The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-08

for them, will, on the 20th of May,
1900, be visible in Mississippi, Ala
bama, Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina and Virginia, or, in other
words, throughout a broad belt, ex-
tending from New Orleans to Cape
Henry.
The shadow-path of the approaching
solar eclipse will cross the American
continent, and, within the United
States, will cover belt fifteen hun
dred miles long by about forty miles
wide at New Orleans, and sixty miles
wide at Cape Henry. Observers
should. if possible, take up positions
on the central line of the path, as the
shadow will there be densest, and the
phenomena best seen. Along this
central line, and within the north and
south limits of the path, there will be
thousands Of excellent stations. From
every city, town, village, hamlet and
farm throughout the belt observations
may be made to great advantage. The
best positions will be found in the
moons path from the Appalachian
highlands on to the Atlantic coast.
Some Of these have already been Sc
lected by professional astronomers,
who have chosen localities likely to
be most free from cloud. These ladies
and gentlemen will take care to be on
the ground several days in advance,
so as to arrange their instruments and
drill their stats to the last degree Of
thoroughness and precision. No doubt
the unprofessional men and women
who will be present on eclipse day will
number many thousands. Well
equipped parties will go South and
East from all parts of the continent,
not excepting Canada. At least one
official party will come out from Eng
land, while other parties from that
and other countries will 60 to places
in Europe and Africa. The eclipse
will be total along a path extending
from a point near the Southern end Of
Lower California, across Mexico, the
United States, the Atlantic, twice cut
ting the path Of ocean travel, Portu-
gal, Spain, Algiers and Egypt. Out
side of this path the eclipse will, some
time during the day, be more or less
partial to observers from the North
Pole to the river Amazon and from
the central Pacific Ocean to the Red
Sea.
On the 20th of May next, sometime
after local sunrise, the round, black
shadow of the moon, like great arm
will sweep in out of space, coming in
contact with the earth near the Revil-
la Gigedo Islands in the Pacific
Ocean, about FIVE hundred miles
! south and west of California. With
the tremendous initial velocity of
about one hundred miles minute,
the shadow-cone will rush toward the
mainland and enter Mexico near Cape
Corrientes. In eight minutes it shall
have crossed the Rocky Mountains,
where, flying from peak to peak and
from valley to valley, the spectacle
must be sublime, though lasting but
thirty seconds. By 1880 Central
Standard time (or $50 Eastern Stan
dard time) it shall have crossed the
Gulf near the mouth of the Rio Grande
and plunged New Orleans into sepul-
chral gloom.
For the purpose Of anticipation and
study, let US imagine ourselves to be
members of group of enthusiastic
men, women and youths, not neccssa
rily scientific or practiced observers,
only anxious to see everything posi-
BILE. We should be posted upon the
highest possible eminence, so as not
to miss the tremendous Impressions
due TO the sudden rushing upon us Of
the stupendous shadow. We ought to
be in tie center of the ground over
which the shadow will pass. If this
position be near New Orleans, we shall
have totality for seveney-seven sec
onds. If we are at Union Point,
Greene County, George, the center OF
the path in the United States, We
shall have darkness for ninety-twc
seconds. IF we are near the Atlantic
coast, not far south of the city OF
Norfolk, we shall have one hundred
and five seconds for observation. Lei
us assume that we have brought with
us opera and field glasses, telescopes
spectroscopes, barometers, thermome
tcrs, and well regulated timepieces
set to Washington, Greenwich, and 10
cal times, OF course, we have note
books, pads of drawing paper, card
Il