized life in the quie
little town. Prof. Deslandres' outfit /
probably the most elaborate and com
plete battery of spectrocsopic instru
ments ever brought to bear on a
eclipse by and single expedition. Alst
appliances were not omitted for pie
torial photography of the corona.
The preparation of the Amherst e1
petition has been already alluded t.
with its automatic arrangement where
with electricity is made to do the wor
of many observers, in exposing an
covering plates. removing them frol
the Photographic field and insertin
fresh ones, thus extending almost il
definitely the precious two or thre
minutes of totality, rich with its tar
talizing stores of coronal wealth. Fas
ened upon one great central axis, mao
TO follow the sun by an ingenious gly,
crime clock. where the Lyman twelv,
inch reflector from the Amherst OF
servatory, the Draper fifteen-inch r,
Hector from Harvard, an Edgcomb r,
doctor of eight and a half inches. nj
merous object glasses by Alyan ClaI