The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-06-02

scISuce anu the marvellous improve
ment in telescopes, Photographic and.
electrical appliances insured more
complete observations than ever be-
fore known. The United States gov
eminent and all the great educational,
institutions made elaborate and cost
" preparations to get the best posi-
BILE observations, and millions ot dol
lars were expended i'll this way.
Problem or the Corona.
While great interest attached to the
eclipse itself the objectssof astrono-
mers composing eclipse expeditions
from all parts of the country was not
alone to observe the passing of the
moon before the sun, but the study of
the corona. This particular branch of
h many phenomena generally at
tending an eclipse has always been an
unsolyable problem. The belief of
many astronomers is that the corona
is q product of the sun and has moth
ing to do with the earth or moon, as
formerly suspected. Two spectrn, one
Of bright lines and the other continu-
Gus, have been revealed at former
eclipses. Hydrogen gas has been IN
dicated, md a rare element called he'll
ium recently detected in volcanic
rocks OH the earth has been seen. OF
whatever substances the corona may
be composed and whatever NAV be
true of the nature of its physical and
chemical constitution, it is certain it
Is OF extreme StenuitY. So rare is it
h a comets in their swift flight
around the II have been known to
pass through it without sensible re-
sistance. Surrounding the sun is a
gaseous substance termed ..chromo-
sphere" believed to be from 5000 to
10000 miles deep. Projecting through
This chromosphere are observed, with.
total eclipses, shoots or limbs which
often rise to a height of 100000 miles
with amazing rnpidity. TO accurately
observe this paramount feature of an
eclipse every appliance of instru-
Fments, combined with astronomical
knowledge, was directed in the hope
OF reaching a solution of this .'pliloso-
piers stone" Generally speaking, the
observations taken by the nstrono-
mers today were confined to three
separate lines of work, the old method
OF telescoPic~ observations, viewing the
eclipse with the naked eye and photo
graphing the phenomena of the
eclipse.
5 AatD OF IOtnitty. No.
The path Of totally today began
IN h Pacific ocean just west of Mex
leo. It passed eastward across Mex
leo, and, entering the United States
near New Orleans, proceeded in a
~northeasterly direction until it left
the continent close to Norfolk, Va.
Then It crossed the Atlantic. touched
Portugal and afterward passed across,
leaving Portugal and passing across
northern Africa, leaving the Garth.
finally near the northern end Of ire
Red sea. In this country the cities Of
New Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery,
Raleigh and Norfolk were in the to-
tally path. Besides these cities the
path of darkness included thirty other
owns large enough to have their
names on the map. Few if any obs
.seryatory parties were located at large
cities for the reason that they lacked
altitude and an unobstructed view for
my distance was not to be found. Al
higher altitude gave reasonable as
also of a clearer atmosphere
and at this season less clouds are gem
orally found, especially in Alabama,
Georgia and North Carolina. While
the eclipse was visible all over the
country, 1t was only in n path of
about fifteen milesin width extending
from New Orleans to Norfolk that the
observation was complete.
Preparations for Observations.
The United States government an
propriated literally for toduy's great
work n observation parties were es-
tahlishedS at three places in the south
ana at 2Iripoli in Africa by the naval
observatory. Professor Simon
Brown, United States astronomical di-
rector, is In charge of the naval PR
ties in the south, which number about
sixty persons. Professor Browns
headquarters are at Barnesville, Ga.
Inc preliminary work, such rs select
ing sites, erecting tents and installing
instruments. was in charge Of profcs.
sol Milton UpdegraH. "a car load Of
costly and delicate apparatus wa
placed in position, multitudinous de-
tails completed and assistants drilled
TO perfection a few days ago. Three
large buildings were erected on a
at an altitude OF 1000
feet. a large scaffold was put ups and
tents pitched. In one Of the large
buildings is n polar axis, upon which
mounted various cameras and
Photographic telescopes. The tele-
scopes We're reyolved slowly by means
Ola clepsydra II water clock. Two
equatorial telescopes forSvisual obser-
vatlon OF the corona were also placed
in position in this building. Upon n
scaffold a large photo-heliograph. with
6-inch lenses and 40 feet focal length.