The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-28
BEGINS AT 8:15 O'CLOCK
AND IT WILL LAST FOR NEARLY
THREE HOURS.
VIEW IT THROUGH SMOKED GLASS
Preparations Are Already Being Made for the
Total Eclipse in 1900 Observations
Are Being Taken Here Pre-
paratory to It.

paratory to It.
Tomorrow morning one of those phe
nomena will take place that from time
immemorial have never failed to engage
the attention and elicit the wonder OF
mankind-a solar eclipse. Even those
that are quite familiar with the causes
that produce it, and may even be capa-
BILE of understanding the intrinsic calcu-
lations necessary for its prediction, call
NOT suppress a feeling of awe ON
beholding this most interesting OF all
the phenomena of nature. The eclipse
will he an annular one, visible on TINS
continent as a partial one.
IT will be visible to North America
south of the fifty-sixth parallel of lati-
tude. to the northern half of South
America. and the western edge of Africa,
and TO portions of the Pacific and At
lantic oceans The path of Annulus, av-
eraging twenty-five miles wide, passes
over Mexico. the West Indies and Cape
st. ROGUE, Brazil. 1t will occur generally
over the United States as partial
-ecIipse In Raleigh the eclipse will begin
AFT Sis o'clock a. M and will continue
until 11:03 o'clock a. m.
view the eclipse will be from the tops of
the capitol. the Weather Bureau build
ing or tina esylum. Being only partial
eclipse it will have to be looked at
through smoked glass. Otherwise it can
not be seen to any advantage and the
eyes will be seriously damaged
Many people have already prepared
glass through which to view the God of
~, ia1
this purpose can best be smoked with a
tallow or sperm candle. If this is not con-
venient a common lamp may be used
without the chimney-the glass being
held at such a distance above the flame
that it will not neat, or blur.
This will be only an annular eclipse,
but in 1900 there will be a total eclipse,
visible from this city, and lasting here
about one minute. This will be great
astronomical event and preparations for
it have already commenced. The total
eclipse will be visible from New Orleans
to Norfolk and this will place Raleigh at
one of the best and most convenient
points from which to observe it.
Of course on that day-May 2S 1900
much will depend upon the clouds. These
no human power can control, but in
preparation for this event and in order to
get the best observations of it possible
all the weather bureaus from Norfolk
to New Orleans have been ordered to
keep special records of the cloudiness
from May Is to June Is, each year until
1900. To the places making the best rec
ord in this matter the astronomers will
go and erect their great telescopes in or
der to view the eclipse. 1t is of course to
be hoped that Raleigh will be one Of the
places chosen, though she this year made
a pretty bad record during the period
named.
During the last total eclipse, in 1868
there were many distinguished scientists
here to watch it. The tops of the capitol
and the insane asylum were used as OBJ
servatories. Those from Harvard and
Dartmouth colleges were on the capitol
and those from Yale and West Point and
Annapolis were on the asylum 1t was q
brilliantly clear day until the eclipse be-
gan, and at no time was there cloud IL
the sky. So delighted were these devout
men of science at this, that when the
eclipse had become total and dense
darkness had fallen over the world they
took off their hats and sang "Praise Goo
from whom all blessings fiow."
Since that time great Announcements
have been made in the science of astron-
omy and of course the outfits now used
for observing these important astronom-
ical events are much more elaborate than
in 1868. The clipse in 1900 begins here
at a. m. The sun will be totally OBJ
scured for only about one minute. All
New Orleans the total obscurity will last
one minute and forty seconds.
The largest telescope in this State
owned privately, is that of Col. A. w
Shaffer, Of this city. 1t is of four inches
aperture, and was made by Brashear, OF
Pittsburg. 1t cost 1915. 1t is mounted in a
brick and mortar observatory, and the
equipment is very complete. Col Shaffel
will use it tomorrow in looking at the
eclipse. The next largest telescope in the
State, owned privately, is that Of Mr.
Eugene S. Martin, of Wilmington. 1t is
3-inci, also made by Brashear. OF
course all the principal colleges of the
State have large telescopes for use by
their classes in astronomy.