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

Copyright, 1896, by S. S. Mcclure Coz
The total eclipse of the sun, which
has been looked forward to with such
deep interest by the scientific world,
has come and gone, with but meagre
results as far as science is concerned.
Only a fortunate few obtained
glimpse of the wondrous sight and
the hopes which had been entertained
as to the solution of many doubtful
problems concerning the nature of the
corona and the character of it's lumin-
oSity were doomed to disappointment.
The two expeditions sent from this
country. enc from the Lick observatory
under Professor Schaeberle, and the
other from Amherst college, under Pro-
fesSor TODD 10 view the eclipse at
Yezo, in Japan, were unable to make
successful observations owing 10
cloudy weather. Recalling the fact
that Professor. Todd has been two
years making arrangements to view
this total eclipse, and that he was spec
tally skilled to make these valuable OBJ
servations, assisted by Professor
Schaeberle, it seems all the more dis
appointing that the sky should have
been cloudy at the critical moment.
A third expedition sent from this
country, and composed largely of tour
lists and few scientists, prepared to
see the eclipse from Bodo, a little is
land south Of the Lofoden islands. We
sailed on the American line steamship
Ohio. Our captain, named Captain
Boggs, was as enthusiastic over the
coming eclipse as any of the aEtrono-
mers on board, and, in fact, it was
mainly owing to him that we were so
peculiarly fortunate in obtaining a
good place for it's observation. On ar
irving at Southampton he was informed
that owing to a high range of noun
tains at Bodo it was not desirable
place for viewing the eclipse, and he
was advised to take US to the Island of
Traenen, not far from Bodo. Arrange
ments were accordingly made for the
Ohio to anchor off that island, at the
time of the eclipse. On the way to
Bodo we stopped at Copenhagen, and
one Of our party, Mr.. Fred W. Weston,
a Yale student, having letter of in
PRODUCTION from DR.. Elkin of Yale col
lege to DR.. c. F. Pechute of the Co.
penhagen observatory, called on him
and made inquiries as to the coming
eclipse. He was informed that the Is
land of Traenen was too far west for
favorable observation, and DR.. Pechute
suggested that the lighthouse Island of
Slot was in all respects a desirable
position. This information was con-
had orders to take US to Traenen he
refused to incur the responsibility of
acting against orders, unless a petition
requesting him to go to the Island Of
Slot was signed by every passenger
on the ship. 1t was not long before
the petition was signed and presented
to the captain, who was only too
pleased to graciously grant our re-
quest.
We tbarafora anobora5 oef Ctot island
on the west coast of Norway, latitude
Sc degrees 81 N. longitude 13 degrees
80 E., on the evening of August s.
Next morning we were awakened at 3
o'clock by the sounding of the gong,
and after a. hasty meal of coffee and
sandwiches, we. fastened on deck,
eager for the coming. event. The sun
had already risen, and save for few
f1eecy clouds tinged with pink, near the
horizon. the sky was practically cloud
less. The hills on the Kunnen prom
ontory were clearly outlined against
the sky, and the sea was as smooth as
glass. All the passengers had pro-
vided themselves with pieces of smoked
glass, and they had their field glasses
in readiness for the instant Of totality.
Telescopes were utterly useless, owing
to the unsteadiness of the vessel, so
that all we could expect to observe
with our field glasses were the attend
ant phenomena, such as the approach
of the lunar shadow, the colors and
illumination during totality the
shadow bands, the moments of contact,
the appearance of the sky, the corona,
and SO forth.
: Among those specially interested in
making observations were Captain
Boggs and Mr. e. Roberts, first officer
of the ship, who assisted me in timing
the eclipse by means of the ships chro-
nometer, with the following results