The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27
SOILS DAY TO BE SHOT AT.
srN,s ECLIPSE DUE TO-ss0RROW
MORNING AT 1881 O'CLOCK,


PHENOMENON of the Century-An
4ViII Depend on the Weather
whether Savannahians VIII Get a
peep at 1.-THE Great Preparations
Made at the Observatories in the
Path of TOtaIity-Au But 81 Per
Cent. of the SUMS Surface VIII BE
Obscured Here.
When old Sol raises his head above the
horizon tomorrow morning it is safe to
say that he viii be confronted with more
ontcal artillery than he has ever gazed
anon before. From New Orleans to Nor
folk, from Portugal to the Mediterranean.
and along the coast of Africa to the Red
sea, astronomers from all parts of the
world have planted their scientific bat
teries and after weeks of preparation
and drill they are in readiness for the
coming of the greatest astronomical event
of the century, the total eclipse of the
sun.
The details of the eclipse have been
described az length in the Morning News.
1t is WELL however to recall that the path
of totality extends from New Orleans 10
Norfolk, and its average width is about
ifty-two miles. In Georgia the central
line passes through Thomaston and
Washington, West Point and 1lberton be-
ing on the northern limit and Macon on
the southern limit of totality.
At Savannah 94l5 per cent of the suns
surface will be obscured. This will pro-
duce a decided diminution in the light,
but it will still be too bright TO see any
of the stars. At Savannah the different
phases will occur in 18th meridian, or
city time, as follows.
INNS.
Eclipse begins ...................7:3l:2 5 a. m.
Middle of eclipse... .S;42:G0 n. m.
Eclipse ends ..........-....s.....y;5 9;S9 a. m.
1t will be convenient to prepare smoked
glasses to observe it, for the sun is far
400 dazzling an object 10 risk the naked
eye upon A piece of ordinary window
glass held over the flame of a kerosene
lamp without a chimney, or over a gas
jet will soon become black enough. But
little VIII be- gained outside of the path
of totality by the use of telescope, as
the corona, prominences and other phe-
norPena can be seen only where the sun
Is totally eclipsed.
A very good plan for observing the
eclipse is to pierce a piece of cardboard
with a large needle and allow the sun
to shine through this hole upon a white
piece of paper The exact image of the
sun will be clearly outlined. In fact,
wherever the suns rays pass through
any small openings the crescent shadow
of the eclipsed sun may be seen. This
will be noticeable on the ground under the
trees where sun spots strike amid the
shadows of the foliage.
The chief points of interest in Georgia
are at Thomaston and GAINESVILLE. At
Thomaston large detachment of astron-
omers from the Lick Observatory in Cal
ifOrnia and from Germany are stationed
At GAINESVILLE the naval observatory at
Washington has a station equipped with
an extensive outfit of apparatus. Many
new instruments and many new and ingen-
ious methods will be tried for the first
time upon this OCCASION These Improve
ments in observation have been marked
in the last few years and much is expect
ed of them.
1t may be well asked why is
it that so many skilful and
learned men at so much ex-
peuse are so eager to observe this eclipse.
Less than century ago it was dersively
asked why do learned men trouble them
selves with investigating the nature of the
few electric sparks obtained with difficulty
from Leyden jar, or from cats BACK
in a dark room. To-day that same subtle
force called electricity has been harness
ing large part of the worlds work. Less
than ten years ago the wonders of the X
rays were unknown, but to-day it is
boon to humanity. By some mysterious
force which is not yet underz
stood, but which men have learn
ed to handle, the human voice
may be recognized a thousand miles
away. and even communication may be
had between distant points by wireless
biography. There are forces at work upon
the sun which are mysteriously connected
with almost every form of energy upon the
earth, from the silent arrangement of at
oms and molecules i'm the laboratory of a
leaf to the cyclone spreading destruction in
Its path. Man has succeeded in harness
Ing a few of these forces for his use, and
1t is the desire to discover new means of
utilizing these forces and making them
helpful to mankind that impels the astron-
omers to investigate the eclipse of the
sun.
The greatest care has been taken to
utilize in the best and most economical
manner. the brief period of totality in
making the observations of the eclipse.
only about ninety seconds will be available
Tor this purpose, but every one of those
seconds will be utilized to the best adj
vantage and several large volumes will be
necessary to record the results obtained.
II is important that the exact latitude and
longitude of the observing stations be de-
termlned with great accuracy. For this
purpose telegraph wires have been run TO
these stations and connected with the
naval observatory clock in Washington.
Time signals have been sent over these
Tor several days, and tomorrow the final
corrections will be flashed over the wires
m order that every chronometer used in
the observations may be in unison with
the observatory clock. Up to to-day Wis.,
ltors have been admitted to the stations
to view the instruments, but tomorrow no
one, except the observers, will be allowed
10 come near the stations. A few minutes
before totality all conversation must cease
ana every observer must attend strictly
10 his own appointed work. Immediately
after the observations official reports must
oe written. and the finishing touches plac-
ed upon the drawings This all supposes,
OF course, that the skies will be clear.
should the sun be obscured by clouds near
~ all of this preparation will have been
IN vain, but this is not at all likely to oc-
cur over the whole path of totality.
Row TO MAKE CHILDREN GROW.