The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-08
IT WILL BE GRAND
WHEN THE SUMS FACE Is YELLED
FOB TWO LONG HOURS.

Unfortunately That Portion of the Worlds
Inhabitants Who Would Enjoy Ie Most
Will Not See 1t at All Unless They Are
There Waiting January 2e. Next
| Display Will he Watched BY the
Worlds Leading stargazers, Equipped
with the Up-to-D -Datest Appliances
New York, Dec. India will be the
hub Of the scientific world on Jan. %,
1898. On the almanacs for the coming
year that date should be marked with a
deep ret sign, for during the space Of
120 seconds the suns light will be ex-
many scientific secrets will be revealed
to the army Of wise men whose tele-
scopes will be turned sunward to wit
ness the wonderful eclipse. Among the
most important of the numerous ex-
petitions that are starting from all parts
Of the world to view the eclipse are
those that have just left San Francisco
under the leadership of Charles Burck-
halter, F. r. A. Sand Professor Camp
| bell of the Lick Observatory. Professor
| Burckhalter takes with him a number
Of cleverly constructed instruments es-
pecially devised for photographing adj
parts Of the solar corona simultaneously
| during a total eclipse OF the sun. It is
to be hoped that this time nature viii
I, lii A., Dro
same ingenious instruments in Japan
during the last eclipse and was foiled
by an impenetraIble pail over the sky
at the sritical moment.
| is not drawn over the scene on Jan. %,
scientists gathered in India win have
| ample time to view the eclipse. Iti du-
| ration viii be two minutes and the ex-
act time of the occurrence 4 p. m.
| Moreover, there will be awide range OF
| country from which to select ones post
Of observation. The eclipse will be total
along tract Of land eighty miles in
width, passing right across India in a
! northeast direction from Bombay to
Darjeeling, or, to be more exact. start
ing from the west coast little below
Bombay and entering the Hirnalayas a
little west Of Darjeeling. This zone Of
| totahty Is crossed 10y the India railway
| system at eight different places.
| In total eclipse the weather is the
| great factor to be considered. 1t Is use
| less making the most extensive prepara-
| tons with the utmost care and diligence
| If at the last moment bad weather is to
| intervene and totally eclipse the total
| eclipse. With regard, however, TO the
eclipse next January, that month is us-
| ually so favorable in India that the as
tronomers may be almost certain Of ex-
| periencing cloudless sky all the zone Of
| totalfty Except perhaps near the Hina-
layaS This fact has been definitely as
certained by series OF observations
made along this zone fly the meteorolog-
ical department of the Indian govern
ment. But 1t wonld be injudicious for
observers to take UP their positions
quite close to the sea, Oecau however
cloudless the sky may be at ordinary
times at the actual moment OF eclipse
a haze is likely to be formed in the sky
over places near the coast owing to the
sudden fall OF Temperature. 1t is well 10
remember that the sun will be partially
ginning Of totality, consequently that
there will be a great fail Of temperature
(at first slow, then very cudden), which
will tend to preoipitate whatever moist
ure there may fbe in the cir.
To view this eclipse the Indian gov
ernment and several astronomical CO.
cieties have arranged to occupy all con-
venient spots along the whole line Of
totality, wherever the railway system
intersects this line They will witness a
sight which few men have been pr1vi-
legged to see. A total eclipse of the sun
is one Of the most stupendous, sublime,
and awe incpiring spectacles that the
eye Of man can behold. Nature, as II
to impress upon US the grandeur Of her
beauty, lifts the veil from before the
borderland and permits us glimpse Of
the unknown realms Of creation but too
seldom and for too transttory moments.
A total eclipse occurs in any given spot
OF the earth but once in many centuries,
and even then a thousand and one
casualties often rob the spectators OF the
longed for spectacle. As the dark shad-
ow of the moon steals over the face OF
the sun the distant landscape grows
DINNER and DINNER on the horizon
with an ashy paleness, and q weird,
dim light barhes the universe, till at
last, like the rushing of many waters.
tbemoon sweeps over the entire sun and
enshrouds the earth in pail Of dark
ness. Some Of us have, perhaps, stod
on lofty mill and seen far away the
green fields stretching beneath US in a
wide eNpanse, and some great river
winding its way over the fields like a
silver rigobon; then suddenly a dark
cloud swept past the sun. and the
ghostly shadows on the ground rushed
on over field and river and mountain.
SO it is with a total eclipse. but the
shadow Of the moon travels over the
earth with a far more impressive We
locity and the ensuing darkness is far
more intense.
Just before the moment of totality-
when the corona is almost hovefing In
sight-suddenly, right round the moon.
shooting out into the darkness. appear
huge tongues of fire. often 100, 900 miles
in length. Their appearance varies in
color at different eclipses-sometimee
blood red. sometimes rosy pink. and
sometimes all the coiors OF the rainbow.
Then comes the supreme moment,
when the corona bursts farth in all ice
glory. 1t can only be seen, never de-
scribed. Bright ethereal waves OF
white surround the sun just outside the
iurid res, and stretch into the sky. often
millions miles in length Around the
outer corona appear white streanners
o, light radiating from different parts
of the corona and reaching far out into
4 nd ..,s.ra L, n he