Evening journal., 1898-01-18
SUNS NEXT ECLIPSE.
Scientists From All Over the
World Will Witness 1t.
WILL LAST ONLY TWO MINUTES

TT WILL BE IN INDIA. AND EX-
TENsIvE PREPARATIONS ARE
MADE BY ASTRONOMERS TO
VIEW THE SUBLIME SCENE,
WHICH rs ONE OF THE MOST
AwE-TNsPTRING THE EYE OF
MAN GAN BEHOLD.
In India. at high noon, january 22,
for 12O seconds, the suns light will be
hidden, and probably many scientific
secrets will ibe revealed To the army OF
wise men whose telescopes will be
turned sunward to witness thu wonder
full eclipse. Among the most import
ant OF the numerous expeditions that
are starting from all parts CT the world
to view the eclipse, says the Portland
Oregonian, are those that have left San
Francisco under the leadership OF
Charles Burckhalter, e. r.. A s., and
Professor Campbell, of the Lick OBJ
servatory. Professor Burckhalter takes
with him a number of cleverly con-
s.ructed instruments, especially devised
for photgraphing all parts of the solar
| corona simultaneously during a total
| eclipse of the sun. 1t is to be hoped
that this time nature will be kinder
/ than she was when Professor Burck-
| halter endeavoTed to use these same
| ingenious instruments in Japan during
the last eclipse and was foiled by an
| impenetrable pail over the sky at the
critical moment.
| Provided another unlOOked-for we'll
is not drawn over the scene on january
%, the scientists gathered in india will
have ample time to view the eclipse.
It's duration will be two minutes, and
the exact time of the occurrence 1 p. IN.
Moreover, there will he a wide range OF
country from which to select ones
post of observation. The eclipse will
be total along a tract of land eighty
miles in width, passing right across
India in a northeast direction from
Bombay to Darjeeling, or, to be more
exact, starting from the west coast
litde below Bombay and entering the
lHimalayas a little west of DarjeelinG
This zone cf tOtality is crossed by the
Indian railway system at eight differ
emit places.
In a total eclipse the weather is the
great factor to be considered II is use
less making the most extensive pre-
/ DlIAlIOD6
gence if at the last moment bad
. weather is to intervene and totally
eclipse the total eclipse. With regard
however. to the eclipse of this month
Il is said that the month of January
is usually so favorable in India that th'
astronomers may be almost certain o
/ | experiencing a clOudless sky all alon'
r the zone of totality Except, perhaps
Z | near the Himalayas.) This fact ha
been definitely ascertained by a serie
Of observations made along this zon
: by the meteorological department Of tn
Indian government
To view the eclipse the Indian gov
! l ernment and several astronomical sc
n cieties have arranged to occupy all con
venient spots along the whole line
h totality, wherever the railway systel
s | fntersects this line They will witnes
I a sight which few men have been priv
h | feged to see. A total eclipse of tn
n | sun is one of the most sJupendOu
!, sublime and awe-inspiring spectacle
d that the eye of man can behold M
y | ture. as if to impress upon us the grant
a ( eur Of her beauty, lifts the veil troi
h | before the borderland and permits
T. a glimpse of the unknown realms {
II creation but too seldom and for trans
tory moments. A total eclipse occur
/ in any given spot of the earth b'
s once in many centuries, and even the
re a thousand and one casualties ofte
q, | rob the spectators of the long9d-f'
spectacle. AS the dark shadow Of u
he moon steals over the face of the 81
y, the distant landscape grows dimm'
lg and DINNER on the horizon, with 9
at ashy paleness, and a weird, dim lig.
er bathes the universe till at last, Ike u
rushing of many waters, the moo
sweeps over the entire sun and e
shrouds the earth in pail of darknes
Some Of us have, perhaps, stood on
lofty hill and seen far away the gre'
. fields. stretching beneath us in a WI
$ expanse, and some great river windn
its way over the fields like a silver RI
~ hon. then suddenly dark cloud swe
Z. past the sun, and the ghostly shadc'
ty ON the ground rushed over the field al
eeSS river and mountain SO it Is with a 1